X-Nico

6 unusual facts about Parliament Square


Parliament Square

Buildings looking upon the square include the churches Westminster Abbey and St Margaret's, Westminster, the Middlesex Guildhall which is the seat of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom, Government Offices Great George Street serving HM Treasury and HM Revenue and Customs, and Portcullis House.

The features are based on the portrait bust of Canning by Sir Francis Chantrey, who was "not at all pleased with the preference shewn to Mr. Westmacott".

The disruption that Haw's protest is alleged to have caused led Parliament to insert a clause into the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 making it illegal to have protests in Parliament Square (or, indeed, in a large area reaching roughly half a mile in all directions) without first seeking the permission of the Metropolitan Police Commissioner.

The provisions of the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act relating to Parliament Square were repealed by the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011, which provides for a different regime of "prohibited activities".

The square is overlooked by various official buildings: legislature to the east (in the Houses of Parliament), executive offices to the north (on Whitehall), the judiciary to the west (the Supreme Court), and the church to the south (with Westminster Abbey).

Parliament Square, Ramsey

Changes to the course occurred in 1923 with the adoption of a private road between Parliament Square and May Hill in Ramsey.


Denis Halliday

On 25 October 2007, when a statue of David Lloyd George was unveiled in Parliament Square, Halliday, Harold Pinter and John Pilger had a letter printed in The Daily Telegraph in which they condemned the "celebration of Lloyd George's legacy", as "disgraceful", likening his policies of aerial bombardment of Middle Eastern countries to the present day Iraq War.

Four Inch Course

More changes to the course followed for the 1923 Isle of Man TT Races with the adoption of two small sections of private road between Parliament Square and May Hill in Ramsey.

The Inconvenience Committee

The Committee came into being as a direct response to Westminster City Council privatising the public lavatories around Parliament Square, a World Heritage Site and popular first stop for tourists visiting London.

Words for Battle

The film's climax features an extract from Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, accompanying footage of tanks passing the statue of Lincoln in Parliament Square, the chimes of Big Ben, and civilians travelling to work.


see also

Abraham Lincoln: The Man

The American Ambassador made a formal presentation at Central Hall, Westminster, where Prime Minister David Lloyd George accepted the gift on behalf of the people of Britain; after a procession to Parliament Square, the statue was unveiled by Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught.

Hugo Vickers

Being in this role, he welcomed Queen Elizabeth II and her consort, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, to the Mall to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the Queen's coronation in 2003, and again on 19 November 2007, when the royal couple unveiled the Diamond Wedding panoramic panel in Parliament Square.