Where is houses of parliament

The only other part of the original palace to survive the devastating fire is the Jewel Tower , built in and used to store the monarch's valuables. Westminster Hall was used for coronation banquets in medieval times and served as a courthouse until the 19th century. In the 20th century, monarchs and Prime Minister Winston Churchill lay in state here after their deaths.

Parliament is split into two houses. Traditionally the home of hereditary blue bloods, the scarlet-decorated House of Lords , with around members, now has peers appointed through various means. Both houses debate and vote on legislation, which is then presented to the Queen for her Royal Assent in practice, this is a formality; the last time Royal Assent was denied was in And Charles I, while still king, was tried and condemned as 'a tyrant, traitor and murderer' there in — even though no court had any legal authority over him.

The Courts of Law only moved out in the s. Long unfit for purpose, the opportunity to create a new palace came in , when a fire destroyed most of the old structure. The winner of the competition to rebuild was Sir Charles Barry who worked alongside Augustus Pugin to create today's Perpendicular Gothic building, containing 1, rooms around two courtyards.

It covers eight acres with an impressive m river frontage. Standing proud of the main building is the clock tower, home of the bell affectionately known as Big Ben. Sadly, neither Barry nor Pugin lived to see the New Palace finished.

In fact bombs and other acts of violence have played a prominent role in Westminster's history. In , Prime Minister Spencer Percival was assassinated there. A Fenian bomb in severely damaged the Common Chamber and seriously injured three.

During the Blitz , the Palace was hit no less than 14 times. And a car bomb exploded in the car park in , killing Conservative politician Airey Neave. Tighter security since then has prevented further tragedies. You may be interested in Take a London Film Locations Tour A whizz around London's famous film backdrops, visiting around 40 different locations.

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