My Afternoon in Westminster As with Windsor, not since our student days had my husband spent much time in this part of Westminster. A lovely shot of Big Ben from Parliament Square. Arriving at Westminster Abbey. Another exterior view. A view from and of the Cloisters. Strolling along Whitehall at dusk, we spotted this end of duty ceremony by the Horse Guards. The magnificent ceiling of the Banqueting House in Whitehall, painted by Rubens. The Banqueting House was designed and built by Inigo Jones for James I, and was the site of court masques during his reign and that of his son, Charles I. The latter monarch was executed on a scaffold erected in front of the building. After the Restoration, it was used for Maundy Thursday almsgiving, the reception of ambassadors and other dignitaries, and was later converted to a chapel. It is the sole remnant of the great Palace of Whitehall, consumed by fire in 1698. I admire the velvet throne and tall canopy. This grand bouquet of real flowers also earned my admiration, for its scent and Christmas colour scheme. > > > My Evening in St. James's < < < Back to my Blog Copyright © 2006 by Web Lizard. All Rights Reserved.