Interesting trivia about Westminster Palace
There is no need to tell you what place the City of Westminster or the Westminster Palace in particular are. Meeting place of the House of Commons and the House of Lords, it is arguably the most important place in the country, because more often than not the fate of the nation is decided within its walls.
Westminster Palace is also a rather popular tourist attraction. Many people come here simply to photograph the building and its beautiful surroundings, and the more patient among them even wait for the guided tours that are organized within the premises of the palace, so that they can take a glimpse at the rooms where important decisions about the future of the Kingdom, Europe and the world have been made for well over a century now.
No matter whether you are simply a visitor to London, or you have been living here all your life, or even you have never set foot on the British Islands you have heard of Westminster Palace, and even know where it is. But how much about the history of the place you know?
• The old Westminster Palace
The original Westminster Palace has been built in the Middle Ages. It had a very important location from a strategic point of view for the old City of London. There is little wonder that it was regarded in such a way, since it was erected right on the bank of the River Thames. The ancient name of the place was Thorny Island. The first king to use Thorny Island Castle as a royal residence was no other than Canute The Great — king of Denmark, England, Norway and parts of Sweden, or as it was often referred to — the great North Sea Empire. Actually, very little is known about Canute, due to loss of historical records, and the fact that he resided in the predecessor of Westminster Palace is one of the few facts about his reign that can be confirmed with a degree of certainty about his reign. So, the Palace of Westminster first came into prominence in the period between 1016 and 1035. It was the last Anglo-Saxon monarch of Britain, St Edward the Confessor, who built Westminster Abbey and continued to use the Castle as a Royal Residence in the middle of the same 11th century. The late medieval period became the time when The Palace of Westminster was actually the principal royal residence of the English kings.
• The Reign of Henry VIII and a change of purpose
It was during the rule of King Henry VIII, and more precisely in the early years, e.g. 1512, when the private rooms of the king in the Westminster Palace were almost completely destroyed due to a fire. The King moved out and acquired a new residence, and even though at least officially Westminster Palace preserved its status of a royal residence, it was no longer used for the purpose. From that time on Westminster Palace became a meeting place for the House of Lords and the House of Commons.
• 16 October 1834
An overheated stove that was used for burning the Exchequer’s stockpile of tally sticks caused a major fire to break out in the House of Lords Chamber in 1834. The fire quickly escalated and lead to the complete destruction of the Palace of Westminster. The Jewel Tower, the Undercroft Chapel and the Cloisters and Chapter House of St Stephen’s were the only parts of the palace that actually managed to survive. It was the next year when discussions on how to approach the construction of the new building. An interesting fact is that King William IV actually proposed to the members of Parliament to give them Buckingham Palace as a gift. William was well known to disliking the still-under-construction royal residence with passion. The MPs however rejected the gift.
The Gothic style was chosen for the new building over the then fashionable neo-classicism (like the White House in the US), because the Gothic style architecture was actually symbolic for the conservative values embraced by most members of Parliament. The construction began 1840. The architect, chosen from 97 proposal, Charles Barry was actually more into the classical form, and even though he embraced the requirements of the House of Lords that the building is to be a Gothic one, he incorporated the neo-classical principles of symmetry, thus creating one of the most unique buildings of its time. The Lords Chamber was completed in 1847, while the Commons Chamber was finished in 1852. That was the year when Barry was knighted. The final touches were actually done in 1860s.
Some of the most notable artists of the time worked on the internal decoration of the place — William Dyce, Charles West Cope, Edward Matthew Ward, Edward Armitage, George Frederic Watts, John Callcott Horsley, John Tenniel and Daniel Maclise. Furthermore, many paintings were purchased and continued to be purchased well into the 20th century.
• The Blitz
Fourteen times the Palace of Westminster has been hit during the Second World War bombing of London. The worst of the damage was caused during the bombing of 10/11 May 1941. Three people were killed then. The House of Commons Chamber was destroyed by fire and from then on, until the time actual restoration was carried out, the Lords offered their quarters to the Commons.
• Etiquette
As one can imagine, the palace of Westminster is one of those places where the rules of conduct and the traditions are stricter than most other places on the planet. For example, the House of Commons Chamber is a smoke-free area since the 17th century. No eating and drinking is allowed in the chamber, except the Chancellor of the Exchequer, who may have an alcoholic beverage while delivering the Budget statement. Men should always wear a suit and a tie, while women are expected to show up in business-like attire. No shirts with slogans are allowed under any circumstances. Members of Parliament are not allowed to have their hands in their pockets. No animals, expect guide dogs for the blinds are allowed, and no one can address the Parliament by reading their speech.
