A royal court or noble court is the household of a royal family—including its advisors and attendants. The building is often called a palace, but the "royal court" means not just the buildings but all the royal household (all the people who live and work there). Someone who has a rank in a royal court is called a court official or courtier. A royal court can also include the wives and concubines of the ruler.
It is called a court because in early times the palace would have a court (an enclosed space) at the front.[source?]
In history there were great rulers who held important courts, e.g. Charlemagne.
A famous example is Hampton Court on the river Thames in London where Henry VIII had his court. Today the King holds court at Buckingham Palace.
