The Palace of Westminster

The Palace of Westminster, also known as the Houses of Parliament or Westminster Palace, is the meeting place of the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom—the House of Lords and the House of Commons. It lies on the north bank of the River Thames in the heart of the London borough of the City of Westminster, close to the historic Westminster Abbey and the government buildings of Whitehall and Downing Street. The name may refer to either of two structures: the Old Palace, a medieval building complex most of which was destroyed in 1834, and its replacement New Palace that stands today; it has retained its original style and status as a royal residence for ceremonial purposes.

Contents
Introduction…………………………………………………………3
1. History………………………………………………………….....5
1.1 Old Palace……………………………………..…………...5
1.2 Fire and reconstruction………………………………….....7
1.3 Recent history……………………………………………...8
2. Exterior ………………………………………………………....10
2.1 Stonework…………………………………………….…..10
2.2 Towers………………………………………………….....11
2.3 Grounds……………………………………………….......13
3. Interior….…………………………………………………….....14
3.1 Layout…………………………………………………….14
3.2 Norman Porch………………………………………….…15
3.3 Queen's Robing Room…………………….……………...16
3.4 Royal Gallery…………………………………………......17
3.5 Prince's Chamber………………………………………....18
3.6 Lords Chamber…………………………………………...20
3.7 Peers' Lobby………………………………………………21
3.8 Central Lobby…………………………………………….22
3.9 Members' Lobby………………………………………….24
3.10 Commons Chamber……………………………………..25
3.11 Westminster Hall………………………………………..26
3.12 Other rooms……………………………………………..28
4. Security……………………………………………………….....29
4.1 Incidents…………………………………………………..30
5. Rules and traditions…………………………………………….33
5.1 Eating, drinking and smoking…………………………….33
5.2 Dress code………………………………………………...33
5.3 Other traditions…………………………………………...33
6. Culture and tourism…………………………………………....34
Соnclusion…………………………………………………………36
Vocabulary………………………………