The whole building is meant to impress
Growing up by the River Thames means I am used to seeing world-famous landmarks that have brought millions of tourists to our great capital: Tower Bridge and the Tower of London are two that I know well, and along the river you’ll see The Palace of Westminster, the home of Parliament with almost a thousand years of history, but how many of us have actually been a tourist for a day and ventured inside to see what others from around the globe find so fascinating? I visited for the very first time to find out, writes Michael Holland.
After necessary security checks you are allowed in to be amazed by what was once home to the Royal family but evolved to be the centre of politics and law while surviving floods, bombs, war and dastardly plots.
The tour begins in Westminster Hall, the oldest part that was built by the conquering Normans and was then the biggest building in Europe. Still used for state banquets, it was where Queen Elizabeth II Lay-in-State while many of her subjects came to pay their last respects. It was in this Hall that Charles I was tried for treason, as was Guido Fawkes for his Gunpowder Plot.
St Stephen’s Hall is lined with marble statues and glorious artworks. It was here that Parliament once faced each across the aisle, where William Wilberforce argued for the end of slavery and where PM Spencer Percival was assassinated. After this space there is no more photography but the tour remains just as fascinating.
In the Central Lobby you will find fantastic mosaics of the four patron saints that made up the UK at that time in the mid-19th century. Then the tour leads off along the Peers’ Corridor where seating is in red leather to signify the House of Lords section.
As you amble through this magnificent building you learn about the Division Bell, the corridors for the Ayes and Noes, the Not Content Lobby, and the various positions that have been filled since Medieval times.
Although the Monarchy has little say in decision-making these days it was once in complete control. Over time it yielded to the will of the people until eventually it became, along with the House of Lords and the House of Commons, one third of what makes up the UK Parliament. Now, the Prince’s Chamber is where the Lords meet informally and the Royal Gallery is a homage to opulence and grandiosity with its ornate ceiling, floor, walls and windows. The whole building is meant to impress visiting royalty and high-ranking dignitaries from abroad, but, perhaps, no more than this gallery with its majestic opulence.
And so it goes on. You cannot fail to be stunned with the magnificence of the Palace. In fact, up to a point where you fail to be astonished when you see another beautiful space or one more glorious vaulted ceiling, so it was a nice rest for me to enter those spaces that we are now able to see on our TV screens on a regular basis: the House of Lords and the House of Commons. Lavish, yes, but not nearly as much as what went before. I stood and looked around the HoC and thought of those that had worked here, made decisions here, changed lives and the direction of the nation here.
I recommend this tour for everyone because it is not just old, Medieval history – the Palace has been constantly evolving with art works and new busts and statues of Prime Ministers for centuries. Plus, the audio tour provides so much historical content that adds context to what the eyes take in. You too can literally walk along the corridors of power.
I was overwhelmed at how ostentatious the Palace of Westminster is; every ceiling, every wall, every door frame, every chair, every floor and every window with the most beautiful stained glass is a work of art. The highlight for me was being able to go in to the House of Lords and House of Commons (You can’t sit on the benches), and in the room where the throne is (You definitely can’t sit on that!).
Various Tours: £33 – £9.
Booking: https://tickets.parliament.uk/content/ticket-options
