History of "Behind the Scenes Parliament Tour - Fully Guided Tour at Closing Time"
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Version 4 – March 06, 2020 08:08
Description Summary
This tour gives you a peek behind the scenes in the Palace of Westminster as the other visitors and politicians start to go home for the day. Walk the same route followed by the Queen during the State opening of Parliament and learn about the jaw-dropping architecture and art that lines the way. You’ll see all the major attractions, including the Queens Robing Room and House of Commons, but the main highlight is the House of Lords, where you’ll stand with only a handful of other people, just a few feet from the royal thrones. This is the most intimate experience you can have with one of the beating hearts of global democracy.
This tour gives you a peek behind the scenes in the Palace of Westminster as the other visitors and politicians start to go home for the day. Walk the same route followed by the Queen during the State opening of Parliament and learn about the jaw-dropping architecture and art that lines the way. You’ll see all the major attractions, including the Queens Robing Room and House of Commons, but the main highlight is the House of Lords, where you’ll stand with only a handful of other people, just a few feet from the royal thrones. This is the most intimate experience you can have with one of the beating hearts of global democracy.
Description
Your tour starts in Westminster Hall, the oldest part of the Palace and also one of the most impressive, just as the Palace of Westminster begins to close for the day. Then you’ll head straight to the Royal Staircase where your guide will give you a brief history of the building, including how and why it was constructed over hundreds of years, and how it remains intimately connected with Queen Victoria.
Next, you’ll head into the Queen’s Robing Room to see frescoes by William Dyce, gorgeous bas-reliefs and the Chair of State where the Queen sits while donning her robes and the Imperial State Crown. Every inch of this room is packed with mythic symbolism and heraldic images. Your guide will help you decipher it all while telling you about Augustus Pugin, the Victorian genius who willed the structure into existence.
Your next stop is the Royal Gallery to see where the members of the House of Lords meet and politic informally when Parliament is in session. You’ll take in immense paintings by Daniel Maclise and learn why they were so difficult to create and maintain before passing into the Prince’s Chamber to see portraits of the Tudor Dynasty and learn about their fascinating history.
Your tour includes an assortment of other rooms and lobbies, including the House of Commons, but the highlight is one of the grandest rooms ever designed for politics: The Chamber of the House of Lords. This is where the appointed members of Parliament meet to debate, and where the Queen comes to sit on her throne during the State Opening. As you stand in it with only a handful of other visitors, your guide will tell you about the history of the room and some of the interesting things that have taken place inside.
This is the ultimate experience for lovers of architecture and royal history. There is simply no feeling quite like exploring the United Kingdom’s premier palace without the normal daytime crowds.
Your tour starts in Westminster Hall, the oldest part of the Palace and also one of the most impressive, just as the Palace of Westminster begins to close for the day. Then you’ll head straight to the Royal Staircase where your guide will give you a brief history of the building, including how and why it was constructed over hundreds of years, and how it remains intimately connected with Queen Victoria.
Next, you’ll head into the Queen’s Robing Room to see frescoes by William Dyce, gorgeous bas-reliefs and the Chair of State where the Queen sits while donning her robes and the Imperial State Crown. Every inch of this room is packed with mythic symbolism and heraldic images. Your guide will help you decipher it all while telling you about Augustus Pugin, the Victorian genius who willed the structure into existence.
Your next stop is the Royal Gallery to see where the members of the House of Lords meet and politic informally when Parliament is in session. You’ll take in immense paintings by Daniel Maclise and learn why they were so difficult to create and maintain before passing into the Prince’s Chamber to see portraits of the Tudor Dynasty and learn about their fascinating history.
Your tour includes an assortment of other rooms and lobbies, including the House of Commons, but the highlight is one of the grandest rooms ever designed for politics: The Chamber of the House of Lords. This is where the appointed members of Parliament meet to debate, and where the Queen comes to sit on her throne during the State Opening. As you stand in it with only a handful of other visitors, your guide will tell you about the history of the room and some of the interesting things that have taken place inside.
This is the ultimate experience for lovers of architecture and royal history. There is simply no feeling quite like exploring the United Kingdom’s premier palace without the normal daytime crowds.