London, (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Did you know that there’s a ritual at the Houses of Parliament? It’s been around since 1605! The Gunpowder Plot was an attempt to kill King James I by English Catholics. It involved detonating gunpowder in the Palace of Westminster, killing the king and his family. Fortunately, the plot was uncovered and the conspirators were executed in a brutal manner.
The crowned portcullis on the spire of the Houses of Parliament is the official emblem. The portcullis originally represented a noble family in the fourteenth century and was adopted by the Tudor dynasty in the 16th century. The Palace of Westminster then became the regular meeting place for parliament, as well as the House of Lords, which once served as the UK’s highest court. The only living person who is still seated in Parliament is Margaret Thatcher, who appears as an animated cartoon character waving her finger at passing MPs.
If you’re visiting the Houses of Parliament, you should know that MPs are allowed to hang their swords and other weaponry on the purple ribbons. The Big Ben clock-face is covered by 300 panes of glass and has a weight of eighty-five pounds. The clock-tower must be cleaned every five years, and a team of cleaners abseils down the tower to do it.
Big Ben is not visible from the street, but if you’re in London, you can’t miss it! The hour bell inside Parliament weighs 13 tons and was first transported by a trolley pulled by 16 horses in 1859. Some people say the name of Big Ben comes from the tiny clerk of works, Benjamin Hall. However, most people don’t know the exact origins of the name.
Did you know that the Houses of Parliament have the largest chamber in the world? The British Parliament has four floors and over one hundred rooms. It’s so huge that it’s sometimes misquoted as the Mother of all parliaments, but it’s actually a little bit more accurate. It was actually reclaimed land from the river Thames, which allowed for a giant building to be built. It’s also home to the first parliament in the world.
The Speaker is the leader of the Houses of Parliament. He sits in a chair at the front of the house that was designed by Augustus Pugin. His name means “wise” in Latin. He’s also the chairman of the House of Commons Commission, which oversees the House of Commons. The Speaker controls the debate by calling on members to speak. A member may raise a “point of order” if they believe that a rule has been broken. If the point of order is upheld, the Speaker will make a ruling. The member may be disciplined, and their seat may be closed for up to two hours.
The Houses of Parliament are the seat of government in the United Kingdom. Its role is to help the British government make laws. Its purpose is to serve the people of the country, and it serves this purpose. In 1605, Edward I called together leading church and political figures to discuss the government’s affairs. This meeting became known as the Model of Parliament and shaped the next parliament. The Houses of Parliament now span eight acres.
The Lords and Commons chambers are the main parts of the Houses of Parliament. The Commons Chamber is the house of members. During war, the lights and the bells of the Houses of Parliament dim. The bells were silenced during World War I and World War II. In the present, the two chambers are divided by a wall. The Lords is located on the upper floor, while the Commons is the upper floor.
The first official parliament took place in 1295. Although it’s a modern building, it was not always held at the Palace of Westminster. The Palace of Westminster was built on a reclaimed island, and the Houses of Parliament were moved there only in 1707. Until then, it was a place where the queen, the king, and the royal family were buried. The Houses of Parliament is still a very important part of the British government.
