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Located on the bank of the River Thames, the Palace of Westminster is a building complex that quickly catches the eyes of those who are walking by. Once a residence of the English Monarchs, the palace is now the Houses of Parliament, where the House of Lords and House of Commons have their meetings.
Even though I had been to London before, I had never been to the palace. Therefore, thanks to the Museum & Art Gallery Society arrangement, I made my first visit last month by joining the UK Parliament's guided online tour.
Starting in the oldest part of the Parliament, the Westminster Hall is a very spacious area with a high ceiling. On the one hand, it is used as a banquet hall. On the other hand, it is also a way to showcase the monarch's power. Moreover, its architectural design also implies various meanings. Looking at the archways, it reflects the ambition of the King at that time. One can spot a total of 13 carved angels on the archways, which refer to Jesus and his 12 disciples. This design shows the King's desire for ruling power, implying that he receives support from God, and only God has the authority above him.
Throughout the one-hour tour, we walked through different chambers, lobbies and rooms. Some are familiar to me as I've seen them on the TV when watching the debates. However, seeing them virtually was another experience. With the tour guide's explanation, I learned why a particular setting or rules are applied and some fun facts. Take the Assembly Room as an example. It is much smaller in reality as they use a wide-lens camera to stream the debate; the seats provided in the room (427) is far less than the total number (650) of Members of Parliament (MPs) since Churchill wanted to keep it as the same in the Victorian Style.
Another eye-catchy part during the tour was the Sovereign's Throne, also known as one of the most important items in the palace. It is a carved wooden chair decorated with embroidery, red velvet and rock crystals. It is also where the Queen sits when she delivers the speech during the State Opening of Parliament. I watched the whole event on May 11, 2021, to see the ceremony in real life after the tour.
This virtual tour provided an excellent opportunity for me to "visit" the palace despite heritages, historical sites and museums were still closed at that time. I can't wait to revisit the Palace of Westminster, in-person!
Extra information:
I am currently reading a book, "Medieval Bodies: Life, Death and Art in the Middle Ages". It mentions that the UK's laws were still being recorded on parchment until early 2017. It came to an end as the MPs voted to use a system of bound paper instead. This is because the cost of printing on calfskin costs £80,000 a year while using the paper form is much cheaper. One can still find the parchment archives in the palace's libraries, some of them dated back to the 13th century.
If you are interested, the UK Parliament also offers a Houses of Parliament 360° virtual tour at: https://www.parliament.uk/visiting/virtualtour/.
Written by Odelia Cheung