Behind the Scenes Parliament Tour

2 hours

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‚Äôll 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‚Äôll head into the Queen‚Äôs 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‚Äôll take in immense paintings by Daniel Maclise and learn why they were so difficult to create and maintain before passing into the Prince‚Äôs 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‚Äôs premier palace without the normal daytime crowds.