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Table of Contents
The Palace of Westminster is a collaborative Perpendicular Gothic-style structure situated north of the City of Westminster’s River Thames in London, England. The United Kingdom’s Parliament, i.e., the House of Commons and House of Lords, use it to hold meetings for conducting business. It is also known as one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
See the fact file below for more information on the Palace of Westminster or alternatively, you can download our 28-page Palace of Westminster worksheet pack to utilize within the classroom or home environment.
Key Facts & Information
PHYSICAL FEATURES – EXTERIOR
- The classical architect Sir Charles Barry and Gothic architect Augustus Welby Pugin combined their ideas in designing and building the Palace of Westminster.
- Anston, or a sand-colored limestone, is what the building’s stonework is made of. The poor quality of the stone is evident due to pollution.
- Clipsham stone, which is a honey-colored limestone, was used to replace the spoiled Anston in 1928. The construction started in 1930 but stopped because of World War II.
- The palace has three principal towers: Victoria, St. Stephen, and the Clock Tower.
- The Victoria Tower was known for being the tallest building in the palace, at 323 ft. tall. It was named after Queen Victoria, the monarch during its reconstruction. The Archives, Iron Flagstaff, and Sovereign’s entrance are all found in the said tower located southwest of the palace.
- In the middle part of the palace, St. Stephen’s Tower can be seen. It is also known as the Central Tower, which is the shortest of the three towers standing at 300 ft. It houses the Central Lobby and House of Commons entrance.
- The Clock Tower, or Big Ben, is the most famous in the palace. It is 316 ft. high, found at the northwest end, and is the home of the Great Clock and Great Bell of Westminster. It is called the Elizabeth Tower today.
- There are small gardens around the palace, including the Victoria Tower Gardens, Black Rod’s Garden, Old Palace Yard, Cromwell Green, New Palace Yard, Speaker’s, and College Green.
- The palace has 100 staircases, 1,100 rooms, 5 kilometers of passageways, and four floors.
PHYSICAL FEATURES – INTERIOR
- The main floor of the palace or the first floor is where the main rooms can be found: libraries, lobbies, and chambers. Offices and spaces for the committee are found on the top two floors.
- The Lord’s Chamber measures 14 by 24 meters. Its furnishings are red. Stained glass windows are found in the upper part of the chamber.
- The Commons Chamber is 14 by 21 meters in size. The benches and furnishings are green. It is small and can only accommodate 427 of the 646 Members of Parliament.
- The Westminster Hall is the oldest place in the palace. The roofs are supported with pillars. It is 21 by 73 meters in size.
HISTORY AND SIGNIFICANT EVENTS
- Most of the structures of the Palace of Westminster were rebuilt in the 19th century by Barry and Pugin after a fire broke out in 1834 and the damages brought by World War II. The Westminster Hall was built in 1097 and is the oldest part of the palace that is still alive.
- From 1016 to 1035, during the Canute the Great’s ruling, the royal residence was located at Thorney Island, where the Palace of Westminster was built.
- A decade after, in the years 1045-1050, one of the monarchs of the Anglo-Saxons of England, St. Edward the Confessor, constructed a royal palace alongside Westminster Abbey.
- Thorney Island and its nearby areas became known as Westminster. It derives from the combination of “west”, the location of the area, and “minster”, the title used for churches in England such as York Minster, Westminster Abbey, and Southwell Minster.
- The buildings of Westminster Palace were also used in the 11th century by King William I, also known as William the Conqueror (1066-1087). King William II, known as William Rufus and King William I’s third son, stayed in the palace from 1087 to 1100. From 1097 to 1099, William Rufus raised the original Westminster Hall.
- Significant events in the 13th century included the arrival in Westminster of the Exchequer from Winchester (1220), the remaking of the Queen’s and King’s Chamber and Queen’s Chapel by King Henry III (1220-1230), the completion of the Prince’s Chamber (1238), the start of the reconstruction of Westminster Abbey by King Henry III (1245), Simon de Montfort’s Parliament meeting at the palace (1265), the first official Parliament of England Model Parliament meeting in the palace (1295), and the construction of St. Stephen and St. Mary Undercroft Chapels by King Edward I (1292-1297).
- The King’s Chamber served as King Henry III’s main bedchamber, then was renamed the Painted Chamber, where state ceremonies are conducted.
- The establishment of the Jewel Tower (1365-1366), the New Palace Yard clock tower (1367), and the rebuilding of Westminster Hall (1394-1399) happened in the 14th century.
- In 1534, York Place was obtained by King Henry VIII from a compelling minister Cardinal Thomas Wolsey. It happened after a fire damaged the royal residence in the palace in 1512. He then renamed York Place the Palace of Whitehall and used it as his main quarters.
- Due to the House of Commons not having a chamber, debates were often conducted in the Chapter House of Westminster Abbey. Later, St. Stephen’s Chapel became a permanent area of the Commons. In 1547, St. Stephen’s College stopped operating.
- An attempt to kill Protestant King James I to re-establish Catholicism in England was the suspected reason for the failed Gunpowder Plot in the House of Lords Chamber in 1605. This specific portion of the palace was then demolished to build a new Royal Gallery.
- In October 1618, Sir Walter Raleigh was executed.
- To create more space for storing documents and accommodating committees, the Stone Building was built in 1755-1770.
- In 1801, the White Chamber accommodated the Court of Requests, a minor equity group established during King George III’s rule in 1783–1801.
- The House of Commons’ lobby witnessed the assassination of Spencer Perceval by John Bellingham on May 11, 1812.
- Two overheated stoves were the reason why the palace, specifically the House of Lords Chamber, was set on fire on October 16, 1834. The two Houses of Parliament and most of the palace complex buildings were destroyed. The Jewel Tower, two houses of St Stephen, Westminster Hall, and the Undercroft Chapel survived. At the time, it was considered the worst fire in London.
- Sir Charles Barry’s Victoria Tower won the architectural competition to be the new Palace of Westminster. Buckingham Palace, a gift to the Parliamentary, was offered to replace the burnt palace but rejected.
- The Elizabeth Tower found on the north end of the palace is also known as Big Ben. Its original name is the Clock Tower, and it accommodates the Great Clock of Westminster. It is an Edmund Beckett Denison design built by Edward John Dent.
- The Tower of London was, along with the New Palace, affected by the Fenian Bombs on January 24, 1885.
- Bombs have hit the Palace of Westminster fourteen times. One was dropped in the Old Palace Yard during the Second World War.
- On May 10-11, 1941, the worst raid occurred, wherein three people were killed, including two police officers and Edward Elliot. In the same year, the House of Commons caught fire after an explosive bomb hit the chamber.
- Westminster Hall’s roof also caught fire, resulting in the firefighters having to choose between the two. The Hall was selected to be rescued instead of the chamber.
RESTORATION
- In 1950, the House of Commons Chamber was reopened after its reconstruction by Architect Giles Gilbert Scott.
- In 1951, the Lords Chamber was renovated to be occupied by the Lords.
- The office spaces of the Norman Shaw Building in 1975 and Portcullis House in 2000 were acquired because space was needed to cater for all offices.
- In April 2012, four inner courtyards were completed, including the Speaker’s Court and the Royal Court.
- The north wall of Westminster Hall underwent renovation in October 2012.
- In 2018, a big decision to vacate the palace to give way to the complete renovation and redecoration was approved, with work due to start in 2025.
PLAN
- The floor plan of the principal floor of the Palace of Westminster includes the Royal Gallery, House of Lords, Central Lobby, House of Commons, Westminster Hall, Royal, Members, and Peers Entrance, Lords and Commons Library, St. Stephen’s Hall and Entrance, Old and New Palace Yard, Speaker’s Green, and Victoria Tower Garden.
Palace of Westminster Worksheets
This is a fantastic bundle that includes everything you need to know about the Palace of Westminster across 28 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use worksheets that are perfect for teaching about the Palace of Westminster which is located north of the River Thames in London, England.
Complete List of Included Worksheets
Below is a list of all the worksheets included in this document.
- Palace of Westminster Facts
- Choose Me!
- Arrange & Engage
- Describe the Tower
- Letter-Learned
- Re-Create
- Watch and Learn
- Finding Info
- Your Reaction
- Label Reveal
- Send a Message
Frequently Asked Questions
What was it before it became the Palace of Westminster?
The Palace Hall was built on Thorney Island where from 1016 to 1035 Canute the Great had his royal residence located.
Who was the Palace of Westminster built for?
The buildings of Westminster palace was used as the residence of King William I. His son, William the Conqueror stayed there after and he was the one who commissioned the original Westminster Hall to be built.
Who were the architects of the Palace of Westminster?
The Palace was designed by Sir Charles Barry who was a classical architect and Augustus Welby Pugin who was known for being the pioneer in Gothic-style architecture. This collaboration resulted in the Palace of Westminster being one of the most recognized buildings in the world.
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Link will appear as Palace of Westminster Facts & Worksheet: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, July 13, 2022
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