Palace of Westminster in London UK
One of the most beautiful royal destinations of the world certainly is
the Palace of Westminster in London, United Kingdom.
It must be no surprise that this wonderful place is mentioned on the
Unesco World Heritage List.
It is the meeting place of the House of Commons and the House of
Lords, the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.
Westminster Palace really has a beautiful location on the north bank
of the River Thames in the City of Westminster in central London.
Nowadays the Palace of Westminster has a rather political function but it has
an amazing Royal History.
Some royal history
The palace of Westminster site was strategically important in the Middle Ages,
due to its location on the banks of the River Thames.
The site was possibly first used for a royal residence by Canute the Great
during his reign from 1016 till 1035.
The oldest existing part of the Palace of Westminster dates from the reign
of King William II.
In 1512 during the early years of the reign of King Henry VIII, fire destroyed
the palace. In 1534 Henry VIII 'acquired' York Place from Cardinal Wolsey and
the king used it as his principal residence, although Westminster officially
remained a royal palace.
Afterwards it served as home for the Parliament of England and
also as the seat of the Royal Courts of Justice.
On 16 October 1834 a great fire broke out in the Palace due to an overheated stove.
After this terrible incident a competition for the reconstruction of the Palace took place.
It was won by architect Charles Barry. He was inspired by the Gothic Revival style,
based on the style of the 14-16th centuries.
Construction started in 1840 and lasted for 30 years, suffering great delays and
cost overruns as well as the death of one of the leading architects.
In 1885, the Ayrton Light was installed at the top of the Elizabeth Tower, which is
lit when either House of Parliament is sitting after dark. This was done at the
request of Queen Victoria, so that she could see from Buckingham Palace whether
the members were "at work".
During the Second World War the Palace of Westminster was hit by bombs. The
worst raid took place in the night of 10-11 May 1941.
The exterior of the Palace of Westminster is recognized world wide. The Elizabeth
Tower houses the bell known as the Big Ben and is one of the most visited
attractions in London. Tsar Nicholas I of Russia called it "a dream in stone".
the Palace of Westminster in London, United Kingdom.
It must be no surprise that this wonderful place is mentioned on the
Unesco World Heritage List.
It is the meeting place of the House of Commons and the House of
Lords, the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.
Westminster Palace really has a beautiful location on the north bank
of the River Thames in the City of Westminster in central London.
 |
| Palace of Westminster, London, United Kingdom |
Nowadays the Palace of Westminster has a rather political function but it has
an amazing Royal History.
Some royal history
The palace of Westminster site was strategically important in the Middle Ages,
due to its location on the banks of the River Thames.
The site was possibly first used for a royal residence by Canute the Great
during his reign from 1016 till 1035.
The oldest existing part of the Palace of Westminster dates from the reign
of King William II.
In 1512 during the early years of the reign of King Henry VIII, fire destroyed
the palace. In 1534 Henry VIII 'acquired' York Place from Cardinal Wolsey and
the king used it as his principal residence, although Westminster officially
remained a royal palace.
Afterwards it served as home for the Parliament of England and
also as the seat of the Royal Courts of Justice.
 |
| Westminster Palace London 2016 |
On 16 October 1834 a great fire broke out in the Palace due to an overheated stove.
After this terrible incident a competition for the reconstruction of the Palace took place.
It was won by architect Charles Barry. He was inspired by the Gothic Revival style,
based on the style of the 14-16th centuries.
Construction started in 1840 and lasted for 30 years, suffering great delays and
cost overruns as well as the death of one of the leading architects.
 |
| Palace of Westminster, London |
In 1885, the Ayrton Light was installed at the top of the Elizabeth Tower, which is
lit when either House of Parliament is sitting after dark. This was done at the
request of Queen Victoria, so that she could see from Buckingham Palace whether
the members were "at work".
During the Second World War the Palace of Westminster was hit by bombs. The
worst raid took place in the night of 10-11 May 1941.
The exterior of the Palace of Westminster is recognized world wide. The Elizabeth
Tower houses the bell known as the Big Ben and is one of the most visited
attractions in London. Tsar Nicholas I of Russia called it "a dream in stone".
Westminster by Claude Monet
Source picture: Wikipedia
Art
Westminster Palace in Art. Claude Monet has made this wonderful paintings in
his typical impressionistic style.
 |
| Big Ben, London taken in 2016 |
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