Variable

About this activity

With this Parliament Behind the Scenes exclusive tour, you will have the opportunity to discover many places with few visitors. Start 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’ll head straight to the Royal Staircase where your guide will give you a brief history of the building, including how it remains intimately connected with Queen Victoria.

Next, you’ll head into the Queen’s 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. 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.

Your tour includes 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’s premier palace without the normal daytime crowds.