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Interesting Info about the Houses of Parliament
The Palace of Westminster site was
strategically important during the Middle Ages, as it was located on the
banks of the River Thames. Known in medieval times as Thorney Island, the
site may have been first-used for a royal residence by Canute the Great
during his reign from 1016 to 1035. St Edward the Confessor, the
penultimate Saxon monarch of England, built a royal palace on Thorney
Island just west of the City of London at about the same time as he built
Westminster Abbey (1045–50).
Thorney Island and the surrounding
area soon became known as Westminster (a contraction of the words West
Minster). Neither the buildings used by the Saxons nor those used by
William I survive. The oldest existing part of the Palace (Westminster
Hall) dates from the reign of William I's successor, King William II.
The Old Palace of Westminster was
a complex of buildings, separated from the River Thames in the east by a
series of gardens. The largest and northernmost building is Westminster
Hall, which lies parallel to the river. Several buildings adjoin it on the
east side, south of those and perpendicular to the Hall is the mediaeval
House of Commons, further south and parallel to the river is the Court of
Requests, with an eastwards extension at its south end, and at the south
end of the complex lie the House of Lords and another chamber. The Palace
was bounded by St Margaret's Street to the west and Old Palace Yard to the
south-west; another street, New Palace Yard, is just visible to the north.
A detail from John Rocque's 1746
map of London. St Stephen's Chapel, labelled "H of Comm" (House of
Commons), is adjacent to Westminster Hall; the Parliament Chamber—labelled
"H of L" (House of Lords)—and the Prince's Chamber are to the far south.
The Court of Requests, between the two Houses, became the new home of the
Lords in 1801. At the north-east, by the river, stands Speaker's House.
The Palace of Westminster was the monarch's principal residence in the
late Medieval period. The predecessor of Parliament, the Curia Regis
(Royal Council), met in Westminster Hall (although it followed the King
when he moved to other palaces). The Model Parliament, the first official
Parliament of England, met in the Palace in 1295 almost all subsequent
Parliaments have met there.
The Jewel Tower was built around 1365 to house the treasures of King
Edward III.
In 1530, King Henry VIII acquired York Palace from Thomas Cardinal Wolsey,
a powerful minister who had lost the King's favour. Renaming it the Palace
of Whitehall, Henry used it as his principal residence. Although
Westminster officially remained a royal palace, it was used by the two
Houses of Parliament and by the various royal law courts.
Because it was originally a royal residence, the Palace included no
purpose-built chambers for the two Houses. Important state ceremonies were
held in the Painted Chamber. The House of Lords originally met in the
Queen's Chamber, a modest Medieval hall at the south end of the complex.
In 1801 the Upper House moved into the larger White Chamber, which had
formerly housed the Court of Requests; the expansion of the Peerage by
King George III during the 18th century, along with the imminent Act of
Union with Ireland, necessitated the move as the original chamber could
not accommodate the increased number of peers.
The House of Commons, which did not have a chamber of its own, sometimes
held its debates in the Chapter House of Westminster Abbey. The Commons
acquired a permanent home at the Palace in the form of St Stephen's
Chapel, the former chapel of the royal palace, during the reign of Edward
VI. In 1547 the building became available for the Commons' use following
the disbanding of St Stephen's College. Alterations were made to St
Stephen's Chapel over the following three centuries for the convenience of
the lower House, gradually destroying its original mediaeval appearance.
The Palace of Westminster as a whole began to see significant alterations
from the 18th century onwards, as Parliament struggled to carry out its
business in the limited available space and ageing buildings. Calls for an
entirely new palace went unheeded as instead more buildings were added. A
new west facade facing onto St. Margaret's Street was built in the
Palladian style between 1755 and 1770, providing more space for document
storage and committee rooms. A new official residence for the Speaker of
the House of Commons was built adjoining St. Stephen's Chapel and
completed in 1795. The neo-Gothic architect James Wyatt also carried out
works on both the House of Lords and Commons between 1799 and 1801.
The palace complex was substantially remodelled once again, this time by
Sir John Soane, between 1824 and 1827. The mediaeval House of Lords
chamber, which had been the target of the failed Gunpowder Plot of 1605,
was demolished as part of this work in order to create a new Royal Gallery
and ceremonial entrance at the southern end of the palace. Soane's work at
the palace also included new library facilities for both Houses of
Parliament and new law courts for the Chancery and King's Bench. Soane's
alterations caused controversy due to his use of neo-classical
architectural styles, which conflicted with the Gothic style of the
original buildings.
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