At one point, there were up to 14 (fourteen!) people whose positions in the Houses of Parliament included a flat for them to reside in there. Now, however, there is only one and that is of the Speaker of the House of Commons. The current speaker, the Rt Hon. Sir Lindsay Hoyle, has held the position since November of 2019, although many people may think of his predessor, John Bercow, often combative and contentious, when they think of the role.
At any rate, I had the opportunity to sign up for a special tour of the Speaker's apartments in the Palace of Westminster, which I took, as these slots are limited and frequently sold out. I had been on tour of the Parliament itelf previously, of course, but this one focused on the State Apartments of the Speaker that I had not yet seen. In addition to the Grand Staircase (below middle), the State Bedroom, the State Dining Room, and the Speaker's Office/ meeting room, the tour also highlighted many of the objects in the rooms and the many, many portraits of former Speakers gracing the walls in every room. Our Tour Guide also explained the history and specifics of the role of Speaker, which dates back to 1377 under its present title. The views looking out onto the river from the windows were the best. Imagine being able to enjoy that view every day! All in all an amazing tour, packed with loads of details and quirky history as well as a glimpse into the role of Speaker!
Oh, and did I mention that Sir Lindsay, the current Speaker, is an animal lover and that his cat Attlee graces a line of souvenirs (cat collars, journals, etc.) in the Houses of Parliament gift shop? Attlee is a Main Coon and Sir Lindsay also has a parrot named Boris and Maggie the tortoise and, since quite recently (July) another cat, a bengal, called Clem! If you would like to book this tour, or one of the others in the Houses of Parliament, you can do so here: https://www.parliament.uk/visiting/visiting-and-tours/
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