The Palace of Westminster in London was built in the 11th century by Edward the Confessor and served as a royal residence and meeting place for Parliament. Rebuilding and remodeling were common practices, with a new Gothic-style building by Charles Barry completed in 1840. Today, it remains a symbol of the City of London and the government of the country, featuring over a thousand rooms and two towers, including the iconic “Big Ben” clock. It is open to the public and still serves as the center of Parliament.
The Palace of Westminster in London, England is a former royal palace now inhabited by the British Parliament. Although its origins are somewhat obscure, the palace is believed to have first been built in the 11th century on the orders of Edward the Confessor. A long era of natural disasters, political change and reconstruction has led to its current status as the seat of the House of Lords and the House of Commons, as well as its prominent position as the city’s historic landmark.
The history of the Palace of Westminster is believed to begin with a church built around the 9th century in the same era. When Westminster Church received royal patronage a century after its completion, historians believe that the Saxon king, Edward the Confessor, ordered a palace to be built on the site. His reasons for doing so may have included Westminster’s access to major commercial crossroads, as well as the existing church’s association with Edward’s favorite patron saint, St Peter.
For the following centuries, the Palace of Westminster was used both as a royal residence and as a meeting place for early versions of Parliament. King Henry VIII became the first monarch to completely abandon the palace as a residence in the early 16th century, preferring the Palace of Whitehall. From then on, the Palace of Westminster served primarily as a meeting place for Parliament and the royal courts.
As the palace was woefully insufficient for the needs of a large body such as Parliament, rebuilding and remodeling were common practices in later centuries. A huge fire in 1834 destroyed much of the original mansion, as well as many of the later expansions, leading to the opportunity for an almost entirely new building. A Royal Commission offered a public competition for the new building, choosing a Gothic-style proposal by architect Charles Barry; the foundation stone for the modern Palace of Westminster was laid in 1840.
In the 21st century, the new Palace of Westminster remains a shining symbol of the City of London and of the government of the country. The palace itself contains over a thousand rooms and features two distinct towers: the 325-foot (98.5m) Victoria Tower and the Elizabeth Tower, home to the iconic “Big Ben” clock. Despite its completion during the 19th century, the palace has undergone several phases of repair and refurbishment over the years, including a major rebuilding effort following the bombing of London during World War II. While the palace remains the center of Parliament, it is often open to the public, for school trips and even the opportunity to participate in parliamentary debates.
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