Parliament

The tour of the Parliament building was very interesting. I knew a little bit about British politics but this tour was able to give me more background information.

Most people only know Parliament as the place next to the clock tower (what many people mistakenly call Big Ben. Big Ben is actually the bell inside the clock tower.) But it is so much more interesting than just that! The building that we now know as Parliament was originally called Westminster Palace. The building was actually rebuilt in 1845 after a fire damaged the previous palace. The last king to live there was Henry VIII.

Parliament is divided into two houses: the House of Lords and the House of Commons. The differences between the two rooms were very obvious when one looks at the difference in decoration techniques! The House of Lords is where the sovereign's throne sits and seems like it is wall to wall gilt and red carpet! The Queen addresses (and visits) Parliament once a year. No sovereign is allowed to enter the House of Commons ever since the English Civil War when Oliver Cromwell ran the country. The decoration of the House of Commons is much simpler than the House of Lords, much more wood panelling and green carpet.

The House of Commons was damaged in the Blitz of WWII. During that time, it met in the House of Lords. The current room was built in exactly the same plan as the former chamber so there are still only 440 seats. This lack of seating can cause difficulty because, if you don't get there early to stake out a seat, you would have to stand for the duration of the session. The seating arrangement of both of the Houses mimics the seating in a church with both sides facing each other and the head of the House at the front of the room perpendicular to the members' seating.

I was highly amused by the two red lines on the floor of the House of Commons. Our guide at Parliament did not go into great detail about these lines but, luckily for me, one of my London Alive tours did. The lines hark back to the days when the MPs all wore swords. The lines are 2 sword lengths apart so that, in the heat of the moment, debates would not devolve into duels. The members would be told to "toe the line" meaning that they should step back behind the red lines. I wonder how many people who take the tours or watch the sessions on TV know this history.

After we went through the House of Commons, we went into St. Stephen's Hall where the first House of Commons was located for 300 years. St. Stephen's Hall is only large enough for 440 seats which is why only that number is in the current House of Commons. Ah, historical precedent.