Westminster, palace of
Westminster, palace of. From the time of Edward the Confessor to the early years of the reign of Henry VIII, Westminster was the main royal residence. The palace grew up around the abbey built by the Confessor on Thorney Island and consecrated in December 1065, a week before the king's death. The abbey was completely rebuilt by Henry III from 1245 onwards, though far from finished in his lifetime. William Rufus built the great hall and first held court in it in 1099: it was reroofed by Richard II and for centuries was the home of the law courts, the place of impeachments and state trials, and the venue for the coronation banquet. John began the building of St Stephen's chapel, which was taken over after the Reformation by the House of Commons. Henry II built domestic rooms for the household, including the great chamber, and Henry III added the painted chamber, adorned with biblical stories. In Edward III's reign the Jewel Tower was built, later to be used as the House of Lords Record Office. By the 15th cent., the palace was a rabbit warren of rooms and corridors, swarming with servants and lawyers, and liable to flooding. In 1512, soon after a grand celebration in honour of the king's young son, who died a week later, there was a disastrous fire. Henry moved to Whitehall and the palace of Westminster was totally given over to public offices. After the fire of 1834, only Rufus' great hall was left. The rest was rebuilt according to the design of Sir Charles Barry, assisted by Augustus Pugin.
J. A. Cannon
More From encyclopedia.com
Henry Iii , Henry III (1207-1272) was king of England from 1216 to 1272. His reign saw the rise of English nationalism and the development of a strong baronial c… House Of Lancaster , house of Lancaster (lăng´kəstər), royal family of England. The line was founded by the second son of Henry III, Edmund Crouchback, 1245–96, who was c… Lancaster House Conference , house of Lancaster (lăng´kəstər), royal family of England. The line was founded by the second son of Henry III, Edmund Crouchback, 1245–96, who was c… Henry Vi , Henry VI
Henry VI
Henry VI (1421-1471) was king of England from 1422 to 1461 and in 1470-1471. He was known for his piety and charity, but his reign… Henry Iii (france) , HENRY III (FRANCE) (1551–1589), king of France. Henry III was the last of the Valois dynasty and has claim to be the only intellectual to have ruled… Pedro Lopez De Ayala , The Spanish statesman, soldier, historian, and poet Pedro López de Ayala (1332-1407) was a towering figure in the Iberian Peninsula in the 14th centu…
About this article
Westminster Palace
All Sources -
You Might Also Like
NEARBY TERMS
Westminster Palace