The Palace of Westminster was built between 1837-1860 to replace the old Houses of Parliament that burned down in 1834. Only Westminster Hall survived the fire. The new Gothic style building houses the two chambers where the elected representatives debate and pass laws - the House of Commons and the House of Lords. It is located on the Thames River in London and remains an iconic symbol of British parliamentary democracy nearly 150 years later.

1. Palace of Westminster
The Houses of Parliament, London
The present Neo-Gothic building of the Palace of Westminster was built between 1837
and 1860. It is about 150 years old, when the British Empire was on the rise.
All rights reserved. Rights belong to their respective owners. Available
free for non-commercial and personal use. First created 6 Apr 2012. Version 1.0 - 14 Apr 2012. Jerry Tse. London.

2. The 1834 Fire
The old Houses of Parliament was burnt down in 1834. The watching public cheered as the roof fell in.

3. The Burning of the Houses of Parliament. 1835. by Turner. English. Cleveland Museum of Art.

4. Westminster
Hall
Only the Westminster Hall
survived the fire of 1834.
The hall was significantly remodelled by Richard II, in 1393.

5. The entrance façade of the Westminster Hall today.

6. The spacious interior of the Westminster Hall, first built in 1067. It was the largest hall in England and probably in
Europe at that time. Originally it was used for banquets.

7. The roof was rebuilt in 1399. It is the largest medieval timber roof in northern Europe with a span of 69 feet.

8. There are 26 carved angels on the beams. It carries a shied with the royal arms of France and England
and wings on the sides of the beams. It was carved by Robert Grassington.

9. The Queen address to Parliament in the Westminster Hall on 20 March 2012.

10. Interior
The parliament has two
houses. This is the House
of Commons where the
elected representatives
debate and pass laws.
Chamber of the House of Commons.

11. Chamber of the House of Lords. The 825 members of the House of Lords are made up of life peers (700) appointed
by the government and hereditary Lords.

12. The Central Lobby, a common meeting place.

13. The Royal Gallery is often used when members of the two Houses
meet together to hear addresses by visiting heads of State.

14. The Robing room is used by the Queen for the annual State Opening of Parliament. It is
here the Queen puts on the Imperial State Crown and here ceremonial robes.

15. Exterior

16. The Bell Tower. The new building on the right provides more space for the parliament.

17. Big Ben installed in 1858.

19. The New Palace Yard with the Westminster Hall on the right.

20. Big Ben and the Westminster Hall behind Cromwell’s statue.

21. A tower near the St Stephen’s Entrance.

23. This is the statue of Oliver Cromwell, a
parliamentarian of the English Civil War,
holding a Bible in his hand.
He led a successful rebellion to overthrow
the King Charles I, who was executed in
1649. This established the supremacy of
the Houses of Parliament over the
monarch.

24. Statue of Oliver Cromwell (Detail). 1899. Bronze. Hamo Thorneycroft. English. Palace of Westminster.

25. The St Stephen’s Entrance.

26. The façade above the St Stephen’s

27. The Peer’s Tower.

29. The Central Lobby Tower in the middle.

30. The Palace Yard with the St Stephen Entrance on the left.

31. On the wall of the St Stephen’s Entrance.

34. The Equestrian Statue of Richard I (Lionheart). He led a crusade to the Holy land and spent 6 months of his 10 year in England.

35. Richard the Lionheart was born in France and French was his first language. The sculptor was Baron Marochetti, erected in 1856.

36. The House of Lords Entrance.

37. Victoria Tower.

38. A flag post holder lion on
the Victoria Tower.

39. Statues on the Victoria Tower viewed from the south.

41. The façade of the south face.

42. A view from the south.

43. The Victoria Tower viewed from the Thames.

45. The façade face the River Thames.

48. The End
The Houses of Parliament, Sunset. 1903. by Monet. French. National Gallery of Art. Washington DC.
All rights reserved. Rights belong to their respective Music – An extract from Pomp and
owners. Available free for non-commercial and personal
Circumstances by Edward Elgar.
use.