Join us as we explore the chambers of this magnificent landmark. The Palace of Westminster . One of London’s most iconic buildings, with its elaborately carved sandy- coloured fa. Millions have admired its architecture from viewpoints both north and south of the river.

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But imagine exploring its interior: rooms that echo with the history of centuries of British rule and chambers in which politicians debate decisions that can alter the direction of the nation. The building dates back to the reign of King Canute, who constructed a royal residence here in 1. Westminster Hall, built in 1. The Hall is a minor miracle, having survived both the Great Fire of 1. Houses of Parliament, and heavy bombing during World War II. Its proportions are immense and its striking hammer- beam timber roof is the largest medieval unsupported roof in northern Europe. The ancient Hall.

Westminster Hall was used as a law court from the 1. Trials held here include that of William Wallace (1. Scottish resistance against English oppression, and Guy Fawkes, who was found guilty of treason and executed in 1. Houses of Parliament.

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Members of the Royal Family lie in state here, most recently The Queen Mother in 2. But the Hall also welcomes the living: world leaders including HM The Queen, Barack Obama, Nelson Mandela and Aung San Suu Kyi have delivered speeches here. Although the Hall is the oldest part of the Palace, certain elements were added later, and Richard II remodelled its walls in the 1.

Seek out a small square excavated in the wall near the ceiling; it reveals the original stonework nestled within the newer structure. Take time, too, to admire the old stonework nearby in what was once the stable block but is now the Jubilee caf. In 1. 84. 1, politicians held a competition to find an architect to rebuild the Palace, with entrants instructed to submit their designs using a symbol instead of their name. The winner was Charles Barry, assisted by 2. Augustus Pugin – the leading authority on Gothic architecture and style. The Queen’s Robing Room .

The Queen has her own entrance, Sovereign’s Entrance, from where she climbs the stairs to the Norman Porch and enters the Queen’s Robing Room; it is here that the vision of Barry and Pugin comes to life. The painted wooden ceiling is decorated with motifs of royalty and Parliament in rich golds, reds and blues. It is a remarkable room, filled with symbolism, of which the most recognisable is the Portcullis – the symbol Barry used on his entry, which is now the logo of the Houses of Parliament. We trace The Queen’s steps from the Robing Room into the 3. Royal Gallery, dominated by two imposing frescoes depicting British victories in the Napoleonic Wars: the battles of Trafalgar and Waterloo. Yet here is a reminder that we are in the 2. TV screens (red for the House of Lords and green for the House of Commons); these are the annunciators, which inform members what is being debated.

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Royal Gallery . Linger here and take time to enjoy the recent addition of paintings depicting the Spanish Armada, before heading to the showpiece of the tour, the incredible Lords Chamber. Everyone who enters the Lords Chamber lets out a gasp of amazement. Completed in 1. 84. Palace of Westminster. Designed by Pugin, it is festooned with complex wooden carvings and rich red leather, all lit by cathedral- sized stained- glass windows, which cast a rainbow of colours over the gold- leaf decoration. Surrounding this chamber is the public gallery where anyone can sit to watch a debate.

The only simple element of this room is the square wool- stuffed cushion at its centre. This is the Woolsack, where the Lord Speaker sits – a tradition dating back to the 1. Behind the Woolsack is Black Rod’s Mace. The Mace represents the monarch. A formal procession is performed each day, with Black Rod leading the Members into the Chamber and placing the Mace in the House of Lords.

Next door, in the House of Commons, the Serjeant at Arms carries out the same role. Yet despite this rich history, times do change. Until 6. 0 years ago the House of Lords consisted of all- male and all- hereditary members, but this is no longer the case. Of the 8. 30 members today, only 9. Tour the chambers. Here our path breaks away from that of The Queen, for no monarch since Charles I has entered the House of Commons.

Separating the House of Lords from the House of Commons are the Peers Lobby and Peers Corridor, which lead into the octagonal Central Lobby. Here, carved stone statues of monarchs line each of the eight arches, and the stone- vaulted roof is believed to be the widest in existence at 1. Any UK resident can come here and ask to see their MP – a process known as lobbying or, more informally, . Much of this section was badly damaged during bombing in 1. Barry’s original design that it’s hard to distinguish between old and new.

Look closely at the arch next to the statue of Winston Churchill in the Members Lobby and you’ll see an original section, battered by The Blitz. Notice too the worn area on the door to the Commons Chamber, where Black Rod knocks three times (for God, Queen and country) during the State Opening of Parliament.

The walls of Members Lobby are lined with statues and busts of prime ministers past, and it’s said MPs used to touch the statue of Winston Churchill for good luck in their work and that of Lloyd George if they were going on a date. The rule was that prime ministers had to have been dead for 1.

This was broken for Margaret Thatcher in 2. Lords Chamber/Big Ben . Scott Junior is perhaps most famous for designing the iconic red telephone box, as well as Battersea and Bankside (now Tate Modern) power stations.

His understated use of carved wood teamed with green leather in the House of Commons appears spartan in comparison with the opulent Lords Chamber. From the clean lines of Commons Chamber, the tour moves into St Stephen’s Hall – the original site of the House of Commons from the mid 1. Great Fire of 1. 83. The statues of parliamentary orators that line the Hall are a reminder of its earlier usage. Look out for a damaged spur on the back of one statue’s boot; this was snapped off by a suffragette during a scuffle and has been left broken as a reminder of women’s fight for the vote. Now back in Westminster Hall, our guide Mark Cullen tells us the tale of King George IV’s coronation banquet.

As part of the ceremony, the King’s Champion rode in on a prize stallion. Since it was considered bad mannered for the horse to show its rear to the king, a circus horse, trained to walk backwards, was used. Unfortunately, this particular horse would only walk backwards, much to the horror of king and court. Mark’s closing story is as memorable as the tour itself and, now back where we started, our exhilarating tour comes to an end. Discover more interesting historical facts in every issue of BRITAIN magazine.

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