Whitehall

:For other places with the same name see Whitehall (disambiguation)

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Whitehall is a road in London, the capital of the United Kingdom. It is the main artery running north from Parliament Square, centre of national government, towards Trafalgar Square, arguably the heart of London for its residents and tourists. Along its way it is lined by many government ministries; "Whitehall" is therefore also frequently used as a metonym for governmental administration, as well as being a geographic name for the surrounding district .

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The name is taken from the vast Palace of Whitehall that used to occupy the surrounding area but was largely destroyed by fire in 1698. Whitehall was originally a wide road that ran up to the front of the palace. Trafalgar Square was built at its northern extremity in the early 19th century. Strictly speaking, only the northern two-thirds of the street is called "Whitehall"; the southern third is Parliament Street. However there is no longer any obvious distinction between the two on the ground and the name Parliament Street is little known. The two streets cover a combined distance of a little less than a mile.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Originally Parliament Street was a small side road alongside the palace leading to the Palace of Westminster. When the palace was destroyed and its ruins demolished, Parliament Street was widened to match Whitehall's width. The present appearance of the street is largely the result of 19th century redevelopment.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The Banqueting House, built in 1622 by Inigo Jones, is the only surviving portion of the former palace. Charles I was executed on 30 January 1649 on a scaffold erected outside the building, stepping onto it from a first-floor window. Royalists still commemorate the regicide annually on the anniversary of the execution.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Whitehall and the surrounding area is the administrative centre of the UK government; it is dominated by government buildings, to such an extent that the term is often used, by extension, to refer to the Civil service of the United Kingdom or the government itself.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The Cenotaph, the principal war memorial of Britain, is located in the centre of the road, and is the site of the annual memorial ceremonies on Remembrance Sunday.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The central portion of the street is dominated by military buildings, including the Ministry of Defence and former headquarters of the British Army and Royal Navy, Horse Guards and the Admiralty respectively. The road also hosts an equestrian statue of George, Duke of Clarence, a former Army commander-in-chief.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Downing Street leads off the south-west end of Whitehall, just above Parliament Street. It is no longer open to the public, being closed at both ends by massive security gates erected in 1989. A van parked on Whitehall was used by the IRA to launch a terrorist mortar attack on 10 Downing Street on 7 February 1991. The bombs narrowly missed the building and nobody was hurt.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Scotland Yard, the headquarters of the Metropolitan Police, was originally located in Great Scotland Yard off the north-eastern end of the street.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Parliament Square: Parliament Square is a square outside the North-Western end of the Palace of Westminster in London. It features a large open green area in the middle, with a group of trees to its West....

Trafalgar Square: :For other places with the same name, see Trafalgar Square (disambiguation)....

Metonym: REDIRECT metonymy...

Whitehall related Images and Photos (experimental)

Whitehall	Horseguards Whitehall	Holbein Gate Whitehall	The Treasury Whitehall pub. by Lloyd Bros. and Co. 1852
Banqueting House Whitehall Built in 1622	The Restoration of Charles II at Whitehall on 29 May 1660 circa 1660	William and Mary are Offered the English Crown at Whitehall: They Accept It	The Crown Offered to William and Mary by the Lords and Commons at Whitehall February 12 1689
A View of the Fireworks and Illuminations at His Grace the Duke of Richmond's at Whitehall