In the middle of the eleventh century, King Edward the Confessor had moved his court to the Palace of Westminster, situated on a central site near the river Thames. In 1265, a parliament was created with two houses: the Lords and the Commons.

In 1834, a fire destroyed the Palace of Westminster, leaving only the Jewel Tower. After the fire, a competition was organized to create a new building.

A design by Sir Charles Barry and assistant Augustus Welby Pugin was chosen from ninety-seven entries. They created a large but balanced complex in neo-Gothic style and incorporated the buildings that survived the fire. The whole complex was finished in 1870, more than thirty years after the beginning of the construction. It included the Clock Tower, Victoria Tower, House of Commons, House of Lords, Westminster Hall and the Lobbies.

The most famous feature of the Houses of Parliament is its clock tower, known as Big Ben.

In the palace, there are more than a thousand rooms. It contains, in addition to the rooms of the House of Lords and the House of Commons, the offices of parliamentary committees, libraries, lobbies, dining rooms, bars and even gymnasiums.