Big Ben is about to get a new name. The famous clock tower in England will be renamed the Elizabeth Tower in honor of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.
A House of Commons spokesman said:
“The House of Commons (parliament) commission welcomed the proposal to rename the clock tower Elizabeth Tower in recognition of Her Majesty the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and will arrange for this decision to be implemented in an appropriate manner in due course.”
Queen Elizabeth became just the second monarch in English history to celebrate 60 years on the throne. The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee was marked by four days of celebration in England and the country will now honor the Queen by renaming Big Ben.
Prime Minister David Cameron said:
“I think it is a fitting tribute to the Queen and the service she has given to our country in this jubilee year.”
Tobias Ellwood, who introduced the proposal to rename Big Ben, said :
“Commemorating an iconic landmark as famous as Parliament is indeed a truly exceptional tribute and I am grateful that the majority of MPs believe the Queen deserves such an outstanding accolade…. Of all the forty-one monarchs who have reigned over England and the United Kingdom since William the Conqueror, only Her Majesty and Queen Victoria have reached this Diamond Jubilee land mark.”
The 316-foot clock tower, now more than 150-years-old, is formally known as The Clock Tower. Most people, however, know the clock by its nickname Big Ben.
Here’s a video about Big Ben’s 15oth anniversary.
