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55-755: The Parliamentary War Memorial , also known as the Recording Angel Memorial , is a stone sculpture in Westminster Hall , unveiled in 1922, which commemorates the members of both Houses of Parliament of the United Kingdom who died in the First World War . It names 22 members of the House of Commons , 20 members of the House of Lords , and 9 senior members of staff, together with another 94 sons of members and officers of

110-800: A white hart , chained, and in an attitude of rest – which is repeated eighty-three times, without any of them being an exact copy of another. The largest clearspan medieval roof in England, Westminster Hall's roof measures 20.7 by 73.2 metres (68 by 240 ft). Oak timbers for the roof came from royal woods in Hampshire and from parks in Hertfordshire and from that of William Crozier of Stoke d'Abernon , who supplied over 600 oaks in Surrey , among other sources; they were assembled near Farnham , Surrey, 56 kilometres (35 mi) away. Accounts record

165-411: A Polish army tunic and cap painted with scenery paint accompanied with cardboard belt painted silver) was rendered bright green under the prison searchlights. Together with Dutch officer Anthony Luteyn he made a second attempt on 5 January 1942, again in disguise. Better uniforms and escape route (they made a quick exit from a theatrical production using the trap door beneath the stage) got them out of

220-496: A cadet lance corporal , and received a territorial commission as a second lieutenant in the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry on 11 December 1935. When Neave went to Oxford University , he purchased and read the entire written works of the general and military theorist Carl von Clausewitz . When Neave was asked why, he answered: "since war [is] coming, it [is] only sensible to learn as much as possible about

275-590: A foreign leader to be invited to address both Houses of Parliament in Westminster Hall. Since the Second World War, the only leaders to have done so have been French president Charles de Gaulle in 1960, South African president Nelson Mandela in 1996, Pope Benedict XVI in 2010, U.S. president Barack Obama in 2011, Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi in 2012, and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy in 2023. President Obama

330-557: A member of the Irish Republican Socialist Party (the political wing of INLA) who was involved in the killing of Neave and who told Routledge that Neave "would have been very successful at that job [Northern Ireland Secretary]. He would have brought the armed struggle to its knees". As a result of Neave's assassination the INLA was declared illegal across the whole of the United Kingdom on 2 July 1979. Neave

385-570: A prize-winning essay in 1933 that examined the likely consequences of Adolf Hitler 's rise to supreme power in Germany , and Neave predicted then that another widespread war would break out in Europe in the near future. Neave had earlier been on a visit to Germany, and he witnessed the Nazi German methods of grasping political and military power. At Eton, Neave served in the school cadet corps as

440-459: A single huge open space, with a dais at the end. Richard's master builder Henry Yevele retained the original dimensions, refacing the walls, with fifteen life-size statues of kings placed in niches. The rebuilding had been begun by King Henry III in 1245, but by Richard's time had been dormant for over a century. Included in Richard's renovations are repetitions of his favourite heraldic badge –

495-459: A site below a large gothic window in St Stephen's Porch, at the south end of Westminster Hall. Designs were sought from Walter Tapper , George Frampton and Bertram Mackennal . A design by Australian sculptor Bertram Mackennal (1863–1931) was chosen, modifying an existing Victorian screen by adding the elements that now form the central section of the memorial: a winged figure representing

550-407: A thing." The magazine printed the story on 20 February 1981, naming the agent as Lee Tracey. Tracey said he had met Neave, who asked him to join a team of intelligence and security specialists which would "make sure Benn was stopped". A planned second meeting never took place because Neave was murdered with a car bomb. Airey Neave was critically wounded on 30 March 1979 when a car bomb fitted with

605-635: A tilt-switch exploded under his Vauxhall Cavalier at 14:59 as he drove out of the Palace of Westminster car park. He lost both legs in the explosion and died of his wounds at Westminster Hospital an hour after being rescued from the wrecked car. He was 63. The Irish National Liberation Army (INLA) afterwards claimed responsibility for the assassination. Neave had been pressing within Conservative Party circles and in Parliament throughout

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660-524: A well-known war hero – as well as a qualified lawyer who spoke fluent German – he was honoured with the role of reading the indictments to the Nazi leaders on trial. He wrote several books about his war experiences including an account of the trials. A temporary lieutenant-colonel by 1947, he was appointed an OBE (Military Division) in that year's Birthday Honours . He was awarded the Bronze Star by

715-666: The Earl of Strafford , the rebel Scottish lords of the 1715 and 1745 uprisings, and Warren Hastings . On the night of 10 May 1941 at the height of the Blitz, the Palace of Westminster was showered with incendiary bombs. Scottish politician Walter Elliot happened to be nearby, and directed firefighters to prioritise saving the medieval Hall rather than the Chamber of the House of Commons, whose roof

770-664: The Pat O'Leary Line and Comet Line in occupied Europe, with equipment, agents and money; assisting downed Allied airmen and other Allied military personnel evade and escape capture by the Germans. In Western Europe, about 5,000 British and American military personnel were rescued by the escape organizations and repatriated to the United Kingdom, mostly through neutral Spain, before D-Day . After D-Day in Operation Marathon , Neave journeyed to France and Belgium and, with help from

825-403: The recording angel , flanked by two arched panels bearing names of the fallen. Mackennal's design also include a cupola above, with a Gothic arch and bronze statuettes of the patron saints of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales. The two Portland stone panels and angel were inserted into the existing screen of Caen stone in 1921. Modifications were made in 1922, removing the mullions from

880-539: The 19th century, it was regularly used for judicial purposes, housing three of the most important courts in the land: the Court of King's Bench , the Court of Common Pleas and the Court of Chancery . In the reign of Henry II (1154–1189) a royal decree established a fixed sitting of judges in the Hall. In 1215, Magna Carta stipulated that these courts would sit regularly in the Hall for the convenience of litigants. In 1875,

935-670: The Comet Line and the Resistance, rescued more than 300 allied airmen who had taken refuge in forest camps after being shot down. While at MI9, he was the immediate superior of the future comedian Michael Bentine , also an Old Etonian. He also served with the International Military Tribunal at the Nuremberg trials , investigating Krupp . He was supported by the work of his secretary Joan Tutte. As

990-586: The Crown in Westminster Hall on important public occasions. For example, Addresses were presented at Elizabeth II 's Silver Jubilee (1977), Golden Jubilee (2002) and Diamond Jubilee (2012), the Accession of Charles III (2022), the 300th anniversary of the Glorious Revolution (1988), and the fiftieth anniversary of the end of the Second World War (1995). It is considered a rare privilege for

1045-570: The French prisoners for this request. In demonstration of their solidarity with the French Jews, the British invited the French Jews to dinner in the British mess, where Neave made a speech denouncing the prejudice. Neave made his first attempt to escape from Colditz on 28 August 1941 disguised as a German NCO. He did not get out of the castle as his hastily contrived German uniform (made from

1100-704: The House of Commons, who lost their lives in the war. (Sons of peers and of officers of the House of Lords are commemorated on the wooden panels of the House of Lords War Memorial in the Royal Gallery.) Above the memorial is a large stained glass window which commemorates members and staff of both Houses who died in the Second World War . Planning for the Parliamentary War Memorial began in July 1917. A parliamentary committee chose

1155-496: The Second World War. Early on 27 September 1940, a bomb fell in Old Palace Yard , blowing a hole in the window above the memorial, originally designed by Augustus Pugin . Masonry from the window's tracery fell on the memorial, knocking off the cupola, breaking off the angel's feet, and dislodging several panels of names. There were plans to extend the memorial to include the fallen of the Second World War, but eventually it

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1210-451: The Second World War. In 2012, a new stained glass window commemorating Queen Elizabeth II's diamond jubilee was installed opposite this window, at the other end of the hall. Westminster Hall has also served ceremonial functions. From the twelfth century to the nineteenth, coronation banquets honouring new monarchs were held here. The last coronation banquet was that of King George IV , held in 1821; his successor, William IV , abandoned

1265-607: The Troubles for the British Government to abandon its strategy of containment (including " Ulsterisation ") of Irish republican paramilitarism within Northern Ireland , and switch to one of pursuing its military defeat. It is believed that this is what led to his being targeted. Following his death, Conservative leader Margaret Thatcher said of Neave: He was one of freedom's warriors. No one knew of

1320-656: The US government on 20 July 1948, and was promoted to lieutenant-colonel on 1 April 1950, At the same time, his promotion to acting major was gazetted, with retroactive effect from 16 April 1948. He entered the reserves on 21 September 1951. Neave stood for the Conservative Party at the 1950 election in Thurrock and at Ealing North in 1951. He was elected for Abingdon in a by-election in June 1953, but his career

1375-664: The West Indies during the 18th century and were raised to the baronetage during the life of Richard Neave , Governor of the Bank of England . Neave spent his early years in Knightsbridge in London, before he moved to Beaconsfield . Neave was sent to St. Ronan's School , Worthing , and from there, in 1929, he went to Eton College . He went on to read Jurisprudence at Merton College, Oxford . While at Eton, Neave composed

1430-558: The art of waging it". During 1938, Neave completed his third-class degree. By his own admission, while at Oxford University, he did only the minimum amount of academic work that was required of him by his tutors. Neave transferred his territorial commission to the Royal Engineers on 2 May 1938 and following the outbreak of war he was mobilised. Sent to France in February 1940 with 1st Searchlight Regiment, Royal Artillery , he

1485-402: The campaign manager for Margaret Thatcher 's attempt to become leader of the Conservative Party, which was eventually successful. When Thatcher was elected leader in February 1975, Neave was rewarded by becoming head of her private office. He was then appointed Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and, at the time of his death, was poised to attain the equivalent Cabinet position in

1540-589: The courts were amalgamated into the High Court of Justice , which continued to have chambers adjacent to Westminster Hall until moved to the then new Royal Courts of Justice building in 1882. In addition to regular courts, Westminster Hall also housed important state trials, including impeachment trials and the state trials of King Charles I at the end of the English Civil War , William Wallace , Thomas More , Cardinal John Fisher , Guy Fawkes ,

1595-465: The election of Labour government, Labour leader James Callaghan resigned and there was a possibility that Benn might be elected in his place. Campbell said that the agent was ready to give his name and the New Statesman was going to print the story. Benn, however, discounted the validity of the story, writing in his diary: "No one will believe for a moment that Airey Neave would have done such

1650-480: The event of the Conservatives winning the general election of 1979 . In opposition, Neave was a strong supporter of Roy Mason , who had extended the policy of Ulsterisation . Neave was author of the new and radical Conservative policy of abandoning devolution in Northern Ireland if there was no early progress in that regard, and concentrating on local government reform instead. This integrationist policy

1705-550: The flanking sections of the Victorian screen to insert six further panels, three on either side, to record the names of the sons of MPs and officers of the House of Commons killed in the war. Columns separate the central section from the flanking sections, each topped by a gilt-bronze statuette: one representing the virtue of Faith and the other Fortitude. The extended memorial was unveiled by Edward, Prince of Wales (later Edward VIII ) in 1922. The memorial suffered bomb damage in

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1760-443: The great man he was, except those nearest to him. He was staunch, brave, true, strong; but he was very gentle and kind and loyal. It's a rare combination of qualities. There's no one else who can quite fill them. I, and so many other people, owe so much to him and now we must carry on for the things he fought for and not let the people who got him triumph. Labour Prime Minister James Callaghan said: "No effort will be spared to bring

1815-484: The hall was used for the lying in state of King Edward VII , followed by King George V in 1936, King George VI in 1952, Queen Mary in 1953, Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother in 2002, and Queen Elizabeth II in 2022. Around 250,000 mourners filed past the coffin when Queen Elizabeth II lay in state, which resulted in the delamination of the Yorkstone floor. The two Houses have presented ceremonial Addresses to

1870-618: The hands of the Gestapo . In May, they were both sent to Oflag IV-C (often referred to as Colditz Castle because of its location). While in Colditz, the French military prisoners asked the Germans to have the Jewish military prisoners separated from the gentile French military prisoners, which resulted in about 80 French Jewish military prisoners being confined in a crowded attic of the castle. Neave and many British officers were appalled at

1925-515: The idea because he deemed it too expensive. Since the late 19th century, the Hall has been used as a place for lying in state during state and ceremonial funerals. Such an honour is usually reserved for the Sovereign and for their consorts; the only non-royals to receive it in the twentieth century were Frederick Sleigh Roberts, 1st Earl Roberts (1914), the 48 victims of the crash of the airship R101 (1930) and Winston Churchill (1965). In 1910

1980-726: The large number of wagons and barges which delivered the jointed timbers to Westminster for assembly. New Dawn is a glass artwork by Mary Branson , installed in Westminster Hall in 2016. It celebrates the campaign for women's suffrage, and is illuminated with light levels changing according to the tidal level of the River Thames . 51°29′59″N 0°07′31″W  /  51.49986°N 0.12537°W  / 51.49986; -0.12537 Airey Neave Lieutenant Colonel Airey Middleton Sheffield Neave , DSO , OBE , MC , TD ( / ˈ ɛər i ˈ n iː v / ) (23 January 1916 – 30 March 1979)

2035-546: The murderers to justice and to rid the United Kingdom of the scourge of terrorism." The INLA issued a statement regarding the murder in the August 1979 edition of The Starry Plough : In March, retired terrorist and supporter of capital punishment, Airey Neave, got a taste of his own medicine when an INLA unit pulled off the operation of the decade and blew him to bits inside the 'impregnable' Palace of Westminster. The nauseous Margaret Thatcher snivelled on television that he

2090-637: The north and south entrances of the Commons Chamber honour Airey Neave and three other MPs who were killed by the Irish Republican Army and Irish National Liberation Army . 51°30′00″N 0°07′31″W  /  51.4999°N 0.1254°W  / 51.4999; -0.1254 Westminster Hall The fabric of the hall is particularly notable for its hammerbeam roof , a form typical of English Gothic architecture which uses horizontal trusses to span large distances. The roof

2145-460: The permanent rank of captain on 11 April 1945. A temporary major at the war's end, he was appointed an MBE (Military Division) on 30 August 1945, and awarded the DSO on 18 October. As a result, the earlier MBE appointment was cancelled on 25 October 1945. After his escape from the Germans, Neave was recruited as an intelligence officer for MI9 , supporting underground escape organizations, such as

2200-554: The prison and by train and on foot they travelled to Leipzig and Ulm and finally reached the border to Switzerland near Singen . Via France, Spain and Gibraltar , Neave returned to England in April 1942. Neave was the first British officer to escape from Colditz Castle. On 12 May 1942, shortly after his return to England, he was decorated with the Military Cross . He was subsequently promoted to war substantive captain and to

2255-597: The two main Chambers, in which the government and opposition benches directly face each other, the seating in the Grand Committee Room is laid out in a U-shape, a pattern meant to reflect the non-partisan nature of the debates there. The hall is notable for its hammerbeam roof , which was commissioned for Richard II in 1393. It was built by the royal carpenter, Hugh Herland , and is considered "the greatest creation of medieval timber architecture" creating

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2310-509: Was a British soldier, lawyer and Member of Parliament (MP) from 1953 until his assassination in 1979. During the Second World War he was the first British prisoner-of-war to succeed in escaping from Oflag IV-C at Colditz Castle , and later worked for MI9 . After the war he served with the International Military Tribunal at the Nuremberg trials . He later became Conservative MP for Abingdon . Neave

2365-590: Was also alight, and smashed through a door to the Hall with an axe so hoses could be brought in. The St Stephen's Porch end of the Hall displays under the stained glass window the Parliamentary War Memorial listing on eight panels the names of Members and staff of both Houses of Parliament and their sons killed serving in the First World War; the window itself, installed in 1952, commemorates members and staff of both Houses who died in

2420-494: Was an 'incalculable loss'—and so he was—to the British ruling class. Neave's death came two days after the vote of no confidence which brought down Callaghan's government and a few weeks before the general election, which brought about a Conservative victory and saw Thatcher come to power as Prime Minister. Neave's wife Diana, whom he married on 29 December 1942, was subsequently elevated to the House of Lords as Baroness Airey of Abingdon . Neave's biographer Paul Routledge met

2475-486: Was assassinated in a car bomb attack at the House of Commons . The Irish National Liberation Army claimed responsibility. Neave was the son of Sheffield Airey Neave CMG, OBE (1879–1961), an entomologist , who lived at Ingatestone , Essex , and his wife Dorothy, the daughter of Arthur Thomson Middleton. His father was the grandson of Sheffield Neave , the third son of Sir Thomas Neave, 2nd Baronet (see Neave baronets ). The family came to prominence as merchants in

2530-472: Was commissioned for Richard II in 1393 and built by the royal carpenter, Hugh Herland . It is the largest clearspan medieval roof in England, measuring 20.7 by 73.2 metres (68 by 240 ft). At the same time the rest of the hall was remodelled by the master mason Henry Yevele . The renovations include eighty-three unique depictions of Richard's favourite heraldic badge, a resting chained white hart . Westminster Hall has served numerous functions. Until

2585-401: Was decided that a new stained glass window would become the memorial to members and staff of both Houses who died in that War. The new window was designed by Sir Ninian Comper and includes the service badges and armorial bearings or initials of 22 MPs, 34 Peers, and 5 members of staff (including two police officers). After structural repairs to St Stephen's Porch were completed, the restoration

2640-545: Was finished but in his 1998 autobiography, Heath strongly denied ever making such a remark. He admitted that in December 1974 Neave had told him to stand down for the good of the party. During the final two months of 1974, Neave had asked Keith Joseph , William Whitelaw and Edward du Cann to stand against Heath, and said that in the case of any of them challenging for the party leadership, he would be their campaign manager . When all three refused to stand, Neave agreed to be

2695-476: Was hastily abandoned by Humphrey Atkins , who became Secretary of State for Northern Ireland , the role Neave had shadowed. Politician Tony Benn records in his diary (17 February 1981) that a journalist from the New Statesman , Duncan Campbell , told him that he had received information two years previously, from an intelligence agent , that Neave had planned to have Benn assassinated if, following

2750-416: Was held back by a heart attack he suffered in 1959. He was a Governor of Imperial College between 1963 and 1971 and was a member of the House of Commons select committee on Science and Technology between 1965 and 1970. He was on the governing body of Abingdon School from 1953 to 1979. Edward Heath , when Chief Whip , was alleged to have told Neave that after he suffered his heart attack his career

2805-666: Was noted he had been accidentally omitted for 96 years. Further war memorials in the Houses of Parliament include books of remembrance for both Houses of Parliament, a memorial for other members of staff in Chancellors Court , a memorial for Parliamentary journalists in the Press Gallery, and 42 heraldic shields in the House of Commons, one for each MP killed on active service during the World Wars. Shields above

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2860-702: Was portrayed by Geoffrey Pounsett in Nuremberg (2000), Dermot Crowley in Margaret (2009), Nicholas Farrell in The Iron Lady (2011) (in a piece of dramatic licence Thatcher is shown in that film as an eyewitness to his death) and Tim McInnerny in Utopia (2014). In 2014, 35 years after Neave's death, a fictionalised account of Neave's murder was depicted in the Channel 4 drama Utopia , where he

2915-477: Was the first US president to be invited to use the Hall for an address to Parliament and Aung San Suu Kyi was the first non-head of state to be given the accolade of addressing MPs and peers in Westminster Hall. Following reforms in 1999, the House of Commons now uses the Grand Committee Room next to Westminster Hall as an additional debating chamber. (Although it is not part of the main hall, these are usually spoken of as Westminster Hall debates .) In contrast with

2970-601: Was undertaken from 1951. The cupola was left out of the final design, to prevent it obstructing the view of the new window. The bronze statue of St Andrew from the cupola is now in the Parliamentary Art Collection , but the statues of St George, St Patrick and St David have disappeared. In 2018 former MP Gerald Arbuthnot , who was killed during the Battle of the Somme was added to the memorial, after it

3025-591: Was wounded and captured by the Germans at Calais on 23 May 1940. He was imprisoned at Oflag IX-A/H near Spangenberg and in February 1941 moved to Stalag XX-A near Thorn in German-occupied western Poland. Meanwhile, Neave's commission was transferred to the Royal Artillery on 1 August 1940. In April 1941 he escaped from Thorn with Norman Forbes. They were captured near Ilow while trying to enter Soviet -controlled Poland and were briefly in

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