Atul Ambekar

Review of Parliament of the United Kingd...

The first royal palace constructed on the site dat...

The first royal palace constructed on the site dated from the 11th century and Westminster became the primary residence of the Kings of England until fire destroyed much of the complex in 1512. After that, it served as the home of the Parliament of England, which had met there since the 13th century and also as the seat of the Royal Courts of Justice, based in and around Westminster Hall. In 1834 an even greater fire ravaged the heavily rebuilt Houses of Parliament and the only significant medieval structures to survive were Westminster Hall, the Cloisters of St Stephen's the Chapel of St Mary Undercroft, and the Jewel Tower.