Houses of Parliament
Houses of Parliament with Elizabeth Tower ('Big Ben') This evening, I am posting information and images on the U.K. Houses of Parliament (aka Palace of Westminster.) This building serves as the meeting place for both the House of Commons and the House of Lords . It sits on the north bank of the River Thames in the City of Westminster, London, England. The Westminster element of the name derives from nearby Westminster Abbey. The palace is owned by the Crown. The first royal palace constructed on the site dated from the 11th century, and Westminster became the primary residence of the English monarchy until fire destroyed the royal apartments in 1512. The remainder of Westminster continued to serve as the home of the Parliament of England which had met there since the 13th century. In 1834 an even greater fire ravaged the heavily rebuilt Houses of Parliament. In the subsequent competition for the reconstruction of the Palace, the architect Charles Barry won wi...