Whitehall

Whitehall is the road running between Parliament Square and Trafalgar Square and is the centre of political power in England. The area derived its name from the Palace of Whitehall that stood here until the 17th century. The palace was home to many English Monarchs and King Henry VIII married two of his wives here (Anne Boleyn in 1533 and Jane Seymour in 1536). The palace grew to be the largest in Europe, but was unfortunately ravaged by fire in 1691 and again only seven years later in 1698, which destroyed the majority of this magnificent building. The only remaining part of the original palace is the Banqueting House, completed in 1622. During the 18th century, the area was cleared and redeveloped with grand town-houses, which then became the home to many government departments and ministries.

The Banqueting House today

WW2 Women and Cenotaph Memorials

Mid-way along Whitehall you will see a mounted guard stationed outside Horse Guard’s Parade. The path leads to a parade ground that was once part of the original palace, where various medieval tournaments took place. Parades and ceremonies are still held here, such as the annual Trooping of the Colour, which commemorates the Monarch's official birthday. The parade ground is surrounded by some fine 18th century buildings, which are Admiralty buildings to the North and Downing Street (the home of the Prime Minister) to the south. The parade ground is guarded by troopers of the Household Cavalry; with two mounted cavalry troopers posted outside. You can watch the changing of the guards every morning.

Horse Guards Parade Ground

Nearby, you will see the entrance to Downing Street, which has been protected from terrorist attack by reinforced gates since 1989. Downing Street for 200 years has been the London home of senior British Government Ministers.  The most famous address is 10 Downing Street, the home of the British Prime Minister. The street itself was built by and named after Sir George Downing, who was a soldier and diplomat serving under Oliver Cromwell and King Charles II. In the service of the King he was rewarded with the plot of land upon which Downing Street now stands.

No 10 Downing Street

After the 1997 General Election a swap was carried out by prime minster Tony Blair. Although he should have moved into Number 10 Downing Street, he actually moved himself, his wife and 3 children, into the adjacent Number 11, as it is more spacious. His counterpart, Gordon Brown, was unmarried at the time and moved in the smaller apartment at Number 10. This is the second time in history that this has occurred.