Westminster opulence

The “mother of parliaments” deserves a resplendent setting – and it certainly has that. The architecture of the Palace of Westminster is soaked in grandeur, and its inner corridors are enriched with the atmosphere of a cathedral.

After waiting in a lengthy queue and undergoing airport-style security screening, St Stephen’s Hall, Westminster Hall and the Central Lobby – the “foyer” for Britain’s political nerve centre – were ours to peruse and photograph.

It’s staggeringly opulent. All I can wonder is if David Cameron, Tony Blair or Margaret Thatcher ever took a moment to absorb its magnificence or craned their neck to admire the Central Lobby’s gilded ceiling.

Click first image to launch the gallery

Tags: architecture, Central Lobby, David Cameron, grandeur, Houses of Parliament, London, Margaret Thatcher, mother of parliaments, Palace of Westminster, photography, resplendent, St Stephen's Hall, Tony Blair, tourism, travel

21 thoughts on “Westminster opulence”

Trevor Wanderlusting on October 11, 2021 at 05:40 said:

Good read

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- mikeosbornphoto on October 11, 2021 at 08:22 said:
  
  Glad you enjoyed. Thanks 👍
  
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jdtphotography.co.uk on October 20, 2014 at 18:04 said:

Terrific Mike. I particularly love the ceiling shot and the image titled Hush Light. Great job as always…

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- mikeosbornphoto on October 24, 2014 at 11:49 said:
  
  Thanks so much, James. You could say it’s hard to go wrong with such riches at your fingertips…
  
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ckponderings on October 6, 2014 at 06:55 said:

Opulence indeed! And you beat me to it! I’m going in November!! Great shots, Mike! :)

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- mikeosbornphoto on October 9, 2014 at 13:15 said:
  
  Cheers Richard! Enjoy your visit. You’ll miss a lot if you spend most of your time craning your neck like I did!
  
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LensScaper on September 30, 2014 at 08:51 said:

A very impressive set – the symmetry suits this place very well, It’s a long time since I went to this area of London – I must return.

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- mikeosbornphoto on October 3, 2014 at 22:09 said:
  
  Thank you very much, Andy, I’m glad you enjoyed it. It’s well worth coming back to, even if it is thronged with tourists all grabbing shots with Smartphones – not that it’s a bad thing.
  
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Cos on September 29, 2014 at 06:07 said:

It’s worth the wait, I suppose. Great set of photos, Mike!!

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- mikeosbornphoto on October 3, 2014 at 22:07 said:
  
  Thanks Koos! Yes, it was definitely worth a queue – such a very British thing to do anyway!
  
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elmediat on September 28, 2014 at 14:38 said:

Excellent sequence. Your comment about the politicians has me wondering, do they become desensitized to the aesthetics of the environment or if they come to assume that this glorious setting is their rightful place in the world. I would hope it left them appreciative & humbled rather than deserving and arrogant, unlikely outcome.

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- mikeosbornphoto on September 28, 2014 at 15:36 said:
  
  Thank you very much, glad to have your visit. I imagine they’re far too busy and wrapped up in their own business to even think about it. And I’m sure many of them have become used to Westminster, as opposed to my wide open eyes.
  
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Tim Girarde on September 28, 2014 at 12:27 said:

Opulent is a good word choice. You do have to wonder if any of today’s politicians see the world around them.

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- mikeosbornphoto on September 28, 2014 at 15:31 said:
  
  You have to ponder whether they see the less fortunate around them, their grand setting… anything outside their own microcosm. Interesting!
  
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leecleland on September 28, 2014 at 09:50 said:

That ceiling would stand amongst the best in Europe, just amazing, Mike. And the medieval beams that adorn many old, old buildings are art works in themselves. Thanks for this small look at such an historic building with beautiful images.

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- mikeosbornphoto on September 28, 2014 at 09:54 said:
  
  Thank you Lee, my pleasure as always. Yes, the ceiling is hard to beat. I had to really cock my head back for that one. For once there is a hint of human life on these shots – it was hard to avoid!
  
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  - leecleland on September 28, 2014 at 10:15 said:
    
    I was amazed how few people were in them actually, and enjoyed the one of the person taking the photo :)
    
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    - mikeosbornphoto on September 28, 2014 at 10:18 said:
      
      I was looking upwards most of the time and there weren’t many up there! There’s a scattering in a couple of others, but it was very busy.
      
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sabbyj33 on September 28, 2014 at 09:24 said:

Beautiful!!

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- mikeosbornphoto on September 28, 2014 at 09:28 said:
  
  Thanks Sabrina! It was beautiful already – it just took a fool with a camera to capture it!
  
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