The Houses of Parliament on the north bank of the Thames are famous for their clock tower. Even though Big Ben is not the name of the clock tower but of the clock, Big Ben is still the name people are used to. This iconic London landmark is part of Charles Bailey's Victorian-Gothic design and stands 96 meters tall. The fa?ade of this 61-meter high tower was completed by Krefammerstein and the spire is made of iron. The base of the tower is 15 meters by 15 meters square, held in place by 3 meters of thick cement, 7 meters deep, and weighs about 8,667 tons. The four great bells are at a height of 55 meters. Tower of LondonThe Tower of London is one of the most famous medieval fortress buildings in the world.In 1078, William the Conqueror ordered the construction of the White Tower to protect the Normans from the City of London.
The Tower of London on the Thames was rebuilt several times in the 13th century by Henry III and Edward I of England. The fortress was protected by two walls and a castle trench. There was a mint and a zoo on the ramparts. Historically, the fort has been used as an arsenal, a palace, a penal colony, a national archive, an observatory and a place of refuge. It was also a prison, holding mainly high-ranking prisoners. Today, the crown jewels are guarded by the historic Tower of London Guards. The guards are also known in colloquial speech as beef eaters. They are easily recognizable in their traditional garb. In addition to numerous exhibitions, medieval palaces and the unlovely Tower of Blood, one can see more than 90 inscriptions of prisoners on the walls of the Boshan Tower.
Buckingham Palace is located between St. James's Palace and Victoria Station. It was built by the Duke of Buckingham in 1703, hence the name Buckingham Palace. It was built in the lavish architectural style of the early 19th century, and its sheer size was even more striking than its splendor.The Duke of Buckingham began building the first house in 702.Sixty years later, it was sold to George III and became a royal residence.It was enlarged in 761 by George III. The transformation of Buckingham Palace into Buckingham Palace was completed by George IV and his key architect John Nassey. Among other things, the golden angel in Queen Victoria's portrait represents the royal family's desire to recreate the splendor of the Victorian era. If the British Emperor's flag flies directly above the palace, it means that the Queen is still in the palace. it officially became a royal palace in 1837 when Queen Victoria took the throne. Since then, Buckingham Palace has been the residence of the British royal family. 1847, the left and right wings were connected, and the main entrance road, Marble Arch Road, was moved to this site.
In 1863, it became the bedroom of the British monarch, set office and home functions in one. Buckingham Palace was named after the building of the Duke of Buckingham in 1705. purchased by George III in 1726, it served as an imperial memorial, art gallery, office and vault. It was converted into a palace building in 1825. in 1837, Queen Victoria succeeded to the throne and it officially became a royal palace. It remains the royal residence of Queen Elizabeth. The Queen summoned Prime Ministers and Ministers, received and entertained foreign guests and other important events were held here. Buckingham Palace's facade was decorated with stone in 1931, and recent cleaning of the facade has brought it back to its glory. But it is its interior that is most impressive.
The palace contains more than 600 halls and rooms with many paintings and fine mahogany furniture. The hall of the Museum of Fine Arts is dedicated to more than 100 portraits and busts of British emperors, creating a strong atmosphere of 18th and 19th century England. The square in front of the palace features a golden statue of Victory and a seated statue of Queen Victoria, as well as a 40-acre royal garden. The 1st Duke of Buckingham (1592-1628) was an important character in the French writer Alexandre Dumas' work The Three Musketeers. He was the Prime Minister of England and the lover of the Queen of France and Princess Anna of Austria.
After the death of her last descendant in 1703, Anna, the last Queen of the Stuart dynasty, conferred the title of Duke of Buckingham on John Schofield, Earl of Musgrave. A few years before that, he had been given the Arlington residence, which he renamed Buckingham Palace at this time. The mansion's association with the British crown came 60 years later, when it was bought for ￡21,000 in 1761.
Later, Mad King George III wanted a private home, a little away from the heartbreaking St. James's Palace. Then his son, George IV, later the most extravagant and debauched monarch in British history, converted one of the Duke of Buckingham's country houses into a real palace, with his favorite architect, johnf nash, in charge of its grandiose construction*** at a cost of 432,000 pounds, 20 times the building's purchase price. Nash's new palace was essentially the side of Buckingham Palace we see today at the back, the side facing the gardens.
It wasn't until 1845, under Queen Victoria, that the royal residence was built as it is today: the palaces flanking its north and south wings were extended and closed off by a fourth, or eastern, wing, which became a square palace. This eastern fa?ade has a wide balcony where the traditional look of the royals is found. The last renovation was a minimum cost: ￡150,000 sterling. In the 150 years since the purchase of this place, the palace has been built several times. The British monarch finally owned this supreme palace. Elizabeth II is undoubtedly the longest-lived queen here. From her father's accession to the throne in 1936 until her marriage in 1947, she and her sister, Princess Margaret, lived on the third floor of the square building, to the right of the main entrance. Five years later, she returned as queen to live with her husband and their four children on the second floor of the north wing, the private suite where her parents once lived.
When you come to the palace, stop at the iron fence outside the gates. Facing the fence, walk right past the northwest corner, which is the best angle from which to view the palace in the North Wing and the Queen's private suite, where she made her home. The Queen's private suite is divided into two parts: one is her daily workspace, including her reception hall and office. This room is most recognizable from the outside, as only the windows are arched. The other section includes her private dining room, bedroom, bathroom and closet. This closet was connected to a storage room on the third floor via an internal staircase, and there were many restrooms on that floor. The furniture in the palace was fairly simple, and the Queen and her husband were not too extravagant, at least in their daily lives. The furniture was not gilded, nor did it bear the mark of the famous mahogany furniture maker, just some very functional furniture. The only sign of the Queen's financial prowess was the stunning brushstrokes of the oil paintings that hung on the walls of her residence.
The paintings are not only signed by European master painters, but are often hung in rotation from the royal collection of famous paintings. Not far from here, on the same floor, in the west wing, there are ten luxury suites. When receiving VIPs, the Queen and the royals walked through a small corridor to the Queen's Study, a small hall separated from the white living room by only one wall. After a while, at the Queen's behest, a servant turns on the machine, and guests in the White Drawing Room are amazed to find that an entire wall is suddenly hidden in wall panels, and the Queen and the royals instantly appear before them. For the past decade, this oldest and most luxurious part of Buckingham Palace has allowed visitors from around the world to tour it in the summer.
Westminster AbbeyWestminster Abbey was built in an era that is not well known. But, as the church where kings were crowned, the pattern of today was laid down by the wise King Edward. St. Edward died of illness in 1066 and was succeeded by his brother-in-law, King Harold. That same year Harold was killed at the Battle of Hastings and William, Duke of Normandy, conquered England. This was the Norman Conquest, so St. Edward was the first king to be buried here. All English kings since Harold have been crowned here.
Westminster Abbey is a typical Gothic building. In terms of the history of the art of architecture, there aren't many particularly well-preserved ruins outside of Greece and Italy, such as Bath in England. The full extent of the Roman Baths does not seem to be visible from photographs of the ruins. The classic architectural style of medieval Europe was the Gothic style, with narrow towers, windows and coupon arches being the most prominent symbols. The reason for this, apart from religious reasons, is technically because people at the time could not build large-span arches to convert lateral forces into downward forces, so houses were narrow and pointed, with extra-thick walls and windows that didn't open, plus side walls that were designed to support lateral forces.
As stupid as it sounds, the straight, narrow lines of churches made this way are really beautiful. Notre Dame de Paris, Cologne Cathedral and Westminster Abbey are representative of the French, German and English Gothic styles. The Gothic that followed was the Renaissance style, characterized by clean lines and colonnades, then the Baroque and Rococo styles. London and Oxford have a large number of Sir Christopher Wren buildings, such as St. Paul's Church and Oxford's New Theater, which are in the Baroque style. Baroque and Rococo don't have a high profile in art history, especially in national art history review books, but I personally prefer the Baroque style.
Then in the late 18th and 19th centuries, neo-classicism, neo-gothicism, and so on became popular. Look at the architecture of Westminster Abbey, it's quite similar to the Houses of Parliament across the street. There's actually a big difference in age: Westminster Abbey is authentic Gothic, and the Houses of Parliament are Gothic Revival buildings built during the Victorian era in the 19th century, roughly an antique of that era. It's a fake antique. You must know English history when you see Westminster Abbey or you won't see anything famous: you enter on your left. The first pew is Edward I of England, the long-legged old king from the movie Braveheart.
Historically, he was the war hero of his generation, the conqueror of Wales and the war hammer of Scotland. But he's not even buried in the Chapel space. His coffin sits on the partition wall that separates the church from the main aisle. Most people wouldn't notice it if they didn't intentionally look for it. Further in, when entering Notre Dame de Paris, a wooden chair with three pointed backs is placed in the center of the doorway. It was made in the time of Edward I of England, and it was called the St. Edward's Chair (a reference to an earlier saintly king), and it was on this that all the previous kings of England were crowned. Next to the Coronation Chair lay Edward III, another English warrior king and victor of the Battle of the Clergy in the Hundred Years' War between England and France.
He was the child in Sophie Marceau's womb in the movie "Braveheart," but could not have been Wallace's son. Mel Gibson made it up. Wallace had been dead for eight years when Edward III was born. Windsor Castle, Windsor Castle, located in the town of Windsor, 32 kilometers west of London, England, is one of the royal palaces of England. As early as the 11th century, in order to prevent a revolt by the English people, William I the Conqueror built nine large castles about 32 kilometers apart in the suburbs around London, forming a line of blockhouses that could support each other. Windsor Castle, the largest of the nine, sits on a hill on the banks of the Thames. It was built in 1070 and is nearly 1,000 years old. 110 years, King Henry I of England held a pilgrimage here. From then on, Windsor Castle officially became a venue for court events. By the first half of the 19th century, Windsor Castle had been expanded by successive kings and had become a huge castle complex with many fine buildings. Windsor Castle covers an area of 7 hectares and is currently the largest inhabited castle building in the world. All the buildings are made of stone and have nearly a thousand rooms, surrounded by green lawns and dense forests.
The castle is divided into two parts: east and west. The upper eastern section was the private residence of the royal family, including the dining room, drawing room, ballroom, visiting room, drawing room, Waterloo Room, St. George's Room, etc. The King and Queen. It is known for its collection of famous royal paintings and treasures. Waterloo Hall was built to celebrate the victory of the Battle of Waterloo. In a spacious and tall rectangular hall, the walls are covered with portraits of the British war warriors who distinguished themselves at the Battle of Waterloo, and a huge flower-shaped mercury chandelier hangs from the roof.
The Lower West Side, which refers to the entrance from the Thames to Windsor Castle, is home to two famous churches. St. George's Church, built in 1475 in the middle of London's West End, is a Gothic perpendicular prevalent at the time. Its architectural achievement is second only to Westminster Abbey in London. Many important events in British history have taken place here. Since the 18th century, British monarchs have been buried here after their deaths.
In addition, there are many graves of queens, princes and other members of the royal family. The inner chancel of the church is where religious services are held, and recipients of the Order of the Knights of the Guardian (labeled the Blue Velvet Knights of the Guardian) honor the King each year. The German Knight is the highest honor in England. Each of the Guardian Knights has a regular seat in the hall, and on the wall behind the seat hangs each knight's armor, saber, and flag. Albert Chapel is located in the eastern part of the West End. It was originally built as a burial place for Henry VII, and later changed from Queen Victoria to the church where the remains of her husband, Albert, are laid to rest. The church contains the Prince Albert Memorial Tower. On a hill in the center of Windsor Castle stands the Round Tower, an ancient artillery base built in the 12th century. There are now ancient cannons on the ramparts. Later, George IV built a towering crown on top, making it the tallest building in the castle. Climb to the top of the tower for a panoramic view of the town of Windsor.
The castle also has a large round table. It is said that in the 5th century, King Arthur and his 12 Knights of the Round Table met here. The famous playwright Shakespeare came to the castle at the invitation of Queen Elizabeth I and wrote a play, "The Windsor's Merry Wives". Windsor Castle is surrounded by Homer Park to the northeast and Windsor Park to the south, which contains forests, meadows, rivers and lakes. Usually, Windsor Castle is open to the public. Whenever the Queen visits, only the largest palace at the top of the hill is reserved for her; the rest of the house is still open for tours. The London Eye is one of the largest Ferris wheels in the world. British Airways' London Eye can take you to over 55 of London's most famous attractions in 30 minutes.
The Ferris wheel has 32 enclosed, air-conditioned capsules and is a major landmark on the London horizon. The Ferris Wheel is also known as the Millennium Wheel because it was opened at the end of 1999. It is 135 meters high and is located on the south bank of the Thames. Hampton Court Palace Hampton Court Palace is a palace in Richmond upon Thames, adjacent to Bushy Park. It is the oldest Tudor palace in England and is over 500 years old. Many English kings have lived in this palace. Since George III, the British royal family has lived in other palaces in London. Queen Victoria opened the palace to the public in 1838. Part of the palace was rented to decorated veterans, and in 1986 a fire in one of the houses destroyed part of the palace.
Rebuilding continued until 1995. Worth seeing are the Tudor kitchens, over 25 hectares of riverside gardens, the famous garden maze and Henry VIII's magnificent rooms. Hampton Court Palace has fewer tourists, so you can enjoy your leisure time and the service is good. Every hour there are explanations and such activities. Many gentlemen and ladies in Tudor court dress act as guides and you can ask them questions, talk about the history of the court and get a good taste of European court life. Behind the house is a very extensive series of formal English gardens. The large trees look like giant mushrooms. All the tree canopies and shrubs and flowers are carefully trimmed into geometric shapes, neatly and meticulously, and have the feel of a garden maze.
Tower BridgeTower Bridge is the first bridge over the Thames Estuary in London, England (there are 15 bridges over the Thames). It is also a symbol of London and is known as the main gateway to the city. Built in 1886 and opened to the public on June 30, 1894, the bridge connects the northern and southern parts of London into a single structure. The Tower Bridge of London is a suspension bridge, originally a wooden bridge and later a stone bridge. It is now a six-lane concrete bridge.
The two bridge foundations in the river are 7.6 meters high and 76 meters apart. There are two towering square main towers at the base of the bridge, which are square five-story towers of granite and steel structure, more than 40 meters high. The two main towers are built with white marble roofs and five small spires that look like two crowns from a distance. The span between the two towers is over 60 meters and the base of the towers is connected to both sides of the river by a cable suspension bridge. The bridge is divided into two levels.
The upper level (the bridge is about 42 meters above high water level) is a wide suspended walkway with glass windows on both sides. Pedestrians can cross the bridge and enjoy the views of both sides of the Thames. The lower level is accessible to vehicles. When a 10,000-ton ship sails over the Thames, a machine in the main tower starts and the bridge slowly separates and folds up. After the ship passes, the bridge slowly falls away and traffic resumes. The two movable bridge decks weigh 1,000 tons each. The twin towers loom over the Tower Bridge from a distance. There are stairs up and down the towers, a museum, an exhibition hall, stores, bars and more. Climbing up the tower and looking into the distance, you can enjoy the scenery of ten miles up and down the Thames. If you encounter a fog-locked bridge, the view will be even more unique.
Mist-locked Tower Bridge is one of the best views in London. From the bridge or the river you can see the British warship HMS Belfast, which is moored not far from the river. It is the most complete British warship since World War II. Piccadilly Circus Piccadilly Circus is the entertainment center of Soho. It was designed by Nash in 1819 to realize the Prince Regent's dream of connecting Carlton House and Regent's Park. This lively crossroads area was centered on the Icon of Love until it was transformed in the 1880s when Shaftesbury Road was constructed.When the Naked Eros was placed in the square in 1893, it raised the hackles of Victorian apologists, but the icon soon became a symbol of London.
The aluminum statue, sculpted by Prince Albert, is not actually Eros, but the Christian angel of love. It honors Anthony Archery Cooper, 7th Duke of Shaftesbury (1801-1885), a philanthropist and politician who worked to improve conditions for factory and coal miners as well as chimney sweeps and the mentally ill.
Piccadilly Circus is important because it was the first place in London to set up illuminated advertising signs in the 1890s, which at the time advertised the Bowery and the Schweppe. After that, more theaters came, one of which was of the same standard as the Basement Theater in Earlows. This theater and its above-ground restaurant are decorated with mosaic mosaics and tiles and are well worth seeing.