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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.
Read about the current Palace of Westminster as designed by architect Sir Charles Barry. The Palace's Structure. Palace's Interiors. Key Dates. The Palace Today. From the Parliamentary Collections. Further Your Research. History of the Parliamentary estate.
The Palace of Westminster, Westminster Abbey and St Margaret’s Church lie next to the River Thames in the heart of London. With their intricate silhouettes, they have symbolised monarchy, religion and power since Edward the Confessor built his palace and church on Thorney Island in the 11th century AD.
Although Westminster officially remained a royal palace, it was used by the two Houses of Parliament and by the various royal law courts. Being originally a royal residence, the Palace included no purpose-built chambers for the two Houses.
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.
Oct 25, 2020 · The Palace of Westminster acts as the meeting place for both the House of Commons and the House of Lords. These two are the houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The building is informally known as the houses of parliament because of its occupants. This Palace is on the northern bank of River Thames in Westminster in central London.
The Palace of Westminster, or the Houses of Parliament as it is also known, has changed dramatically over the course of nearly a thousand years of history. Transformed from royal residence to the home of a modern democracy, the architecture and cultural collections of the Palace and the wider Parliamentary Estate have continually evolved ...
