Westminster Palace

Behold, you’re standing in front of the centre of British political power! This is where the House of Commons and the House of Lords sit, and where all the major decisions affecting the United Kingdom are taken. The history of this palace apparently dates back to the 11th century, as the building that once stood here was the principal residence of the Kings of England. In 1531, a fire destroyed part of the palace, forcing King Henry VII to move to Whitehall Palace. It was at this point that Westminster became the seat of the British Parliament! Three centuries later, however, the building was once again ravaged by fire, leaving only a small part of the palace unscathed. This is now Westminster Hall. The rest of the palace we see today was built within a very short timescale following the fire. The design was drawn up by architect Charles Barry, who won the competition launched just two years after the fire to see who would have the honour of building it. The British architect built no fewer than 1,200 rooms, and a palace stretching 290 metres along the Thames. It should be noted that Charles Barry’s objective was to build a palace that represented the great power of England at the time. He succeeded, didn’t he? The Westminster Palace is surrounded by two towers: the Elizabeth Tower, which houses the famous Big Ben bell, and the Victoria Tower, which has carefully guarded all the copies of the Acts of Parliament since 1497. The Westminster Palace is a showcase for London’s splendour, and has made a name for itself all over the world! The Palace’s neo-Gothic style is a reference to the Tudor era, the dynasty that ruled England for almost two centuries. Today, it is one of London’s most visited monuments: no fewer than 19 rooms in the Palace are open to the public, including the two Houses of Parliament!