Private London Westminster Area Self-Guided Tour

You are looking at the Houses of Parliament. This building is also known as the Palace of Westminster and is the seat of the UK’s parliamentary democracy. The building has two chambers; an elected lower house (the House of Commons) and an appointed upper house (the House of Lords). Together they write UK laws.

Parliament Square is the green space in front of the Houses of Parliament. This is a public space and is often used as a place of political protest due to its location next to Parliament. Today the green is the home to various statues of historically important people.

Our first statue is the one right next to you marked Churchill in large letters. This is Winston Churchill who was a Member of Parliament and Prime Minister twice (1940 – 45 and again 1951 -55).

We have only one woman depicted in Parliament Square. This is Millicent Fawcett, who was a campaigner for women’s suffrage. Dame Millicent led Britain's largest women's rights association, the National Union of Women's Suffrage Societies, from 1897 to 1919.

Nelson Mandela was a politician and first President of South Africa from 1994 – 1999. In South Africa, he is often called the Father of the Nation.

The Church of St Margaret is called the Church on Parliament Square. It is known as the church of members of the House of Commons.

Along with St Paul’s Cathedral in the City of London; this is the most famous church in London. You may know this church from some of the most famous ceremonies including the funeral of Diana or the wedding of William to Kate Middleton in 2011. It is also known as the burial place of kings and queens as well as some of the country’s most accomplished citizens.

On Great George Street, you will see four red telephone boxes. These are all K6 telephone kiosks. In fact, there are eight different designs of kiosks all introduced by the General Post Office between 1926 and 1989.

In the middle of the road, you will see a large stone monument. This is the Cenotaph and it is the focus of remembrance for souls lost in war. The design is by the architect Edwin Lutyens.

The street is home to several key houses and offices supporting the British Government. The most famous of these is number 10, which is the office and home of the British Prime Minister.

On the opposite side of the road, you will see a neoclassical building in white stone. This is the Banqueting House. King James I was in need of a new banqueting house to replace a disappointing one that burned in 1619. The architect and Surveyor of the King's Works, Inigo Jones, was given the commission to build a replacement.

If you are here at the right time of day, you can see two mounted cavalry soldiers guarding a gatehouse and the parade grounds behind. This is the Horse Guards and the building includes a museum that is open to the public. These soldiers are part of the Household Cavalry and are part of the Queen’s official bodyguard.

This green space is today a public park but for most of its history, it was part of a royal hunting ground. London holds eight royal parks of which this 57-acre park is just one.

This is the statue of Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany. He was the second son of King George III and Queen Charlotte of Mecklenburgh-Strelitz and rumoured to be his father’s favourite son.

Across the road, you can see a fine red brick and white stone house with many flags in the garden. This is Marlborough House and today is the international home of the Commonwealth Secretariat. The flags represent each member nation.

You are now standing in front of the official residence of the Queen, Elizabeth II. This is St James’s Palace and it has been the home of British monarchs since the 1530s.

The next house that you will see from the Mall is Clarence House. It is the white house with stucco decoration set back from the road. This home was designed by the great Regency architect, John Nash, in 1827 for Prince William Henry, Duke of Clarence.

We have reached the final stop on our tour today. This is Buckingham Palace and it has been the London home to British Kings and Queens since Queen Victoria moved here in 1837.