The royals ruled from Westminster for centuries until a fire changed their course and moved their seat of power. A royal residence once stood on the site, built in the 11th century. While the building is relatively new for London, this location long has had connections with British government. Nestled in the Westminster borough, the tower and its famous clock are close to the prime minister’s seat of government on Downing Street and the grand Westminster Abbey. The name Elizabeth Tower may be new, but the building has a deep history. Artist Claude Monet captured the scene in one of his iconic paintings, and hardly a movie set in London goes by that doesn’t include a view of the parliament building with the London Eye in the distance. The building, standing since 1859, has become a symbol of London and England as a whole. The neo-Gothic structure lies at the northern end of the Palace of Westminster, all overlooking the River Thames. Together, the bell and tower mark one of the most famous buildings in Europe. But we'll still call it Big Ben.Many mistakenly think that entire clock tower is named Big Ben, but that’s the name of the bell. In conclusion: ever the diplomats, we propose the tower henceforth be called St Elizabeth Stephen's Big East Clock Ben.

The tower is at the northern end of the complex, not the east, and there are a few smaller towers more easterly than Big Ben. Pros: avoids the whole name problem by using a geographic term. The east tower: a description of Big Ben seen all over the press during the name change to the Elizabeth Tower, presumably pasted in from the same media release. Cons: republicans don't like it, and everyone will still call it Big Ben anyway. Pros: there's a certain harmony in nominally pairing the edifice with the Victoria Tower at the southern end of the building. The Elizabeth Tower: the new name to tie in with the Queen's Diamond Jubilee. Cons: it's too ambiguous a term to gain popular currency - there are many clock towers in London let alone the world, and calling it the Clock Tower of the Palace of Westminster is too much of a mouthful. Pros: it was once the official name, but has since been supplanted by the Elizabeth Tower. The Clock Tower: a term long used within the Palace and its communications. The tower never officially held this name, but many think it did.

St Stephen's is another (smaller) tower over the main public entrance. St Stephen's Tower: regularly used in newspapers, guide books and by 'that bloke down the pub who likes correcting people'.

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