The group in front of the Houses of Parliament, with the clock tower commonly known as "Big Ben" - after the Great Bell it contains - in view. The oldest part of Parliament dates back to 1097 (the reign of King William II) although most of the buildings were redesigned in the 19th century following a major fire.The British Parliament is known as the "Mother of all Parliaments", because it was one of the first and has inspired parliamentary systems around the world.
