Parliament Buildings

For a visit this week, let's go to Britain's Parliament Buildings.

If we go back to the beginning of photography, my information is that the Houses of Parliament Building in London is the most photographed building in the world. It is an extremely attractive building that is seen across the world as standing for democracy. The actual name of the building is the Palace of Westminster. It has the status of a royal palace, but a king or queen has never lived in it. The building is used to conduct Britain's parliament, which is the legislative branch of government:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palace_of_Westminster#/media/File:Parliament_at_Sunset.JPG

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palace_of_Westminster#/media/File:The_Palace_of_Westminster_-_geograph.org.uk_-_1408776.jpg

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palace_of_Westminster#/media/File:North_Front_detail,_Palace_of_Westminster.jpg

The Palace of Westminster is not extremely old. It was constructed in the Nineteenth Century, after the preceding building was destroyed by fire. The tower at the south end of the building is the Victoria Tower:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palace_of_Westminster#/media/File:Victoria_Tower_from_Old_Palace_Yard.jpg

The tower at the north end of the building is the clock tower that houses Big Ben, which has become the symbol of London and of Britain. It was constructed in 1859. The actual name of the tower, but which no one seems to use, is the Elizabeth Tower. The building to the immediate right of Big Ben is Westminster Abbey, across the street from the Houses of Parliament, where most of the kings and queens have been crowned, married and, buried for nearly a thousand years:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palace_of_Westminster#/media/File:Big_Ben_2007-1.jpg

Many large bells eventually crack at their weakest spot. But that can actually be a good thing, because it is what gives a bell it's distinctive sound.

Here are scenes inside the Houses of Parliament, the palace of Westminster:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palace_of_Westminster#/media/File:Barack_Obama_in_the_Members%27_Lobby_of_the_Palace_of_Westminster,_2011.jpg

This is the House of Lords, the upper house:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palace_of_Westminster#/media/File:Lords_Chamber_(landscape).jpg

This is Westminster Abbey:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westminster_Abbey#/media/File:Westminster_Abbey_Interior.jpg

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Westminster-Abbey.JPG

It has long been forgotten, but Westminster Abbey and the site of the Houses of Parliament were once on an island in the Thames River, known as Thorney Island. One of the channels between the island and the mainland has long since been filled in, and the former island is remembered only in the name of a street.

The main royal residence, Buckingham Palace, and the residence of the Prime Minister, 10 Downing Street, are nearby:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buckingham_Palace#/media/File:Buckingham_Palace_from_gardens,_London,_UK_-_Diliff_(cropped).jpg

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/10_Downing_Street#/media/File:10_Downing_Street._MOD_45155532.jpg

Not far from where I was born, in the pretty town of Tewkesbury, many of England's nobility were killed in the 1471 Battle of Tewkesbury, in the Wars of the Roses. This strengthened the monarchy, which peaked in strength with Henry VIII (the eighth). The purpose of parliament was to balance the power of the monarchy, and this is what forms a democracy.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Tewkesbury#/media/File:MS_Ghent_-_Battle_of_Tewkesbury.jpg

The Magna Carta had been signed in 1215, limiting the power of the king. This shows the British way of doing things. The French royal family went under the guillotine, the Russian royal family went in front of the firing squad. But the British royal family accepted a compromise reduction in power, and so are still with us today.

In 1341, parliament had an upper and lower house for the first time. This is known as a bicameral legislature. The lower house is known as the House of Commons, and a British prime minister must retain the support of a majority in the House of Commons to stay in power. A prime minister would be replaced by his own ruling party any time he lost such a majority.

Under the parliamentary system of government, it is not often that a prime minister is replaced while in power. The only recent examples that I can think of are Margaret Thatcher, in Britain, and Brian Mulroney, in Canada. The countries that use the presidential system do not work this way, and a president cannot be readily removed and replaced by his own party if he becomes unpopular.

The U.S., France and the central and South American countries tend to use the presidential system. The rest of the democracies use the parliamentary system. Germany calls it's leader the chancellor, but it is really a prime minister.

The impression I get is that, if a king or queen is present, a country is likely to choose the parliamentary system so that the prime minister becomes the leader of the parliament which acts as a balance to the power of the monarchy, to create a democracy. But when there is no monarchy, the country effectively creates a temporary constitutional monarch in the form of a president, which is then balanced by a congress. In countries that have both a president and a prime minister, the president tends to be a mostly ceremonial position.

The primary difference between the two systems is that, in the parliamentary system, one is voting for the party rather than for the prime minister himself. The prime minister is simply the one selected by the ruling party to govern, and can readily be replaced by the party any time he becomes unpopular. In the presidential system, one is voting more for the leader himself, and a president cannot be readily removed while in power.

The parliamentary system is more flexible, and it would be very difficult for a prime minister to make himself into a dictator. The presidential system probably has more stability, since parliamentary governments often end up with a coalition government, if any one party fails to get a majority. A number of presidents, in countries that use the presidential system, have succeeded in making themselves effectively into dictators by manipulating the laws to allow unlimited consecutive terms.

Presidential democracies tend to have fixed term elections, while prime ministers have to hold elections within a fixed time frame, to remain in power, and can call the election at any time within the required time frame. The fixed-term elections of presidential systems make for long election cycles, and put much more emphasis on campaigning than in the parliamentary system. Countries that use the parliamentary system like it this way, claiming that a long campaign means that a party that is less-capable at governing can still manage to get into power by being better at campaigning.

The upper house of the British Parliament is the House of Lords. Unlike the House of Commons, whose members are elected, the Lords are appointed. In a way, the House of Lords is like a museum of British history. The Anglican Church, the Church of England, is assigned seats for 26 bishops in the House of Lords. These bishops are known as the Lords Spiritual.

There are others in the House of Lords, known as the Lords Temporal. Many of these are hereditary peerages, where the nobility of medieval times lives on. The House of Lords used to have a judicial function as well, acting as Britain's highest court of appeals, but Britain now has a supreme court.

However, Britain is a true democracy and government revolves around the House of Commons. The House of Lords, while actually larger than the House of Commons, can only delay bills and not block them altogether.

As for one's opinion as to whether bishops and nobles should be actually involved in government in the Twenty-First Century, that depends on one's political views. There are a few liberals and socialists who would like to eliminate the House of Lords altogether.

Here is a refresher on the ranks of nobility, although it varied by country:

1) Emperor or Empress-an emperor is above a king because an emperor, unlike the king, might rule more than one country. Also, no one is above an emperor although a king might be under the rule of an emperor or of another king.

2) King or Queen

3) Archduke

4) Prince or Princess-usually a child of a king or queen, but is also a separate title of nobility. The fact that Wales, now a part of Britain, used to be a principality lives on today in the royal title "Prince of Wales". But this does not mean that the holder of the title is Welsh.

5) Duke or Duchess

6) Count or Countess

7) Baron or Baroness

8) Knight- a squire was a young apprentice knight. In Feudalism, a knight was given the use of land, by a Lord, in exchange for military service. A knight was expected to be brave, even to the point of being foolish.

9) Yeoman-was a servant to a noble family.

It is no coincidence that the modern military ranks of Field Marshall, General, Colonel, Major, Lieutenant, Sergeant, Corporal and, Private, closely parallel the medieval ranks of nobility.

ERROR IN PAINTING

Did anyone notice an error in the painting of the Parliament Buildings? First, look at this photo of the Parliament Buildings, taken at sunrise:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palace_of_Westminster#/media/File:London_Parliament_2007-1.jpg

The sun rises in the east, and the side of the Parliament Buildings facing the Thames River is lit by the sun, meaning that this side faces east. This shows that Big Ben, the clock tower, is at the northern end of the Parliament Buildings.

Now, look at this painting. I was looking at it, trying to decide whether it was a painting or a photo, when I realized that it must be a painting because it has an error in the sun's lighting:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palace_of_Westminster#/media/File:Parliament_at_Sunset.JPG

Notice that, even though Big Ben is at the northern end of the Parliament Buildings, the sun appears to be shining on the side of the clock tower that is facing north. The sun's lighting from this direction can also be seen on the three-story tower to the left of Big Ben, and also on the Victoria Tower, in the background.

This is impossible because London is in the northern hemisphere.

There is another error in the lighting of the painting. The caption on the web link of the painting states that it is the Parliament Buildings at sunset. The ray of sunlight seen on the side of the building facing the river, below the Victoria Tower, indeed looks like it might be at sunset.

But remember that the east side of the building faces the river, and the sun sets in the west. For the building to be lit as shown in this painting, it would have to be rotated 180 degrees.

Anyway, it is a great painting and maybe the artist was just trying to make it the best possible painting and it was necessary to alter a few minor details.

Here are some scenes at and around the Parliament Buildings. Big Ben, the clock tower, has the historical resonance that all great monuments must have because the Prime Meridian, from which longitude and thus time is measured, is defined from London. The building that looks like a cathedral, across the street from the Parliament Buildings, is Westminster Abbey. It is not considered as an ordinary cathedral, because it is where kings and queens have been crowned, married and, buried, for nearly a thousand years. This is far older than the Parliament Buildings.

If something looks a little bit out of place in these images, it is likely that you are in a country that drives on the right side of the road, while Britain drives on the left.

Remember that, if there is a compass showing on the right of the image, it is a 360 degree view, if not then it is a still photo. You can get more viewing space by clicking the arrow to "Hide Imagery". But if you click that on the first image, it seems that it may stop the following images from loading. You can pull the screen up or down or around with the mouse.

https://www.google.com/maps/@51.4992598,-0.1260288,3a,75y,38.45h,90t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sOJuXqmzDdeItEkOrManVKQ!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo1.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3DOJuXqmzDdeItEkOrManVKQ%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D26.30552%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i13312!8i6656