London: Places of interest in the Whitehall District

Whitehall is one of the best-known districts in the city of London. It gets a lot of press coverage on any given day due to the activities that take place there. The district of Whitehall begins at Trafalgar Square and ends at Westminster. It is an amazingly interesting area which has a long history. Let's talk about some of the places of interest in London's Whitehall District.

The area is named after the Palace of Whitehall. It was the home of the English monarch for centuries. All that changed when the palace was destroyed by fire in 1698. Today, the one remaining portion of that palace which survived the fire is still located on Whitehall Street. There are many government buildings in this area including the Prime Minister's home. The number 11 bus is a good choice to visit all the places of interest on Whitehall Street and in the district of Whitehall.

The Horse Guard building is located on Whitehall Street. It is the home of the troops who are technically in charge of protecting the Queen. Two of them are on duty, sitting on their horses, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. If you want to avoid the crowds that congregate at Buckingham Palace to see the changing of the guard, you can come here and watch a smaller, much less crowded version. The color of the uniforms will identify which regiment the guards belong to. Life Guards wear red and the Blues and Royals wear blue.

The Banqueting House is the one remaining piece of Whitehall Palace. It is much younger than the palace which was destroyed having been commissioned by James I to replace one destroyed in a 1619 fire. Completed in 1622, it was designed by Inigo Jones in the Italian High Renaissance style. It became the center of the court and the place where banquets and theatricals were held. Later, from this room, King Charles I stepped out of the window to his death on the scaffold. The ceiling in the room was painted by Rubens and one of the thrills of visiting here today is getting to view this ceiling. It can be seen in more detail with the rolling mirror that is provided in the room.

Downing Street, which holds the home of the prime minister at Number 10, is off of Whitehall Street. The street is blocked so that the average person can’t just walk up to 10 Downing Street and ring the doorbell. You can, however, get a pretty good look at it from the barricade. If you are patient, you might just get a glimpse of the prime minister.

If you are going to be in London in November and want to catch a glimpse of the Queen, there is one place she is guaranteed to be. On Remembrance Day, the Sunday nearest November 11th, she will place a wreath at the Cenotaph on Whitehall Street. It is a memorial to the fallen soldiers in the two World Wars. It was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens and is constructed of Portland Stone. It sits in the middle of the road so it is hard to miss.

Given the fact that so many government buildings are located on Whitehall Street and in the Whitehall District, it is not surprising that there is also a wide selection of restaurants and bars in the area. Take the time to walk up the street, enjoy the sites, visit the important places and then sit down and enjoy watching the real business of government taking place over a meal or a pint. It is a not to be missed experience.