124-642: The Independent Expert Panel ( IEP ) is a body of the British Houses of Parliament . The Panel was established in 2020 in response to a report by Dame Laura Cox , and replaced the Committee on Standards . As recommended in the Cox report, it is entirely independent of Parliament and none of its members are MPs. The Panel determines the appropriate sanction for Members of Parliament in cases involving bullying, harassment or sexual misconduct, referred to it by
248-513: A World Heritage Site in 1987. The fabric of the building is in urgent need of restoration. In January 2018, the House of Commons voted for both houses to vacate the palace to allow for a complete refurbishment of the building, which will take at least six years and start no sooner than 2025. In September 2022, the Restoration and Renewal Client Board, a joint committee of the House of Lords and
372-440: A spire in order to balance the effect of the more massive lateral towers. The Central Tower completely failed to fulfill its stated purpose, but it remains notable as "the first occasion when mechanical services had a real influence on architectural design," withstanding certain climate-specific architectural elements such as windcatchers . Some other features of the palace of Westminster are known as towers. St Stephen's Tower
496-510: A campaign led by Edgar Ætheling . The new king recognised William's authority over Lothian and attended William's court. William made two forays into Wales in 1097. Nothing decisive was achieved, but a series of castles were constructed as a marchland defensive barrier. In 1096, William's brother Robert Curthose joined the First Crusade . He needed money to fund this venture and pledged his Duchy of Normandy to William in return for
620-485: A central chimney through which what he called "vitiated air" would be drawn out of the building with the heat and smoke of about four hundred fires around the palace. To accommodate the tower Barry was forced to lower the high ceiling he had planned for the Central Lobby and reduce the height of its windows; however, the tower proved to be an opportunity to improve the palace's exterior design, and Barry to make it
744-508: A council at Rockingham to bring Anselm to heel, but the archbishop remained firm. In October 1097, Anselm went into exile, taking his case to the Pope. The diplomatic and flexible Urban II , a new pope, was involved in a major conflict with Holy Roman Emperor Henry IV , who supported Antipope Clement III . Reluctant to make another enemy, Urban came to a concordat with William, whereby William recognised Urban as pope, and Urban gave sanction to
868-555: A crack of its own, which gives it a distinctive sound. It is the third-heaviest bell in Britain, weighing 13.8 tonnes. In the lantern at the top of Elizabeth Tower is the Ayrton Light, which is lit when either House of Parliament is sitting after dark. It was installed in 1885 at the request of Queen Victoria, so that she could see from Buckingham Palace whether the members were "at work", and named after Acton Smee Ayrton , who
992-506: A defect of William's reign in particular. Of course, contemporary churchmen were themselves not above engaging in such politics: it is reported that, when Archbishop Lanfranc suggested to William I that he imprison the rebellious bishop Odo of Bayeux , he exclaimed "What! He is a clergyman." Lanfranc retorted that "You will not seize the bishop of Bayeux, but confine the earl of Kent." (Odo held both titles.) While there are complaints of contemporaries regarding William's personal behaviour, he
1116-480: A few countrymen, including Eli who discovered the body. To the chroniclers, men of the Church, such an " act of God " was a just end for a wicked king, and was regarded as a fitting demise for a ruler who came into conflict with the religious orders to which they belonged. Over the following centuries, the obvious suggestion that one of William's enemies had a hand in this event has repeatedly been made: chroniclers of
1240-504: A new archbishop for many years, appropriating ecclesiastical revenues in the interim. In panic, owing to serious illness in 1093, William nominated as archbishop another Norman-Italian, Anselm – considered the greatest theologian of his generation – but this led to a long period of animosity between Church and State, Anselm being a stronger supporter of the Gregorian reforms in the Church than Lanfranc. William and Anselm disagreed on
1364-464: A nun in order to protect her from the lust of William Rufus, which angered Edith's father because of the effect it might have on her prospects of marriage. The historian Emma Mason has noted that while during his reign William himself was never openly accused of homosexuality, in the decades after his death numerous medieval writers spoke of this and a few began to describe him as a "sodomite". Modern historians cannot state with certainty whether William
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#17327933365621488-659: A payment of 10,000 marks, which equates to about a quarter of William's annual revenue. In a display of the effectiveness of English taxation, William raised the money by levying a special, heavy, and much-resented tax upon the whole of England. He then ruled Normandy as regent in Robert's absence. Robert did not return until September 1100, one month after William's death. As regent in Normandy, William campaigned in France from 1097 to 1099. He secured northern Maine but failed to seize
1612-473: A pedestal) and holding a sceptre and a laurel crown, which show that she both governs and rules. This figure is flanked by allegorical statues of Justice and Clemency, the former with a bare sword and an inflexible expression and the latter showing sympathy and offering an olive branch. The sculptural ensemble, made of white marble and carved by John Gibson in 1855, reaches 2.44 metres (8 ft) in height; its size has long been considered out of proportion with
1736-427: A portion of his lands. The two made up their differences and William agreed to help Robert recover lands lost to France , notably Maine . This plan was later abandoned, but William continued to pursue a ferociously warlike defence of his French possessions and interests to the end of his life, exemplified by his response to the attempt by Elias de la Flèche , Count of Maine , to take Le Mans in 1099. William Rufus
1860-436: A range of ecclesiastical issues, in the course of which the king declared of Anselm that, "Yesterday I hated him with great hatred, today I hate him with yet greater hatred and he can be certain that tomorrow and thereafter I shall hate him continually with ever fiercer and more bitter hatred." The English clergy, beholden to the king for their preferments and livings, were unable to support Anselm publicly. In 1095 William called
1984-564: A stonecarver. They selected Anston, a sand-coloured magnesian limestone quarried in the villages of Anston , South Yorkshire , and Mansfield Woodhouse , Nottinghamshire . Two quarries were chosen from a list of 102, with the majority of the stone coming from the former. A crucial consideration was transport, achieved on water via the Chesterfield Canal , the North Sea and the rivers Trent and Thames. Furthermore, Anston
2108-599: A uniform height for the depicted characters. One of the scenes is probably not historical: Plucking the Red and White Roses in the Old Temple Gardens , depicting the origin of these flowers as emblems of the Houses of Lancaster and York respectively, was taken from Shakespeare's play Henry VI, Part 1 . William II of England William II ( Anglo-Norman : Williame ; c. 1057 – 2 August 1100)
2232-401: A war between William and his brother Robert, which would result in one of them being eliminated, thus opening the way for Henry to acquire both England and Normandy through a single assassination. Tirel fled immediately. Henry had the most to gain by his brother's death. Indeed, Henry's actions "seem to be premeditated: wholly disregarding his dead brother, he rode straight for Winchester, seized
2356-656: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Houses of Parliament The Palace of Westminster is the meeting place of the Parliament of the United Kingdom and is located in London , England. It is commonly called the Houses of Parliament after the House of Commons and the House of Lords , the two legislative chambers which occupy the building. The palace is one of the centres of political life in
2480-541: Is beneath the Victoria Tower. It was designed for the use of the monarch, and is used by them during the State Opening of Parliament . The Sovereign's Entrance is also the formal entrance used by visiting dignitaries, as well as the starting point of public tours of the palace. From the entrance, a staircase leads up to the principal floor in a broad, unbroken flight of 26 steps made of grey granite. At
2604-471: Is but lost that build it". The East Corridor leads from the Central Lobby to the Lower Waiting Hall, and its six panels remained blank until 1910, when they were filled with scenes from Tudor history. They were all paid for by Liberal peers and each was the work of a different artist, but uniformity was achieved between the frescoes thanks to a common colour palette of red, black and gold and
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#17327933365622728-462: Is claimed to mark the spot where William fell. The claim that this is the location of his death appears to date from no earlier than a 17th century visit by Charles II to the forest. At the time the most popular account of William's death involved the fatal arrow deflecting off a tree, and Charles appears to have been shown a suitable tree. Letters in The Gentleman's Magazine reported that
2852-415: Is highly accurate by nineteenth-century standards, striking the hour to within a second of the time, and remaining reliable since it entered service in 1859. The time is shown on four dials 7 metres (23 ft) in diameter, which are made of milk glass and are lit from behind at night; the hour hand is 2.7 metres (8 ft 10 in) long and the minute hand 4.3 metres (14 ft). Five bells hang in
2976-464: Is no longer used, but that probably referred to a location on what is now Park Farm on the Beaulieu estates. A memorial stone in the grounds of Beaulieu Abbey , Hampshire, states "Remember King William Rufus who died in these parts then known as Truham whilst hunting on 2nd August 1100". The king's body was abandoned by the nobles at the place where he fell. An arrow maker, Eli Parratt, later found
3100-609: Is not absolutely certain, but four sisters are more securely attested: Records indicate strained relations between the three surviving sons of William I. William's contemporary, chronicler Orderic Vitalis , wrote about an incident that took place at L'Aigle in Normandy in 1077 or 1078: William and Henry, having grown bored with casting dice, decided to make mischief by emptying a chamber pot onto their brother Robert from an upper gallery, thus infuriating and shaming him. A brawl broke out, and their father had to intercede to restore order. According to William of Malmesbury , writing in
3224-409: Is occupied by offices, dining rooms and bars; the first, or principal, floor houses the main rooms of the palace, including the debating chambers, the lobbies and the libraries. The top two floors are used as committee rooms and offices. Some of the interiors were designed and painted by J. G. Crace , working in collaboration with Pugin and others. For example, Crace decorated and gilded the ceiling of
3348-471: Is positioned in the middle of the west front of the palace, between Westminster Hall and Old Palace Yard, and houses the public entrance to the palace. The pavilions at the northern and southern ends of the river front are called Speaker's Tower and Chancellor's Tower respectively, after the presiding officers of the two Houses at the time of the palace's reconstruction—the Speaker of the House of Commons and
3472-738: Is the Woolsack , an armless red cushion stuffed with wool , representing the historical importance of the wool trade, and used by the officer presiding over the House (the Lord Speaker since 2006, but historically the Lord Chancellor or a deputy). The House's mace , which represents royal authority, is placed on the back of the Woolsack. In front of the Woolsack is the Judges' Woolsack, a larger red cushion that used to be occupied during
3596-537: Is the floor centrepiece, a radiant Tudor rose made of Derbyshire marbles and set within an octagon of engraved brass plates. The rest of the floor is paved with encaustic tiles featuring heraldic designs and Latin mottoes. The walls are faced with white stone and each is pierced by a doorway; above the arches are displayed arms representing the six royal dynasties which ruled England until Queen Victoria's reign ( Saxon , Norman , Plantagenet , Tudor , Stuart and Hanoverian ), and between them there are windows stained with
3720-630: The Battle of Waterloo in 1815). The murals deteriorated rapidly after their completion due to a range of factors, most importantly atmospheric pollution, and today they are almost monochrome, although a finished study of The Death of Nelson in better condition hangs in the Walker Art Gallery , Liverpool . The rest of the planned frescos were cancelled, and the walls are filled with portraits of kings and queens from George I onwards. Another decorative element with military undertones are
3844-524: The Chancery and King's Bench . On 16 October 1834, a fire broke out in the palace after an overheated stove used to destroy the Exchequer 's stockpile of tally sticks set fire to the House of Lords Chamber. Both Houses of Parliament were destroyed, along with most of the other buildings in the palace complex. Westminster Hall was saved thanks to fire-fighting efforts and a change in the direction of
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3968-495: The English Channel . Since the younger William and his brother Robert were natural rivals, these nobles worried that they could not hope to please both of their lords, and thus ran the risk of losing the favour of one ruler or the other, or both. The only solution, as they saw it, was to unite England and Normandy once more under one ruler. The pursuit of this aim led them to revolt against William in favour of Robert in
4092-596: The Knights of the Round Table . The ceiling itself is decorated with heraldic badges, as is the border of the wooden floor —which, as can be seen in the adjacent image, is left exposed by the carpeting. The Robing Room was briefly used as the House of Lords' meeting chamber while the House of Lords Chamber was occupied by the House of Commons, whose chamber had been destroyed by the Blitz in 1941. Immediately north of
4216-591: The Lord Chancellor . Speaker's Tower contains Speaker's House , the official residence of the Speaker of the Commons. As well as the pinnacles which rise from between the window bays along the fronts of the palace, numerous turrets enliven the building's skyline. Like the Central Tower these were built for practical reasons, as they mask ventilation shafts. There are a number of small gardens surrounding
4340-615: The Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards after investigation by the Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme . It also hears and adjudicates appeals made to it by respondents. This article related to government in the United Kingdom or its constituent countries is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This article about an organisation in the United Kingdom
4464-642: The Rebellion of 1088 , under the leadership of the powerful Bishop Odo of Bayeux , who was a half-brother of William the Conqueror. As Robert failed to appear in England to rally his supporters, William won the support of the English with silver and promises of better government, and defeated the rebellion, thus securing his authority. In 1091 he invaded Normandy, crushing Robert's forces and forcing him to cede
4588-703: The Royal Standard (the monarch's personal flag) when the Sovereign is present in the palace. On all other days the Union Flag flies from the mast. At the north end of the palace is the Elizabeth Tower, commonly known by the nickname "Big Ben". At 96 metres (315 ft) it is only slightly shorter than the Victoria Tower, but much slimmer. It was called the Clock Tower until 2012, when it
4712-669: The White Chamber . The palace underwent significant alterations from the 18th century onwards, as Parliament struggled to carry out its business in the limited available space. These included a new storage and committee rooms by John Vardy , completed in 1770; a new official residence for the Speaker of the House of Commons , completed in 1795; and significant alterations and a new building by James Wyatt , completed in 1801. The last alterations were undertaken by Sir John Soane between 1824 and 1827, and included new library facilities for both Houses of Parliament and new law courts for
4836-468: The belfry above the clock. The four quarter bells strike the Westminster Chimes every quarter-hour. The largest bell strikes the hours; officially called the "Great Bell", it is generally referred to as Big Ben, a nickname of uncertain origins which, over time, has been applied to the whole tower. The original hour bell cracked during testing and was recast; the present bell later developed
4960-453: The 11th century and survived the fire of 1834, was incorporated in Barry's design. Pugin was displeased with the result of the work, especially with the symmetrical layout designed by Barry; he famously remarked, "All Grecian, sir; Tudor details on a classic body". In 1839 Charles Barry toured Britain, looking at quarries and buildings, with a committee which included two leading geologists and
5084-402: The 12th century, William Rufus was "well set; his complexion florid, his hair yellow; of open countenance; different coloured eyes , varying with certain glittering specks; of astonishing strength, though not very tall, and his belly rather projecting." The division of William the Conqueror's lands into two parts upon his death presented a dilemma for those nobles who held land on both sides of
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5208-510: The 1910s, however, it became clear that some of the stonework had to be replaced. In 1928 it was deemed necessary to use Clipsham stone , a honey-coloured limestone from Rutland , to replace the decayed Anston. The project began in the 1930s but was halted by the outbreak of the Second World War and completed only during the 1950s. By the 1960s pollution had again begun to take its toll. A stone conservation and restoration programme to
5332-535: The Anglo-Norman ecclesiastical status quo . Anselm remained in exile, and William was able to claim the revenues of the archbishop of Canterbury to the end of his reign. However, this conflict was symptomatic of medieval English politics, as exemplified by the murder of Thomas Becket during the reign of the later Plantagenet king Henry II (his great-nephew through his brother Henry) and Henry VIII 's actions centuries later, and as such should not be seen as
5456-484: The Central Lobby is the heart of the Palace of Westminster. It lies directly below the Central Tower and forms a busy crossroads between the House of Lords to the south, the House of Commons to the north, St Stephen's Hall and the public entrance to the west, and the Lower Waiting Hall and the libraries to the east. Its location halfway between the two debating chambers has led constitutional theorist Erskine May to describe
5580-748: The Chamber. The Sovereign, seated on the Throne, delivers the Speech from the Throne , outlining the Government's programme for the year and legislative agenda for the forthcoming parliamentary session. The Commons may not enter the Lords' debating floor; instead, they watch the proceedings from beyond the Bar of the House, just inside the door. A small purely formal ceremony is held to end each parliamentary session, when
5704-647: The Chapel of St. Mary Undercroft. The palace is a roughly rectangular building with its long axis parallel to the River Thames. The building is planned around the Central Lobby, a large hall from which corridors lead north to the Commons Chamber, south to the Lords Chamber, and west to the public entrance and Westminster Hall; to the east are committee rooms and libraries. A suite of rooms known as
5828-517: The Cloisters and eventually reaches the Members' Lobby directly south of the Commons Chamber. St Stephen's Entrance, in the approximate centre of the building's western front, is the public entrance. From it visitors walk through a flight of stairs to St Stephen's Hall, which houses a collection of marble statues of prominent parliamentarians, and then to the Central Lobby. The Sovereign's Entrance
5952-419: The Commons Chamber before every sitting of the House. The Central Lobby measures 18 metres (59 ft) across and 23 metres (75 ft) from the floor to the centre of the vaulted ceiling. The panels between the vault's ribs are covered with Venetian glass mosaic displaying floral emblems and heraldic badges, and the bosses in the intersections of the ribs are also carved into heraldic symbols. Each wall of
6076-607: The Confessor and a young Queen Victoria, a copy of a 1900 painting of Victoria by Jean-Joseph Benjamin-Constant , and busts of prime ministers who have sat in the House of Lords on the plinths intended for the statues. A double door opposite the stairs leads to the Royal Gallery, and another to the right opens to the Robing Room. The Robing Room lies at the southern end of the palace's north-south axis, and occupies
6200-413: The Confessor built a palace and the first Westminster Abbey . The oldest surviving part of the palace is Westminster Hall, which dates from the reign of William II ( r. 1087–1100 ). The palace was the principal residence of the English monarchs in the late Medieval period. In 1512, during the early reign of Henry VIII , a fire destroyed the royal apartments of the palace. In 1534 Henry moved to
6324-633: The English monarchy. If he was less effective than his father in containing the Norman lords' propensity for rebellion and violence, through charisma or political skills, he was forceful in overcoming the consequences. In 1095, Robert de Mowbray , the earl of Northumbria , refused to attend the Curia Regis , the thrice-annual court where the King announced his governmental decisions to the great lords. William led an army against Robert and defeated him. Robert
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#17327933365626448-731: The French-controlled part of the Vexin region. According to William of Malmesbury he was planning to invade the Duchy of Aquitaine at the time of his death. William went hunting on 2 August 1100 in the New Forest , probably near Brockenhurst , and was killed by an arrow through the lung, although the circumstances remain unclear. The earliest statement of the event was in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle , which noted that
6572-577: The House of Commons, House of Lords, and the monarch , and has a floor area of 112,476 m (1,210,680 sq ft). Extensive repairs had to be made after the Second World War , including rebuilding the destroyed Commons chamber. Despite further conservation work having been carried out since, the palace is in urgent need of major repairs. The site of the current palace may have been used by Cnut during his reign from 1016 to 1035, and from c. 1045 – c. 1050 Edward
6696-586: The House of Commons, was formed to oversee the necessary works. Charles Barry 's collaborative design for the Palace of Westminster uses the Perpendicular Gothic style, which was popular during the 15th century and returned during the Gothic revival of the 19th century. Barry was a classical architect , but he was aided by the Gothic architect Augustus Pugin . Westminster Hall, which was built in
6820-569: The House of Lords use the Peers' Entrance in the middle of the Old Palace Yard façade, which opens to an entrance hall. A staircase from there leads, through a corridor and the Prince's Chamber, to the Lords Chamber. Members of Parliament enter their part of the building from the Members' Entrance in the south side of New Palace Yard. Their route passes through a cloakroom in the lower level of
6944-457: The House. Several doors lead out of the room, to the division lobbies of the House of Lords and to a number of important offices. The theme of the Prince's Chamber is Tudor history, and 28 oil portraits painted on panels around the room depict members of the Tudor dynasty . They are the work of Richard Burchett and his pupils, and their creation entailed extensive research, which contributed to
7068-439: The King permitted Parliament to make "plans for [its] permanent accommodation". Each house created a committee and a Perpendicular Gothic Revival design by the architect Charles Barry was chosen. Barry was inexperienced with Gothic, and relied heavily on Augustus Pugin to design details. The Lords Chamber was completed in 1847, and the Commons Chamber in 1852. Although most of the work had been carried out by 1860, construction
7192-636: The Lobby as "the political centre of the British Empire", and allows a person standing under the great chandelier to see both the Royal Throne and the Speaker's Chair, provided that all the intervening doors are open. Constituents may meet their Members of Parliament here, even without an appointment, and this practice is the origin of the term lobbying . The hall is also the theatre of the Speaker's Procession, which passes from here on its way to
7316-496: The Lobby is contained in an arch ornamented with statues of English and Scottish monarchs; on four sides there are doorways, and the tympana above them are adorned with mosaics representing the patron saints of the United Kingdom's constituent nations: Saint George for England, Saint Andrew for Scotland, Saint David for Wales and Saint Patrick for Ireland. The other four arches are occupied by high windows, under which there are stone screens—the hall's post office, one of two in
7440-547: The Lord Chancellor's Breakfast; in the past it was the theatre of several trials of peers by the House of Lords. Documents from the Parliamentary Archives are on display in the Royal Gallery (including a facsimile of Charles I 's death warrant), and the tables and seating offer a workspace for members of the Lords that is conveniently close to their debating chamber. The decorative scheme of
7564-413: The Palace of Westminster. Victoria Tower Gardens is open as a public park along the side of the river south of the palace. Black Rod's Garden (named after the office of Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod ) is closed to the public and is used as a private entrance. Old Palace Yard , in front of the palace, is paved over and covered in concrete security blocks ( see security below ). Cromwell Green (also on
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#17327933365627688-510: The Robing Room is the Royal Gallery. At 33.5 by 13.7 metres (110 by 45 ft), it is one of the largest rooms in the palace. Its main purpose is to serve as the stage of the royal procession at State Openings of Parliament, which the audience watch from temporary tiered seating on both sides of the route. It has also been used on occasion by visiting statesmen from abroad when addressing both Houses of Parliament , as well as for receptions in honour of foreign dignitaries, and more regularly for
7812-431: The Royal Apartments are at the disposal of the reigning monarch; they lie beyond the Lords Chamber at the far south of the palace. The palace has separate entrances for its different users: the monarch, members of the House of Lords, members of Parliament and the public. The Sovereign's Entrance is at the base of the Victoria Tower in the south-west corner of the palace, and leads directly to the Royal Apartments. Members of
7936-490: The Royal Gallery on their way to deliver their speech. The Chamber of the House of Lords is located in the southern part of the Palace of Westminster. The lavishly decorated room measures 13.7 by 24.4 metres (45 by 80 ft). The benches in the Chamber, as well as other furnishings in the Lords' side of the palace, are coloured red. The upper part of the Chamber is decorated by stained glass windows and by six allegorical frescoes representing religion, chivalry and law. At
8060-459: The Royal Gallery was meant to display important moments in British military history, and the walls are decorated by two large paintings by Daniel Maclise , each measuring 13.7 by 3.7 metres (45 by 12 ft): The Death of Nelson (depicting Lord Nelson 's demise at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805) and The Meeting of Wellington and Blücher after the Battle of Waterloo (showing the Duke of Wellington meeting Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher at
8184-466: The Rufus Stone reads: Here stood the Oak Tree, on which an arrow shot by Sir Walter Tyrrell at a Stag, glanced and struck King William the Second, surnamed Rufus, on the breast, of which he instantly died, on the second day of August, anno 1100. That the spot where an Event so Memorable might not hereafter be forgotten; the enclosed stone was set up by John Lord Delaware who had seen the Tree growing in this place. This Stone having been much mutilated, and
8308-436: The Sovereign is merely represented by a group of Lords Commissioners . Following the Blitz, which destroyed the chamber of the House of Commons, the Lords' chamber was occupied by the Commons. The Lords temporarily used the Robing Room during the reconstruction. The State Opening Of Parliament was carried out as normal, with the new rooms being used. Evidence can still be seen of this today, with damage clearly visible on one of
8432-443: The State Opening by the Law Lords (who were members of the House of Lords), and prospectively by the Supreme Court Justices and other Judges (whether or not members), to represent the Judicial Branch of Government. The Table of the House, at which the clerks sit, is in front. Members of the House occupy red benches on three sides of the Chamber. The benches on the Lord Speaker's right form the Spiritual Side and those to his left form
8556-417: The Temporal Side. The Lords Spiritual (archbishops and bishops of the established Church of England ) all occupy the Spiritual Side. The Lords Temporal ( nobles ) sit according to party affiliation: members of the Government party sit on the Spiritual Side, while those of the Opposition sit on the Temporal Side. Some peers, who have no party affiliation, sit on the benches in the middle of the House opposite
8680-433: The United Kingdom ; "Westminster" has become a metonym for the UK Parliament and the British Government , and the Westminster system of government commemorates the name of the palace. The Elizabeth Tower of the palace, nicknamed Big Ben , is a landmark of London and the United Kingdom in general. The palace has been a Grade I listed building since 1970 and part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987. The building
8804-401: The Welsh chronicles claim that Henry was able to succeed to the throne because his brother had made use of concubines and thus died childless, although no illegitimate offspring are named. Barlow also allows that William may have been sterile. Noting that no " favourites " were identified, and that William's "baronial friends and companions were mostly married men", despite having concluded that
8928-489: The Woolsack; they are accordingly known as crossbenchers . The Lords Chamber is the site of nationally televised ceremonies, the most important of which is the State Opening of Parliament , which is held formally to open each annual parliamentary session, either after a General Election or in the autumn. At this occasion every constitutional element of the government is represented: the Crown (both literally, and figuratively in
9052-522: The arms of the early aristocratic families of England. Of the doorways, the one to the south—which leads into the Lords Chamber—is the most magnificent, and sports much gilding and decoration, including the full royal arms. It is enclosed by the Brass Gates, a pair of elaborately pierced and studded doors together weighing 1.5 tonnes. The side doors, which feature clocks, open into corridors: to
9176-534: The artist's death, and on the wallpapered panels flanking the Chair of State hang oil portraits of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert by Franz Xaver Winterhalter . Other decorations in the room are also inspired by the Arthurian legend, namely a series of 18 bas-reliefs beneath the paintings, carved in oak by Henry Hugh Armstead , and the frieze running below the ceiling, which displays the attributed coats of arms of
9300-503: The backdrop to the chair, embroidered by the Royal School of Needlework with the royal arms, surrounded by stars and VR monograms. Edward Barry designed both the chair—the cushion and back of which are also embroidered—and the ornate marble fireplace across the room, which features gilded statuettes of Saint George and Saint Michael . The decorative theme of the room is the legend of King Arthur , considered by many Victorians
9424-479: The body. William's younger brother, Henry , hastened to Winchester to secure the royal treasury (initially defended by the Norman St William of Breteuil in deference to the claims of Duke Robert), then to London, where he was crowned within days before either archbishop could arrive. William of Malmesbury , in his account of William's death, stated that the body was taken to Winchester Cathedral by
9548-558: The centre of the south front, overlooking Victoria Tower Gardens . It is where the Sovereign prepares for the State Opening of Parliament by changing into their official robes and putting on the Imperial State Crown . The focus of the room is the chair of state, which sits on a dais of three steps under a canopy adorned with the arms and floral emblems of England, Scotland and Ireland. A panel of purple velvet forms
9672-483: The chamber of the House of Lords until their destruction in the 1834 fire and depicted the defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588. The project was put on hold in 1861 (by which time only one painting had been completed), and was not revived until 2007; as of August 2010 , all six paintings are now in their intended places. The room also contains a statue of Queen Victoria, seated on a throne (itself placed on
9796-438: The doors where they were struck by Black Rod. Directly north of the Lords Chamber lies the Peers' Lobby, an antechamber where Lords can informally discuss or negotiate matters during sittings of the House, as well as collect messages from the doorkeepers , who control access to the Chamber. The Lobby is a square room measuring 12 metres (39 ft) on each side and 10 metres (33 ft) in height, and one of its main features
9920-622: The east extends the Law Lords Corridor, which leads to the libraries, and nearby to the west lies the Moses Room, used for Grand Committees. To the north is the vaulted Peers' Corridor, which is decorated with eight murals by Charles West Cope depicting historical scenes from the period around the English Civil War . The frescoes were executed between 1856 and 1866, and each scene was "specifically chosen to depict
10044-517: The eight statues of gilded Caen stone that flank the three doorways and the bay window of the Gallery, sculpted by John Birnie Philip . Each depicts a monarch during whose reign a key battle or war took place. They are: Alfred the Great and William the Conqueror ; Richard I and Edward III ; Henry V and Elizabeth I ; William III and Anne . The panelled ceiling, 13.7 metres (45 ft) above
10168-424: The external elevations and towers began in 1981 and ended in 1994. The Palace of Westminster has three main towers. The largest and tallest is the 98.5-metre (323 ft) Victoria Tower, which occupies the south-western corner of the palace. The tower was an integral part of Barry's original design, and he intended it to be the most memorable element, conceiving it as the keep of a legislative "castle". The tower
10292-498: The first Parliament of England, met at the palace in 1295; while medieval parliaments of England met in a variety of locations, the palace was frequently used and developed into the body's permanent home. The palace did not have dedicated chambers for the House of Commons or the House of Lords; the Commons adapted St Stephen's Chapel for its use in the sixteenth century, and the Lords used the Painted Chamber and, from 1801,
10416-437: The fittings of the Prince's Chamber, and the flanking statues ended up in storage between 1955 and 1976. However, the size and location of the group, in the archway opposite the doors to the Royal Gallery (which are removed before State Openings of Parliament to facilitate the royal procession), indicate that it was meant to be seen from a distance, and to symbolically remind the monarch of their royal duties as they would walk down
10540-592: The floor, features Tudor roses and lions, and the stained-glass windows show the coats of arms of the Kings of England and Scotland. The Prince's Chamber is a small anteroom between the Royal Gallery and the Lords Chamber, named after the room adjoining the Parliament Chamber in the Old Palace of Westminster. Thanks to its location, it is a place where members of the Lords meet to discuss business of
10664-607: The founding of the National Portrait Gallery in 1856. 12 bronze bas-reliefs are set into the wall below the portraits, executed by William Theed in 1855–1857. Scenes included are The Field of the Cloth of Gold , The Escape of Mary, Queen of Scots and Raleigh Spreading His Cloak As a Carpet for the Queen . Above the portraits, at window level, are copies of six of the ten Armada tapestries , which hung in
10788-527: The frontage, and in 2006 enclosed by hoardings for the construction of a new visitor centre), New Palace Yard (on the north side) and Speaker's Green (directly north of the palace) are all private and closed to the public. College Green , opposite the House of Lords, is a small triangular green commonly used for television interviews with politicians. The Palace of Westminster contains over 1,100 rooms, 100 staircases and 4.8 kilometres (3 mi) of passageways, which are spread over four floors. The ground floor
10912-519: The inscriptions on each of its three sides defaced, this more Durable Memorial, with the original inscriptions, was erected in the year 1841, by Wm [William] Sturges Bourne Warden. King William the Second, surnamed Rufus being slain, as before related, was laid in a cart, belonging to one Purkis, and drawn from hence, to Winchester, and buried in the Cathedral Church, of that City. William
11036-460: The king was "shot by an arrow by one of his own men." Later chroniclers added the name of the killer, a nobleman named Walter Tirel , although the description of events was later embroidered with other details that may or may not be true. The first mention of any location more exact than the New Forest comes from John Leland , who wrote in 1530 that William died at Thorougham, a placename that
11160-427: The majority of the palace, but Westminster Hall was saved and incorporated into the replacement building. The competition to design the new palace was won by the architect Charles Barry , who chose a Gothic Revival style for the building. Construction started in 1840 and lasted for 30 years, suffering delays, cost overruns, and the deaths of Barry and his assistant, Augustus Pugin . The palace contains chambers for
11284-533: The neighbouring Palace of Whitehall , formerly York Place , which he had seized from Cardinal Thomas Wolsey . Although Westminster remained a royal palace, from this point on its primary occupants were the two houses of Parliament and various courts of law. The predecessor of Parliament, the Curia Regis , met in Westminster Hall when the king was in residence. The " Model Parliament ", considered
11408-423: The palace took at least twelve hits and three people (two policemen and Resident Superintendent of the House of Lords, Edward Elliott ) were killed. The Commons Chamber and the roof of Westminster Hall were both set alight; as the firefighters could not save both, the hall was prioritised and saved, while the chamber was destroyed. The Lords Chamber and Clock Tower were damaged in the same raid. The Commons Chamber
11532-520: The palace, is located behind one of these screens. In front of them stand four bigger-than-life statues of 19th-century statesmen, including one of four-time prime minister William Gladstone . The floor on which they stand is tiled with Minton encaustic tiles in intricate patterns and includes a passage from Psalm 127 written in Latin, which translates as follows: "Except the Lord build the House their labour
11656-635: The person of the Sovereign), The Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and The Commons, (who together form the Legislature), the Judiciary (although no judges are members of either House of Parliament), and the Executive (both Government Ministers , and ceremonial military units in attendance on the Sovereign); and a large number of guests are invited to attend in the large Royal Gallery immediately outside
11780-551: The pressure on the Vexin ." William's exact date of birth is not known, but according to Frank Barlow it occurred by 1060. He was the third of four sons born to William the Conqueror and Matilda of Flanders , the eldest being Robert Curthose , the second Richard , and the youngest Henry . Richard died around 1075 while hunting in the New Forest . William succeeded to the throne of England on his father's death in 1087, but Robert inherited Normandy. William had five or six sisters. The existence of sisters Adeliza and Matilda
11904-491: The realm, rendering him relatively impervious to papal condemnation. In 1097 he commenced the original Westminster Hall , built "to impress his subjects with the power and majesty of his authority". Less than two years after becoming king, William II lost his father's adviser and confidant, the Italian-Norman Lanfranc , Archbishop of Canterbury . After Lanfranc's death in 1089, the king delayed appointing
12028-431: The source of their nationhood. Five frescoes painted by William Dyce between 1848 and 1864 cover the walls, depicting allegorical scenes from the legend. Each scene represents a chivalric virtue; the largest, between the two doors, is titled Admission of Sir Tristram to the Round Table and illustrates the virtue of Hospitality. Seven were originally commissioned but the remaining two paintings were not carried out due to
12152-460: The south end of the Chamber are the ornate gold Canopy and Throne; although the Sovereign may theoretically occupy the Throne during any sitting, he or she attends only the State Opening of Parliament. Other members of the Royal Family who attend the State Opening use Chairs of State next to the Throne, and peers' sons are always entitled to sit on the steps of the Throne. In front of the Throne
12276-755: The struggles through which national liberties were won". Examples include Speaker Lenthall Asserting the Privileges of the Commons Against Charles ;I when the Attempt was Made to Seize the Five Members , representing resistance against absolute rule, and The Embarkation of the Pilgrim Fathers for New England , which illustrates the principle of freedom of worship. Originally named "Octagon Hall" because of its shape,
12400-415: The theory is not universally accepted. Barlow says that accidents were common and there is not enough hard evidence to prove murder. Bartlett notes that hunting was dangerous. Poole says the facts "look ugly" and "seem to suggest a plot." John Gillingham points out that if Henry had planned to murder William it would have been in his interest to wait until a later time. It looked as though there would soon be
12524-449: The time point out themselves that Tirel was renowned as a keen bowman, and thus was unlikely to have loosed such an impetuous shot. Moreover, Bartlett says that rivalry between brothers was the pattern of political conflict in this period. William's brother Henry was among the hunting party that day and succeeded him as king. Modern scholars have reopened the question, and some have found the assassination theory credible or compelling, but
12648-470: The top is the Norman Porch, a square landing with a central clustered column and a ceiling of four groin vaults with lierne ribs and carved bosses . The porch was named for its proposed decorative scheme, which was never completed but would have consisted of statues of the Norman kings and frescoes depicting Norman history . As completed, the porch contains stained glass windows depicting Edward
12772-482: The tower houses the Parliamentary Archives in 8.8 kilometres (5.5 mi) of steel shelves spread over 12 floors. The archives include the master copies of all Acts of Parliament since 1497 and important manuscripts such as the original Bill of Rights and the death warrant of King Charles I . At the top of the cast-iron pyramidal roof is a 22 m (72 ft) flagstaff, from which flies
12896-528: The tradition of Norman leaders, William scorned the English and the English culture. Contemporaries of William raised concerns about a court dominated by homosexuality and effeminacy, epitomised through seemingly "luxurious" attire and unusual footwear than with sexual practices. Citing the traditions of Wilton Abbey in the 1140s, Herman of Tournai wrote that the abbess had ordered the Scottish princess Edith (later Matilda, wife of Henry I ) to become
13020-551: The treasury (always the first act of a usurping king), and the next day had himself elected." William's remains are in Winchester Cathedral , scattered among royal mortuary chests positioned on the presbytery screen, flanking the choir. His skull appears to be missing, but some long bones may remain. A stone known as the "Rufus Stone", close to the A31 near the village of Minstead ( grid reference SU270124 ),
13144-509: The tree was cut down and burned during the 18th century. Later in that century the Rufus Stone was set up. Originally it was around 5 feet 10 inches (1.78 m) tall with a stone ball on top. King George III visited the stone in 1789, along with Queen Charlotte , and an inscription was added to the stone to commemorate the visit. It was protected with a cast iron cover in 1841 after repeated vandalism. The inscription on
13268-540: The two kings quarrelled over Malcolm's possessions in England, and Malcolm again invaded, ravaging Northumbria. At the Battle of Alnwick , on 13 November 1093, Malcolm was ambushed by Norman forces led by Robert de Mowbray. Malcolm and his son Edward were killed and Malcolm's brother Donald seized the Scottish throne. William supported Malcolm's son Duncan II , who held power for a short time, and then another of Malcolm's sons, Edgar . Edgar conquered Lothian in 1094 and eventually removed Donald in 1097 with William's aid in
13392-512: The wind. The Jewel Tower and the undercroft , cloisters , and chapter house of St Stephen's Chapel were the only other parts of the palace to survive. William IV offered the almost-completed Buckingham Palace to Parliament, hoping to dispose of a residence he disliked; however, the building was considered unsuitable for parliamentary use and the gift was rejected. The Painted Chamber and White Chamber were hastily repaired for temporary use, and in 1835, following that year's General Election,
13516-402: Was First Commissioner of Works in the 1870s. The shortest of the palace's three principal towers (at 91 metres (299 ft) ), the octagonal Central Tower stands over the middle of the building, immediately above the Central Lobby. It was added to the plans on the insistence of Dr. David Boswell Reid , who was in charge of the ventilation of the new Houses of Parliament: his plan called for
13640-463: Was King of England from 26 September 1087 until his death in 1100, with powers over Normandy and influence in Scotland . He was less successful in extending control into Wales . The third son of William the Conqueror , he is commonly referred to as William Rufus ( Rufus being Latin for "the Red"), perhaps because of his ruddy appearance or, more likely, due to having red hair. William
13764-423: Was Ranulf Flambard , whom he appointed Bishop of Durham in 1099: this was a political appointment, to a see that was also a great fiefdom . The particulars of the king's relationship with the people of England are not credibly documented. Contemporaries of William, as well as those writing after his death, roundly denounced him for presiding over what these dissenters considered a dissolute court. In keeping with
13888-698: Was "[a] rumbustious, devil-may-care soldier, without natural dignity or social graces, with no cultivated tastes and little show of conventional religious piety or morality – indeed, according to his critics, addicted to every kind of vice, particularly lust and especially sodomy." On the other hand, he was a wise ruler and victorious general. Barlow noted, "His chivalrous virtues and achievements were all too obvious. He had maintained good order and satisfactory justice in England and restored good peace to Normandy. He had extended Anglo-Norman rule in Wales, brought Scotland firmly under his lordship, recovered Maine , and kept up
14012-527: Was a figure of complex temperament, capable of both bellicosity and flamboyance. He did not marry nor have children, which – along with contemporary accounts – has led some historians to speculate on homosexuality or bisexuality . He died after being hit by an arrow while hunting. Circumstantial evidence in the behaviour of those around him – including his younger brother Henry I – raises strong, but unproven, suspicions of murder. Henry I hurriedly succeeded him as king. Historian Frank Barlow observed William
14136-532: Was an effective soldier, but he was a ruthless ruler and, it seems, was little liked by those he governed. According to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle , he was "hated by almost all his people and abhorrent to God." Chroniclers tended to take a dim view of William's reign, arguably on account of his long and difficult struggles with the Church: these chroniclers were themselves generally clerics, and so might be expected to report him somewhat negatively. His chief minister
14260-443: Was cheaper, and "could be supplied in blocks up to four feet thick and lent itself to elaborate carving". Barry's new Palace of Westminster was rebuilt using the sandy-coloured Anston limestone. However the stone soon began to decay owing to pollution and the poor quality of some of the stone used. Although such defects were clear as early as 1849, nothing was done for the remainder of the 19th century even after much studying. During
14384-470: Was dispossessed and imprisoned, and another noble, William of Eu , accused of treachery, was blinded and castrated . In external affairs, William had some successes. In 1091 he repulsed an invasion by King Malcolm III of Scotland , forcing Malcolm to pay homage. In 1092 he built Carlisle Castle , taking control of Cumberland and Westmorland , which had previously been claimed by the Scots. Subsequently,
14508-429: Was homosexual or not; however, he never took a wife or a mistress, or fathered any children. As a bachelor king without an heir, William would have been pressed to take a wife and would have had numerous proposals for marriage. That he never accepted any of these proposals nor had any relations with women may show that he either had no desire for women, or he may have taken a vow of chastity or celibacy. Barlow said that
14632-518: Was instrumental in assisting the foundation of Bermondsey Abbey , endowing it with the manor of Bermondsey, and it is reported that his "customary oath" was "By the Face at Lucca !" William Rufus inherited the Anglo-Norman settlement detailed in the Domesday Book of 1086, a survey undertaken at his father's command, essentially for the purposes of taxation, which was an example of the control of
14756-489: Was not finished until a decade afterwards. During the Second World War the palace was hit by bombs on fourteen separate occasions. A bomb that fell on 26 September 1940 lifted the statue of Richard the Lionheart from its pedestal and bent its sword, an image that was used as a symbol of the strength of democracy, "which would bend but not break under attack". The worst raid took place in the night of 10–11 May 1941, when
14880-423: Was originally constructed in the eleventh century as a royal palace and was the primary residence of the kings of England until 1512, when a fire destroyed the royal apartments. The monarch moved to the adjacent Palace of Whitehall , but the remainder of the palace continued to serve as the home of the Parliament of England , which had met there since the 13th century. In 1834 a second, larger fire destroyed
15004-437: Was rebuilt in a simplified style after the war, being completed in 1950. As the need for office space in the palace increased, Parliament acquired office space in the nearby Norman Shaw Building in 1975 and in the custom-built Portcullis House , completed in 2000. This increase has enabled all Members of Parliament (MP) to have their own office facilities. The palace was designated a Grade I listed building in 1970 and
15128-481: Was redesigned several times, and its height increased progressively; upon its completion in 1858 it was the tallest secular building in the world. At base of the tower is the Sovereign's Entrance, used by the monarch whenever entering the palace to open Parliament or for other state occasions. The 15 m (49 ft) high archway is richly decorated with sculptures, including statues of Saints George , Andrew and Patrick , and Queen Victoria . The main body of
15252-540: Was renamed to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II . The Clock Tower was designed by Augustus Pugin and built after his death. Charles Barry asked Pugin to design the clock tower because Pugin had previously helped Barry design the palace. The tower houses the Great Clock, which uses the original mechanism built by Edward John Dent to designs by amateur horologist Edmund Beckett Denison . It
15376-633: Was thus secure in his kingdom. As in Normandy, his bishops and abbots were bound to him by feudal obligations, and his right of investiture in the Norman tradition prevailed within his kingdom during the age of the Investiture Controversy that brought excommunication upon the Salian Emperor Henry IV . The king's personal power, through an effective and loyal chancery , penetrated to the local level to an extent unmatched in France. The king's administration and law unified
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