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right Clock Tower and New Palace Yard from the westThe Palace of Westminster, on the banks of the River Thames in Westminster, London, is the home of the House of Commons and the House of Lords, which, together with the Queen, form the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It is also known as the Houses of Parliament.
1 History
Buildings have occupied the site since at least Saxon times, though the oldest buildings still in existence date from about 1097. Edward the Confessor established the origins of the present buildings by building a royal palace on the site from 1050, and until 1529 Westminster was the main London residence of successive monarchs. A fire in that year caused Henry VIII to decamp from the Privy Palace at the south end of the site, to the Palace of WhitehallThe Palace of Whitehall was the main residence of the English monarchs in London from 1530 until 1698 when all except Inigo Jones' 1622 Banqueting House was destroyed by fire. Before the fire it had grown to be the largest palace in Europe, with over 1,50. Despite this, it remains a royal palace to this day.
The Palace of Westminster seen across the River Thames is one of the iconic images of London
On January 20January 20 is the 20th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. There are 345 days remaining (346 in leap years). In astrology, it is the cusp day between Aquarius and Capricorn. Events 1156 According to legend, freeholder Lalli slays English crusader B, 1265Events January 20 In Westminster, the first English parliament conducts its first meeting. Fire destroys parts of Old Cairo. Battle of Evesham August 4 Births Alfonso III of Aragon Emperor Fushimi of Japan May 14 Dante Alighieri, Italian poet. Deaths Simo the first meeting of the first EnglishEngland is the largest, the most populous, and the most densely populated of the four " Home Nations" which make up the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (UK). Occupying the south-eastern portion of the island of Great Britain, England parliamentAlternative meanings: Parliamentary system, Parliament (band), Parliament (cigarette). A parliament is a legislative body, especially in those countries whose system of government is based on the Westminster system derived from that of the United Kingdom., summoned by Simon de MontfortTwo notable men bore the name of Simon de Montfort or Simon de Montford in the middle ages: Simon de Montfort, 5th Earl of Leicester (1160 1218), a French nobleman, achieved prominence in the Fourth Crusade and in the Albigensian Crusade. Simon de Montfor, was conducted here, and - with some short vacations - has sat here ever since, The House of Commons made its first permanent home in St Stephen's Chapel, a part of the palace. It has, therefore been at the centre of English and then Union government as it progressed from a monarchy to a parliamentary democracy and so has lent its name to the parliamentary system of government known as the Westminster System. And now for more than 900 years this very impressive assemblage of Gothic buildings has been the home of the English government and more recently the centre of the government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Indeed, it is true that no other place so potently symbolises democracy in the Western world more than this very old establishment.
Much of the ancient structures were destroyed by fire on October 16, 1834, and rebuilt by 1870, when the Parliament moved into their current residences.
