The clock tower that houses Big Ben has been renamed The Elizabeth Tower in tribute to the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.
Popular on LondonNet
London’s historic landmark had it’s name changed in a formal ceremony yesterday (12.09.12) after the Daily Mail’s campaign to rename it was backed by a majority of MPs.
House of Commons Speaker John Bercow described it as a “special and heart-warming” occasion, which is said to have delighted the Queen.
He added: “Everyone here present will speedily recall that Her Majesty the Queen has visited Parliament on no fewer than three occasions in this, a very special year, and it is a mark and symbol of the enormous affection and esteem in which Her Majesty is held by people of all political persuasions and none that this renaming has taken place.”
This move mirrors a tribute to the only other monarch to remain on the throne for 60 years – Queen Victoria. Her tower at the end of the Palace of Westminster, along with Elizabeth’s, will now forever carry their names.
Tory MP Tobias Ellwood, who collected supporting names including David Cameron and Ed Miliband, told the Daily Mail that she is “one of the most respected public figures in the world” and reminds British people of who they are.
