By all means, weighing in at 13,760kg, Big Ben is big however St Paul's Cathedral is home to the largest bell in London.Or it could have been named after Ben Caunt, a champion heavyweight boxer in the 1850s.
There are two theories on how the great bell of the clock got it's name, the first being that is was named after a large man Sir Benjamin Hall who was the Commissioner for Works from 1855 to 1858.It is Great Britain's largest clock and the world's largest four-faced chiming clock.The construction of the clock tower started in late 1843 and it was completed in 1859.When the chimes ring out across the Thames, the nearby citizens and tourists will probably not immediately bring Queen Elizabeth II to the forefront of their minds.īut as much as the clock and the tower is a symbol of the city, the new name will be a symbol of the monarch who has ruled over it for so long. In all likelihood, most people will still call it Big Ben. It would be brilliant if we could celebrate 60 years of service with a permanent monument to Her Majesty’s dedication and grace.” Many think it would be fitting for the empire’s two longest-serving rulers to be immortalised at one of London’s most important landmarks.Īs Labour’s shadow defence secretary, Jim Murphy, apparently put it: “The Queen and the Clock Tower are known throughout the world. Another of Westminster’s turrets is called Victoria Tower, in honour of the only other British monarch to reach a diamond jubilee. The name change would not be without precedent. The idea’s been quickly picked up by member on both sides of the house and seems to have unanimous support. In recognition of the Queen’s diamond jubilee, one member of parliament has proposed renaming the Clock Tower to Elizabeth Tower. And it’s that official name that politicians may soon vote to change. The clock, faithfully telling the time for more than a century, high above the UK’s houses of parliament, has become one of the most iconic images of London and England more general (up there with the Spice Girls, I’d say).īut it looks like it might be about to get a name change.Īlthough it’s best known by its more informal moniker, Big Ben is officially called the Clock Tower. For as long as any of us can remember, it’s been called Big Ben.