Victoria Tower
This article is about Victoria Tower in London. For other places named "Victoria Tower" see Victoria Tower (disambiguation).Victoria Tower is the square tower at the south end of the
Palace of Westminster in
London. At
102 m, it is slightly taller than the more famous
clock tower, which contains the bell,
Big Ben, at the north end of the Palace (96 m). When it was built it was the tallest square tower in the world. The main entrance at the base of the tower is the Sovereign's Entrance, which the Monarch passes through at the
State Opening of Parliament. Atop the Victoria Tower is an iron flagstaff, from which the
Union Jack is flown (unless the Sovereign is present in the Palace, when it is replaced by the
Royal Standard).
The tower houses the House of Lords Record Office [also known as The Parliamentary Archives], which (despite its name) has custody of the records of
both the Houses of Parliament
