Parliament Square

Parliament Square. . , Parliament Square is in the heart of ceremonial London, close to the seat of government. The square itself originally designed by Sir Charles Barry in 1850, was redesigned for the festival of Britain in 1951, and is now hailed as a ‘World Square’. , , If you had stood here 150 years ago, you would only have seen the Abbey Church of Westminster Abbey, consecrated in 1065. The Abbey has been the resting place of many English Kings and Queens, and the setting for most English Coronations. The Coronation procession approaches from Whitehall on the far side of the square on its way to the Abbey. , , In the twentieth century, the Abbey was also the place where many members of the British Royal Family married, most notably, in 1923, The Duke of York (later King George VI) and Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, daughter of the 14th Earl of Strathmore. , , On 20 November 1947, shortly after the end of the Second World War, King George VI’s Edward elder daughter, The Princess Elizabeth was married to Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten, RN, created that day, HRH The Duke of Edinburg. The Queen and The Duke of Edinburg celebrated their Golden Wedding in a service at the Abbey on 20 November 1997, and their Diamond Wedding ten years later in 2007. , , To the side of the Abbey stands the 16th century St. Margaret’s Westminster, and to the left is Westminster Hall, England’s finest medieval hall, where Kings and Queens have lain in state. , , The Houses of Parliament, still known as the Palace of Westminster, were rebuilt by Sir Charles Barry and A.W.N. Pugin after being destroyed by fire, between 1836 and 1860. The famous clock tower (housing the bell Big Ben) was not built until 1858. , , In Parliament Square itself there are statues to famous statesmen such as Churchill, Smuts, Palmerston, Disraeli, Peel, Abraham Lincoln and Nelson Mandela. , , More recent buildings include the Methodist Central Hall, the neo-gothic Supreme Court and around the corner, the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre. , , Unveiled by , Her Majesty The Queen , and , His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburg, KG , on 19th November 2007 , to mark their Diamond Wedding.. , , ( right end of the panel ) , The Jubilee Walkway, designed and administered by a special Trust, was established to commemorate the Silver Jubilee of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth in 1977. It encircles the centre of London, embracing many historic buildings and views. It is approximately 14 miles (22.4 kilometres) in length. , , Follow the Jubilee Walkway by foot, using the circular walkway plates embedded in the ground around London. For leaflets and further information on walks around London telephone xxxx xxx xxxx. To hear this pane call and select 201. www.jubileewalkway.com