The Palace of Westminster.

The Palace of Westminster is a Victorian Gothic masterpiece designed by Sir Charles Barry and A.W. Pugin to replace the medieval parliament buildings, which burnt to the ground in 1834. The result of their work is one of the great buildings of the Victorian era and acts as home to the Houses of Parliament.

The Houses of Parliament is made up of the House of Commons and the House of Lords and is also known as the Palace of Westminster. It has been in place since the 12th century although there has been some damage – including an attempt to blow it up – every room is full of history.

HISTORY

Tradition suggests that a Roman temple to Apollo stood here by the River Thames. That temple was supposedly destroyed in an earthquake, and no trace of it remains, if, indeed, it ever existed. we are on safe historical foundations when it comes to the Saxon period, for we know that a timber church dedicated to St Peter was built here in the 8th century.

To distinguish the new church from St Paul's in the centre of London, the new church was known as the West Minster, while St Paul's was known as the East Minster. The name was contracted over time until the area around the church became known as Westminster. In the 10th century Westminster church was re-established as a Benedictine monastery.

In the early years of the 11th century, King Cnut built a royal palace on Thorney Island, a rise of high ground in the River Tyburn. The most influential Saxon king, however, was Edward the Confessor, who founded Westminster Abbey and built a new royal palace beside his great new monastic foundation.

Britain is administered from the Palace of Westminster in London. This is also known as the Houses of Parliament. Parliament is made up of two chambers — the House of Commons and the House of Lords. The members of the House of Lords are not elected: they qualify to sit in the House because they are bishops of the Church of England, aristocrats who have inherited their seats from their fathers, people with titles. There has been talk of reform in this century because many Britons think that this system is undemocratic. The House of Commons, by contrast, has 651 seats which are occupied by Members of Parliament (MPs) who are elected by the British public. The United Kingdom is divided into constituencies, each of which has an elected MP in the House of Commons. Each of the major political parties appoints a representative (candidate) to compete for each seat. Smaller parties may have a candidate in only a few constituencies. There may be five or more parties, fighting for one seat, but only one person — the candidate who gets the greatest number of votes — can win. Some parties win a lot of seats and some win very few, or none at all. The Queen, who is the Head of State, opens and closes Parliament. All new laws are debated (discussed) by MPs in the Commons, then debated in the Lords, and finally signed by the Queen. All three are part of Parliament in Britain.

While there will always be tight security, it is possible to visit the Houses of Parliament and enjoy the majesty of one of the most important buildings in London. It will be hard to determine which is going to be the most enjoyable part of the trip, listening to the debates of the Parliamentarians, walking around the building and being amazed by the architecture, or the chance to have afternoon tea on the banks of the River Thames 

Guided Tours

All guided tours are serviced by fully qualified Blue Badge guides and will take around 90 minutes. It includes both houses and there is the chance to gain additional information. Some of the areas that are covered are:

Queen’s Robing Roo

This is the room where the Queen gets ready for special occasions. It is in this room that there is a stunning marble fireplace, paintings by William Duce that depict the chivalric virtues, and in the past, this room was used for debate by the Lords after there the building was damaged by a bomb during war.

Royal Gallery

It is here that state ceremonies and presentations are held. Some of the highlights of the room are the statues depicting former Kings including Richard I and Edward III amongst others. Daniel Maclise's paintings are displayed around the room and they showcase certain scenes such as the Death of Nelson and scenes from the Napoleonic Wars. It has been used as a court in the past, with cases such as Lord de Clifford’s and then a charge of bigamy leveled at Earl Russell.

Central Lobby

Just standing in this lobby will give the visitor a taste of the grandeur and splendor of the building. With beautifully designed floors, it is the place where the entrances to the House of Lord, House of Commons, and Westminster Hall meet. Grilles still cover the windows and they have been in the palace since 1834 and were previously installed in the Ladies Room to prevent male politicians from being distracted by the women who were present in the room. They had to be taken down when suffragettes chained themselves to the grilles and have since been placed in the lobby.

But

Members’ Lobby

It is here that members can collect their mail and are ushered past a statue of Churchill while the door is guarded when members are seated. The arch known as the Churchill Arch was built at his suggestion and was to be a monument to those who perished in the war. He guards one side and the World War I Prime Minister, Lloyd George, guards the other.

Commons Chamber

The green seats are famous and well-known around world. In its present form, the seats have been situated in the Common Chambers since 1941. As it was rebuilt during the war, it is less grand than other parts of the building and there is a large area where the press and public can sit and watch the debates.

Statues in the Palace

There have been statues in the House of Parliament since Victorian times and it is estimated that there are more than 300, with many showing monarchs dating back to Norman times. There are many of Queen Victoria and one has been added of the architect himself – Sir Charles Barry