Whitehall

About Whitehall

Road in the City of Westminster, in central London

Whitehall is a street and district in the City of Westminster, central London, running south from Trafalgar Square to Parliament Square and recognised as the centre of the Government of the United Kingdom. It is lined with ministries and departments, from the Ministry of Defence and the Cabinet Office to much of the Foreign Office, which is why 'Whitehall' has become shorthand for the British civil service and government as a whole. On its west side is the heavily guarded entrance to Downing Street, home of the Prime Minister at Number 10. The site was once occupied by the Palace of Whitehall, residence of the monarchs from Henry VIII to William III and the largest palace in Europe until fire destroyed it in 1698; only the Banqueting House survives, designed by Inigo Jones in 1622 with a ceiling painted by Rubens, and open to visitors. Whitehall was originally a broad road leading to the palace gates, widened in the 18th century after the fire, when the area was rebuilt for government offices. The street is also known for its memorials and statues, above all the Cenotaph, the nation's principal war memorial erected after the First World War in the middle of the road and the focus of the Remembrance Day ceremony every November, along with the Monument to the Women of World War II and statues of military leaders. On the west side stands Horse Guards, headquarters of the mounted royal guard, where troopers in gleaming helmets keep watch and the guard changes daily, with the parade ground behind that hosts Trooping the Colour on the King's official birthday.

Where:

London, United Kingdom