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History of the Palace of Westminster - Quiz
Contributed by: McLoughlin
  • 1. When did the history of the Palace of Westminster begin?
A) In the tenth century
B) In the early eighth century
C) In the 11th century
D) In the 13th century
  • 2. The West Minster was originally an Anglo-Saxon church dedicated to whom?
A) St. Edward the Confessor
B) St. Paul the Apostle
C) St. Peter the Apostle
D) St. Stephen
  • 3. Who began the building of Westminster Abbey and a neighbouring palace?
A) William II
B) Edward the Confessor
C) William the Conqueror
D) Henry III
  • 4. Which king laid the foundations of the Great Hall, also known as Westminster Hall?
A) William II
B) William the Conqueror
C) Edward I
D) Henry III
  • 5. In what year did the Palace of Westminster burn down?
A) 1512
B) 1834
C) 1795
D) 1605
  • 6. What was the medieval name of the site where the Palace of Westminster is located?
A) Westminster Island
B) St. Stephen's Island
C) York Place
D) Thorney Island
  • 7. Which monarch may have first used the site as a royal residence between 1016 and 1035?
A) Canute the Great
B) William the Conqueror
C) Charles II
D) Henry VIII
  • 8. What event occurred at the Palace in 1265 involving Simon de Montfort?
A) The coronation of Charles II
B) The building of the Great Hall
C) The destruction by fire
D) The first parliament to include representatives of major towns
  • 9. Which monarch acquired York Place and renamed it the Palace of Whitehall?
A) Henry III
B) Edward I
C) William II
D) Henry VIII
  • 10. What was discovered in the cloister behind Westminster Hall in 2020?
A) A medieval treasure chest
B) Original blueprints of the Abbey
C) A royal burial site
D) A secret door
  • 11. The Painted Chamber was originally built in the 13th century as a main bedchamber for whom?
A) Henry III
B) Charles II
C) William II
D) Edward the Confessor
  • 12. Why did the House of Lords move to the White Chamber in 1801?
A) The King ordered the move for aesthetic reasons
B) To move closer to the River Thames
C) To accommodate an increased number of peers
D) Because the old chamber was destroyed by fire
  • 13. Where did the House of Commons hold its debates before acquiring a permanent home at the Palace?
A) The Great Hall
B) The Painted Chamber
C) Chapter House of Westminster Abbey
D) York Place
  • 14. During whose reign did the Commons acquire a permanent home in St Stephen's Chapel?
A) Edward I
B) Henry VIII
C) Edward VI
D) George III
  • 15. Who redesigned the interior of St Stephen's Chapel in the late 17th century?
A) John Soane
B) James Wyatt
C) John Vardy
D) Christopher Wren
  • 16. What is the name of the Stone Building designed by John Vardy in the Palladian style?
A) The Great Hall extension
B) The Speaker's House
C) The Royal Gallery
D) New west façade
  • 17. What was James Wyatt's neo-Gothic building near the House of Lords derisively called?
A) The Cotton Mill
B) The Stone Building
C) The Lesser Hall
D) The Royal Gallery
  • 18. John Soane demolished the medieval House of Lords chamber to build what?
A) A new law court for the Chancery
B) The Speaker's residence
C) A new Royal Gallery and ceremonial entrance
D) A new library
  • 19. Why was John Soane's work at the palace considered controversial?
A) The project was over budget
B) He destroyed the Great Hall
C) His neo-classical style conflicted with the original Gothic buildings
D) He refused to follow the King's orders
  • 20. The 'Model Parliament' was called by which king in 1295?
A) William I
B) Henry III
C) George III
D) Edward I
  • 21. Which specific items were being destroyed in the stove that started the fire?
A) Coal supplies
B) Tally sticks
C) Historical documents
D) Old furniture
  • 22. Which building did King William IV offer to Parliament immediately after the fire?
A) St James's Park
B) Balliol College
C) Charing Cross
D) Buckingham Palace
  • 23. Who was the architect from the Office of Works in charge of repairing the temporary chambers?
A) Decimus Burton
B) Augustus Pugin
C) Sir Robert Smirke
D) Charles Barry
  • 24. When were the temporary chambers ready for use following the fire?
A) February 1835
B) December 1836
C) October 1834
D) April 1840
  • 25. Who was considered the 'land's leading classicist' during the debate on the new design?
A) Charles Barry
B) William Wilkins
C) Decimus Burton
D) John Nash
  • 26. How much was the prize (or premium) awarded to Charles Barry for winning the design competition?
A) £1,500
B) £2,500
C) £500
D) £1,000
  • 27. Who laid the first stone of the new Pugin-Barry design on 27 April 1840?
A) Sarah Barry
B) Charles Barry
C) Augustus Pugin
D) Queen Victoria
  • 28. In what year was the Lords Chamber finally completed?
A) 1840
B) 1835
C) 1847
D) 1852
  • 29. What was the total height of the tower in the centre of Barry's winning plan?
A) 100ft
B) 170ft
C) 250ft
D) 300ft
  • 30. Who presided over the Royal Fine Art Commission during the decoration of the Palace of Westminster?
A) Sir Robert Peel
B) Charles Lock Eastlake
C) Sir Martin Archer Shee
D) Prince Albert
  • 31. Who was the acknowledged authority on art history and administrator of the Westminster decoration project?
A) John Tenniel
B) William Dyce
C) Charles Lock Eastlake
D) George Frederic Watts
  • 32. In what year were expert witness accounts taken regarding the decoration project?
A) 1841
B) 1861
C) 1843
D) 1848
  • 33. What type of painting was encouraged for the Palace of Westminster's internal adornment?
A) Portrait Painting
B) History Painting
C) Abstract Painting
D) Landscape Painting
  • 34. What was the main artistic medium originally chosen for the wall paintings?
A) Oil on canvas
B) Acrylic
C) Fresco
D) Watercolor
  • 35. What was the result of the first exhibition of cartoons held in 1843?
A) 140 cartoons were shown
B) 140 frescoes were completed
C) The project was cancelled
D) Prince Albert resigned
  • 36. How many times was the Palace of Westminster hit by bombs during the Second World War?
A) Fourteen
B) Five
C) Seven
D) Twelve
  • 37. What happened to the statue of Richard the Lionheart after a bomb hit Old Palace Yard?
A) Its sword was bent
B) It was moved to the Cloisters
C) It was completely destroyed
D) It was melted down
  • 38. What happened to the Great Clock's hands and bells during the bombing of the Clock Tower?
A) They stopped working
B) They were not affected
C) They were destroyed
D) They were blown out
  • 39. Who was the architect of the rebuilt Commons Chamber?
A) John Mowlem
B) Prince Albert
C) Charles West Cope
D) Giles Gilbert Scott
  • 40. When did King George VI open the new Commons Chamber?
A) 26 October 1950
B) September 1940
C) May 1951
D) May 1941
  • 41. What building was acquired in 1975 to provide more office space for Parliament?
A) Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre
B) Richmond House
C) Norman Shaw Building
D) Portcullis House
  • 42. When was Portcullis House completed?
A) 1975
B) 1950
C) 2000
D) 2012
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