Palace of Westminster Audio Guide

The Sovereign's Entrance

The large archway at the base of the Victoria Tower is known as the Sovereign's Entrance. It was designed with specific proportions to accommodate the massive royal carriage used during the State Opening of Parliament. This annual event is one of the few times each year when the three elements of Parliament—the Monarch, the House of Lords, and the House of Commons—come together in one place. The ritual is highly choreographed; the monarch travels from Buckingham Palace to this very spot to enter the building. From this high-status entrance, the monarch ascends the Sovereign's Staircase to reach the Norman Porch and the Royal Gallery. The interior of the palace is vast, containing roughly three miles of passageways that connect the hundreds of rooms and offices. Starting from grand areas like this, the hierarchy of the building is reflected in its decor, with the most lavish ornamentation reserved for the areas frequented by the Sovereign and the House of Lords. While much of the palace is accessible to the public and officials, this entrance remains a symbol of the constitutional link between the Crown and the legislative body that meets within these walls.

Trial of Charles I, King of England, Scotland and Ireland

For centuries, Westminster Hall functioned as the primary seat of the English legal system. One of the most significant events to ever occur within these walls was the trial of King Charles I in January 1649. Following the English Civil War, the King was brought here to face a specially convened High Court of Justice. He was charged with high treason against the people of England. The trial was a radical departure from tradition, as it challenged the long-held belief in the Divine Right of Kings, asserting that even a monarch was subject to the law of the land. Charles I was ultimately found guilty and sentenced to death, leading to his execution shortly thereafter outside the Banqueting House in Whitehall. This was not the only famous trial held on this floor; other figures of immense historical importance were also judged here, including the Scottish knight William Wallace and Guy Fawkes, the most famous of the Gunpowder Plot conspirators. These trials transformed the hall from a royal feasting space into a site of profound constitutional and legal reckoning. Today, brass plaques set into the floor mark the exact spots where these figures stood during their trials, serving as a quiet reminder of the hall's long and often turbulent history as a place of judgment.

St Stephen's Hall

St Stephen's Hall is a space steeped in political history, standing directly on the site of the original St Stephen’s Chapel. From the mid-sixteenth century until the fire of 1834, this chapel served as the debating chamber for the House of Commons. For three hundred years, this was the room where the fundamental principles of British parliamentary democracy were forged. When the palace was rebuilt in the Victorian era, the architects chose to recreate the dimensions of the old chapel here to honor that heritage. The hall is lined with statues of famous British statesmen who once debated on this very spot, including influential figures like William Pitt the Younger and Charles James Fox. These figures are depicted in poses of oration, as if they are still engaged in the spirited arguments of their day. Today, St Stephen's Hall serves as the primary entrance for members of the public visiting Parliament. As visitors queue to enter the Central Lobby, they pass between these silent guardians of the past. The murals on the walls further illustrate scenes from British history, ensuring that even as a thoroughfare, the hall continues to educate visitors about the long evolution of the United Kingdom’s political system.

New Dawn

Located above the entrance to St Stephen's Hall is 'New Dawn,' a contemporary glass installation by artist Mary Branson. Unveiled in 2016, this work commemorates the long and difficult struggle for women's suffrage in the United Kingdom. It is composed of 168 hand-blown glass disks, arranged in a circular pattern that mimics the form of the portcullis, a long-standing symbol of Parliament. The colors of the glass—green, pink, and white—reflect the different factions of the suffrage movement, including the Suffragists and the Suffragettes. The most unique feature of the installation is its connection to the environment. The lights behind the glass disks are linked to the tide of the nearby River Thames. As the water rises, the installation glows more brightly, reaching its full illumination at high tide. This serves as a metaphor for the 'rising tide' of the women's movement, which grew in strength and momentum until the vote was finally won. By placing such a modern piece in a building dominated by Victorian and medieval history, the palace acknowledges that the story of democracy is still being written. It stands as a vibrant tribute to the thousands of women who campaigned for political equality, ensuring their legacy is visible to everyone who enters the building.

The Royal Gallery

The Royal Gallery is one of the largest and most impressive rooms in the palace, designed specifically to host royal processions and major state ceremonies. During the State Opening of Parliament, the monarch leads a grand procession through this space from the Robing Room to the House of Lords Chamber. The walls are decorated with two enormous murals, each forty-five feet long, which depict significant moments in British military history. The scale of the room, combined with its high gilded ceiling and elaborate floor, was intended to project the power and prestige of the British Empire at its height. Beyond its role in royal ritual, the Royal Gallery has served as a venue for significant diplomatic events. It is one of the few spaces in the building large enough to host joint meetings of both the House of Commons and the House of Lords. Because of this, it has been used for addresses by visiting foreign dignitaries, including French and United States presidents. These occasions underscore the palace's role not just as a domestic legislature, but as a site of international political significance. The statues of monarchs and the portraits of past leaders that line the walls provide a historic backdrop for these modern diplomatic encounters, bridging centuries of statecraft.

The Death of Nelson

Daniel Maclise · 1859 · canvas, oil paint

Facing the Waterloo mural in the Royal Gallery is its companion piece, 'The Death of Nelson,' also painted by Daniel Maclise. It depicts the mortal wounding of Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson on the deck of his flagship, HMS Victory, during the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. Unlike many heroized depictions of the era, Maclise chose to focus on the human chaos and medical reality of the naval battle. Nelson is shown surrounded by his officers and crew in the heat of the engagement, capturing the vulnerability of the commander even in his moment of greatest victory. This mural was revolutionary for state-commissioned art at the time because of its refusal to shy away from the grittier aspects of warfare. You can see the crowded, claustrophobic nature of life on a warship, with sailors of various backgrounds working together while their leader lies dying. The attention to historical detail, from the uniforms to the rigging of the ship, is exceptional. Like its companion across the room, it was painted using the water-glass technique. Together, these two massive works flank the space where royal processions pass, reminding those in power of the sacrifices made at sea and on land to secure the nation's interests, blending national myth-making with a stark, documentary-style approach to history.

The Meeting of Wellington and Blücher after the Battle of Waterloo

Daniel Maclise · 1861 · waterglass

Dominating one side of the Royal Gallery is Daniel Maclise’s monumental mural, 'The Meeting of Wellington and Blücher after the Battle of Waterloo.' Painted between 1858 and 1861, this work is forty-five feet long and captures the pivotal moment on the evening of June 18, 1815. The Duke of Wellington and the Prussian Marshal Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher meet amidst the devastation of the battlefield to celebrate their decisive victory over Napoleon Bonaparte. The scene is filled with a sense of grim reality, showing the exhausted soldiers and the wounded scattered across the ground. To create a work of this scale that would last, Maclise used a technique known as 'water-glass' or mineral painting. This involved applying pigments in a silicate solution, which was intended to fuse the paint with the wall itself. This method was chosen specifically to prevent the colors from fading or peeling in the notoriously damp and polluted air of nineteenth-century London. While the technique proved challenging to master, it allowed Maclise to achieve a remarkable level of detail and color depth. The mural remains one of the most significant pieces of nineteenth-century history painting in Britain, serving as a permanent memorial to a victory that shaped the course of European history for a century.

The House of Lords Chamber

The House of Lords Chamber is the most lavishly decorated room in the entire palace, a stark contrast to the more functional and austere design of the House of Commons. The space is dominated by a rich red-and-gold color scheme, which has traditionally signaled its status as the 'Upper House.' The walls are lined with ornate wood carvings and frescoes, while the ceiling is a masterwork of gilded detail. Lining the floor are the famous red leather benches where the members of the House sit. These include the Lords Temporal, who are appointed peers, and the Lords Spiritual, who are bishops of the Church of England. This chamber is the site of many of the UK's most significant constitutional rituals, most notably the State Opening of Parliament. The sheer scale and opulence of the decoration were intended to reflect the historical weight and authority of the House of Lords. Every element, from the stained glass windows depicting monarchs to the brass work on the gallery railings, was designed by Augustus Pugin to create a sense of medieval grandeur. While the House of Commons is the primary site of legislative debate today, the Lords Chamber remains a vital space for the scrutiny of laws and serves as a powerful visual reminder of the ancient traditions that still underpin the British parliamentary system.

The Sovereign's Throne

At the far end of the House of Lords Chamber stands the Sovereign's Throne, perhaps the most iconic and intricately decorated object in the entire palace. Designed by Augustus Pugin, the throne is situated beneath a massive gilded canopy that is a masterpiece of Victorian craftsmanship. The throne itself is actually a Chair of State, used by the monarch during the annual State Opening of Parliament. It is from this seat that the 'Speech from the Throne' is delivered, outlining the government's legislative agenda for the upcoming session. The level of detail on the throne is extraordinary, featuring complex wood carvings, gold leaf, and high-quality upholstery. The design incorporates many heraldic symbols, including the royal coat of arms, lions, and unicorns, which represent the authority of the Crown. Pugin’s design was meant to evoke the majesty of a medieval king, even within the context of a nineteenth-century constitutional monarchy. Although it is the focal point of the chamber, the throne is only used once a year, remaining empty during the regular debates of the Lords. It stands as a silent symbol of the monarch's role in the parliamentary process, and its incredible ornamentation makes it one of the most photographed and recognized pieces of furniture in the world.

Statue of Margaret Thatcher

Antony Dufort · 2007

Directly opposite the figure of Winston Churchill stands the first statue of a female Prime Minister to be erected in the House of Commons. Unveiled in 2007, this likeness of Margaret Thatcher captures her in a characteristic pose, with one hand raised and her head tilted slightly as if she is in the middle of a sharp parliamentary exchange. Thatcher served as Prime Minister from 1979 to 1990, a period of significant social and economic change in Britain. Placing her here creates a balanced pair of 20th-century leaders at the threshold of the chamber. Unlike Churchill’s statue, which is often touched by MPs, Thatcher's statue stands on a slightly higher plinth, reflecting her formidable and often polarizing presence in British politics. The sculptor aimed to capture her 'Iron Lady' persona, focusing on the sharp tailoring of her suit and the determined expression she often wore during Prime Minister's Questions. Her presence in the lobby serves as a reminder of the barrier she broke as the first woman to lead a major British political party and the nation. The statue is positioned so that her gaze seems to meet Churchill’s across the busy floor of the Members' Lobby.