Palace of Westminster, also known as the Houses of Parliament - Palace, where the meeting of both chambers of the British Parliament, the House of Commons and House of Lords.

The House of Commons is elected for five years by universal, equal suffrage by secret ballot, and the House of Lords are not elected, it consists of two archbishops, 26 bishops of the Church of England ("Lords Spiritual") and 706 members of the Peerage ("secular lords"). Lords Spiritual are present, as long as they occupy the Church offices and the secular members of the House of Lords are life.

Westminster Palace is located on the north bank of the River Thames in the heart of London. The first royal palace was built on this spot in the XI century. Probably, the first king who settled here was Knut the Great. Edward the Confessor founded here Westminster Abbey, but the construction of those times did not survive. The earliest extant buildings were built during the reign of Wilhelm II. The palace was regarded as the main residence of the kings of England, and is also held meeting of the Royal Council - the predecessor of the British Parliament.

In 1530, King Henry VIII moved his official residence in Whitehall and Westminster, though, and continued to be regarded as a royal palace, was given to the needs of Parliament. In the XVIII century, the parliament building was renovated and rebuilt in neo-Gothic style by architect James Wyatt.

In 1834, the parliament building caught fire. The reason was a red-hot stove, which burned the wooden tags Treasury. Gem Tower survived in part - the Church of St. Stephen and heroic efforts managed to keep the fire of Westminster Hall (1097). For the reconstruction has been appointed a special Royal Commission, which examined the 97 projects selected projects by Charles Barry in neo-Gothic style. Construction was largely completed in 1860. For his work, Charles Barry was awarded a knighthood.

Clock Tower of the Palace of Westminster - Big Ben has become the hallmark of London and Londoners to these hours do not check the time-first century. The second tower is called the Victoria Palace and serves as the parliamentary archives. It stores the three million documents, the total length of shelving for them - 8.8 km, including the original is stored and the Bill of Rights of the death sentence to Charles I, and all Acts of Parliament from 1497.

Tourists in the parliament building is almost not allowed. And if the citizens of the United Kingdom can get inside in coordination with its
a member of parliament, the foreign tourists are only guided tours during the summer parliamentary recess. You can try to get into the building in the office hours of Deputies, but the number of visitors is limited and asylum, and there is no guarantee that you will get one of them.