Tag: Palace of Westminster

A statue of a queen on a throne with two women to either side
19th Century history, Art, Fashion and Material Culture, Buildings and Architecture, Conferences, Seminars and Events, Queen Victoria, Victorian, Women and Parliament

‘Unobtrusive But Not Unimportant’: Representations of Women and Sovereign Power at the New Palace of Westminster, 1841-1870

At the IHR Parliaments, Politics and People seminar on Tuesday 17 February, Dr Cara Gathern of UK Parliament Heritage Collections, will be discussing representations of women and sovereign power at the New Palace of Westminster, 1841-1870. The seminar takes place on 17 February 2026, between 5:30 and 6:30 p.m. It is fully ‘hybrid’, which means you can attend either in-person in London at the IHR, or online … Continue reading ‘Unobtrusive But Not Unimportant’: Representations of Women and Sovereign Power at the New Palace of Westminster, 1841-1870

History of ParliamentLeave a comment
Victorian Commons, 19th Century history, Buildings and Architecture, Victorian

The Westminster Fire of 1834

In this guest article, Dr Caroline Shenton, author of ‘The Day Parliament Burned Down‘ and ‘Mr Barry’s War: Rebuilding the Houses of Parliament after the Great Fire of 1834‘, describes the dramatic events that took place at the Palace of Westminster on 16 October 1834. By the late Georgian period, the buildings of the Palace of Westminster had become an accident waiting to happen. The rambling … Continue reading The Westminster Fire of 1834

History of ParliamentLeave a comment
19th Century history, Buildings and Architecture, Victorian, Victorian Commons

A Westminster Boy Made Good: Charles Barry (1795-1860)

In this guest post, previously published on the Victorian Commons, Dr Caroline Shenton, formerly the Director of the Parliamentary Archives and author of The Day Parliament Burned Down (2012) and Mr Barry’s War (2016), reflects on an often-forgotten aspect of the background of Charles Barry, architect of the New Houses of Parliament. On the night of 16 October 1834, thirty-nine year old Charles Barry was travelling … Continue reading A Westminster Boy Made Good: Charles Barry (1795-1860)

History of ParliamentLeave a comment
Women and Parliament, 17th Century history, 18th Century history, 19th Century history, Conferences, Seminars and Events, Georgian, Social history, Victorian

Women in charge? Parliament’s female Housekeepers and Necessary Women, c. 1690-1877

Ahead of next Tuesday’s Parliaments, Politics and People seminar, we hear from Mari Takayanagi, senior archivist in the UK Parliamentary Archives, and Elizabeth Hallam Smith, historical research consultant at the Houses of Parliament. On 28 November they will discuss the women who once operated behind the scenes at the House of Lords… The seminar takes place on 28 November 2023, between 5:30 and 6.30 p.m. … Continue reading Women in charge? Parliament’s female Housekeepers and Necessary Women, c. 1690-1877

History of Parliament2 Comments
Medieval, 15th Century History, Buildings and Architecture, Social history

Come Let’s Travel by the River… the vicissitudes of getting to Parliament in the later Middle Ages

As the discovery of the Palace of Westminster’s medieval river wall hits the news, Dr Hannes Kleineke, editor of our Commons 1461-1504 project, reflects on how MPs and peers in the later Middle Ages travelled to Parliament. While the River Thames is now a place for spectacular tours, it was once a dangerous commute to work for many in Parliament… Amid news of the discovery of part of … Continue reading Come Let’s Travel by the River… the vicissitudes of getting to Parliament in the later Middle Ages

Hannes KleinekeLeave a comment
Contemporary History, 20th century history, Buildings and Architecture, Modern, Oral history

‘You just become a tiny little speck of history’: First Impressions of the Palace of Westminster

When newly elected MPs first enter the Palace of Westminster, it is hard to ignore the hundreds of years of history that surrounds them. And as Dr Emma Peplow, Head of Oral History at the History of Parliament explores, this legacy could prove inspirational, impressive, or even overwhelming… Find out more about the history of the Palace of Westminster and its famous Elizabeth Tower, home … Continue reading ‘You just become a tiny little speck of history’: First Impressions of the Palace of Westminster

Emma PeplowLeave a comment
17th Century history, Buildings and Architecture, Georgian

Before Big Ben there was Old Tom

As the restoration of the Palace of Westminster’s Elizabeth Tower reaches its final stages this summer, Dr Robin Eagles, editor of our House of Lords 1715-1790 project, takes a look at the clock tower that existed before ‘Big Ben’… The story of the at times fraught development of the clock tower of the palace of Westminster is well known. A late addition to Charles Barry’s … Continue reading Before Big Ben there was Old Tom

Robin EaglesLeave a comment
Victorian Commons, 19th Century history, Buildings and Architecture, Queen Victoria, Victorian, Women and Parliament

Queen Victoria and parliamentary ceremony

During her record-breaking 70 years of service, Queen Elizabeth II has become no stranger to parliamentary traditions like the State Opening of Parliament, and next weekend her milestone as the first British Monarch to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee will be celebrated with four days of festivities. But Her Majesty the Queen’s predecessor as a female monarch, Queen Victoria, also witnessed many ceremonies during her own … Continue reading Queen Victoria and parliamentary ceremony

Kathryn Rix2 Comments
Conferences, Seminars and Events, Buildings and Architecture

Using the past to help us to understand the future of the Palace of Westminster

Ahead of next Tuesday’s Virtual IHR Parliaments, Politics and People seminar, we hear from Dr Alexandra Meakin of the University of Leeds. On 9 November 2021, between 5.15 p.m. and 6.30 p.m., she will be responding to your questions about her pre-circulated paper on ‘Using the past to help us understand the future of the Palace of Westminster’. Details of how to join the discussion are available here, … Continue reading Using the past to help us to understand the future of the Palace of Westminster

History of ParliamentLeave a comment
The First Elizabethan Age, 16th Century history, 17th Century history, Buildings and Architecture, Elizabeth I, Parliamentary Life, Tudor

What did the Elizabethan House of Lords look like?

This might seem like a simple question but, as Dr Paul Hunneyball of our Lords 1558-1603 project explains, the answer is anything but straightforward… In 21st-century Britain, we take it for granted that we know what our parliamentary chambers look like. At Westminster, both the House of Commons and House of Lords are open to visitors, and parliamentary debates are recorded on television and illustrated … Continue reading What did the Elizabethan House of Lords look like?

Paul Hunneyball3 Comments