The Queen's Palace was built by Queen Maria I, who was also responsible for opening the Vala Nova or Vala Real.
Vala Real connects to the Tagus and is part of a network of drainage channels for the agricultural fields of Azambuja and Santarém, and also served as a stop for the river route that connected Lisbon to Constância. The palace thus served as an inn and controlled the traffic of passengers and goods that circulated through the Vala Real, having been abandoned since the beginning of the 20th century.