[46], One reason many First Lords chose not to live in Number 10 was that most owned London town houses superior in size and quality. The introduction of films and television would strengthen this association. Walpole commissioned William Kent to convert them into one building. That has changed, and now security is very tight, as one would expect for the home of a country's head of government. Lister served as acting chief of staff, but was replaced by Dan Rosenfield, who officially assumed the role in January 2021. [87][93] A black iron knocker in the shape of a lion's head is between the two middle panels; below the knocker is a brass letter box with the inscription "First Lord of the Treasury". She was the grandmother of King George I, the Elector of Hanover, who became King of Great Britain in 1714, and was the great-grandmother of King George II, who presented the house to Walpole in 1732. 10, Downing Street: plan of alterations in 1781, "Electoral Commission to investigate Boris Johnson's Downing Street flat renovations", "Trump and May to meet for talks in Davos after 'special relationship' tested", 10 Downing Street: The World's Most Famous Front Door, Plate 118: No. [77][81] Macmillan lived in Admiralty House during the reconstruction. When Margaret Thatcher arrived in 1979 she insisted that the artwork had to be British and that it celebrate "British achievers". The leaders reflected on the current state of Russia's. Lord North, who conducted the war against the American Revolution, lived there happily with his family from 1767 to 1782. Overall rating. To build it, Soane removed the chimney from the kitchen to put a door in the room. Painted in white, between the top and middle sets of panels, is the number "10". [74], By the middle of the 20th century, Number 10 was falling apart again. History of the "House at the Back" before 1733, First politician and "head of government" in the house, 10 Downing Street and Kent's Treasury Building, Current positions within the Office of the Prime Minister. Claimed. [27] Like Downing Street, it rested on a shallow foundation, a design error that caused problems until 1960 when the modern Number 10 was rebuilt on deep pilings. In 1974, it was suggested that permanent barriers should be erected to prevent the public from walking along the street. You can take bus#11 or ahop-on, hop-off tour bus, both of which pass by frequently. Wed like to set additional cookies to understand how you use GOV.UK, remember your settings and improve government services. The huge . Protective Packaging Ltd. 2118 Jolicoeur Rue . New Orleans If you are a journalist with a press enquiry or interview request, please email our press office. T: 011-61-293-552-2700. You can also try our GPS-enabled anytime audio tourwhich includes a stop at Downing Street. At considerable expense, Buckingham rebuilt the house. An advertisement in 1720 described it as "a pretty open Place, especially at the upper end, where are four or five very large and well-built Houses, fit for Persons of Honour and Quality; each House having a pleasant Prospect into St James's Park, with a Tarras Walk". Entering through the Small Dining Room, Blair used this room for his monthly press conferences. . We use some essential cookies to make this website work. [19][20], From that time, the "House at the Back" was usually occupied by members of the royal family or the government. In one from 28 April 2021, seven months before press reports about parties first appeared, an unnamed No 10 official noted that another official was "worried about leaks of PM having a piss up and . [26], However, there have been numerous times when prime ministers have unofficially lived elsewhere out of necessity or preference. 10 Downing Street is Government . [101] Number 10 Downing Street has a lift. They said sure no problem and booked my appointment. 10 Downing Street, the locale of British prime ministers since 1735, vies with the White House as being the most important political building anywhere in the world in the modern era. Fredrick Robinson, Lord Goderich took a special liking to the house in the late 1820s and spent state funds lavishly remodelling the interior. The same restrictions applied when No 10 staff gathered for a "bring your own booze" event in the Downing Street garden. [24] (See Plan of the Premises Granted to the Earl and Countess of Lichfield in 1677)[25][26] The likely reason that repair was required is that the house had settled in the swampy ground near the Thames, causing structural damage. In 1766, for example, Charles Townshend, Chancellor of the Exchequer, pointed out that the house was in a dilapidated condition. This structure can be seen today as the rear section of Number 10. 10 Downing Street Bhopal. Despite its size and convenient location near to Parliament, few early prime ministers lived at 10 Downing Street. BOOK ONLINE Reserve a Spot on a Guided Walking Tour Now! [159][note 2] Until the late 19th century, Prime Ministers were required to furnish Number 10 at their own expense with furniture, tableware, china, linens, curtains and decorations. Downing fought their claim, but failed and had to wait 30 years before he could build. SW1A 2AS. Since 1735, it has been home to the UK's prime ministers. Press office: responsible for relations with the media, Research and information unit: provides factual information to No. Larry the Cat (@Number10cat) February 15, 2023 Larry's enduring presence at No. News stories, speeches, letters and notices, Reports, analysis and official statistics, Data, Freedom of Information releases and corporate reports. Princess Elizabeth, eldest daughter of King James I, lived there from 1604 until 1613 when she married Frederick V, Elector Palatine and moved to Heidelberg. I believe Mr. Charles Townshend occupied it, but I know Mr. Dowdeswell did, & it is remarkable that he is, I believe, the only instance of a Chancellor of the Exchequer upon Record who was not in the Cabinet. Dont worry we wont send you spam or share your email address with anyone. [2] Along with the adjoining Cabinet Office at 70 Whitehall, it is the headquarters of the Government of the United Kingdom. Downing Street apologised to Buckingham Palace after details emerged of boozy drinks parties, including one for outgoing communications director James Slack. The arrangement became the standard practice. Mar 19, 2020 We are leading a national effort to fight #coronavirus in the UK and taking the necessary steps based on the best scientific advice. The building itself is made up of over 100 hundred rooms only part of which is actually residential. 10 Downing Street | 22,408 followers on LinkedIn. A similar number are employed in the equivalent operation in the Cabinet . The remainder are on loan from private collectors and from public galleries such as the National Portrait Gallery, the Tate Gallery, the Victoria and Albert Museum and the National Gallery. [61][62] (See Numbers 10, 11, and 12 Downing Street First Floor Plan[63] and Ground Floor Plan. To find more go to "More details" about the price bundles. "Johnson promises No 10 shake-up after Gray finds failures", "No10 team bolstered to deliver the people's priorities", "No 10 admits using false names on letters to the public", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=10_Downing_Street&oldid=1142811850, Downing Street Permanent Secretary and Chief Operating Officer, Downing Street Director of Legislative Affairs. An American simply by accident of birth, Margaret moved to London over 16 years ago and hasnt looked back since! Kent's staircase is the first architectural feature visitors see as they enter Number 10. [68], For most of his premiership, Tony Blair lived in the more spacious residence above Number 11 to accommodate his relatively large family (a wife and four children). (3)Make sure to go to the gates on Whitehall, which is where you will get your best pictures through the heavy security and barriers. Most were actually built rather cheaply and were not of good quality still the case when Winston Churchill resided at Number 10 and he is quoted as saying his house was shaky and lightly built by the profiteering contractor whose name that bear.. The House stands in fact upon the same footing as the Houses of the Admiralty, which could not be assigned to any Person not belonging to that office. Asked if there is a record of the calls placed through the Number 10 switchboard, the PMS said that she did not know but would check whether all calls are noted and go back to the journalist. Many rooms and sections of the new building were reconstructed exactly as they were in the old Number 10. [162], That same year, the Leisure Circle published Christopher Jones' book No. Lisbon The deterioration had been obvious for some time. British History Online, Letter (B.M. However, some commentators have suggested that Blair's reforms have created something similar to a Prime Minister's Department. Two years later in 1690, William III and Mary II gave the "House at the Back" to Hendrik van Nassau-Ouwerkerk, a Dutch general who had assisted in securing the Crown for the Prince of Orange. By the turn of the 20th century, photography and the penny press had linked Number 10 in the public mind with the premiership. preceding the Great Repair, and 11,000 the Great Repair itself! [53] Townshend ordered extensive repairs, which were still incomplete eight years later. When you spoke to me some time ago upon the subject of the House in Downing Street, I was under the impression, as you were yourself, that the house was the King's & that he might dispose of it in any manner he might think proper. Probably not completed until 1796,[114] this alteration was achieved by removing the east wall and rebuilding it several feet inside the adjoining secretaries' room. Pt4: The Staircase", "Plate 121: No. The Data Protection Officer provides independent advice and monitoring of Cabinet Office's use of personal information. In 1931, Mohandas Gandhi, wearing the traditional homespun dhoti, posed leaving Number 10 after meeting with Ramsay MacDonald to discuss India's independence. Filter by rating. Social history is her real expertise, with sound understanding of the day-to-day lives of Londoners over the past centuries. [136][150] (See North elevation of Number 10 with steps leading to the garden[151])[152] The terrace and garden have provided a casual setting for many gatherings of First Lords with foreign dignitaries, Cabinet ministers, guests, and staff. He has now seen two PMs come and go. The Green State Drawing Room contains mostly Chippendale furniture including a card table that belonged to Clive of India and a mahogany desk that is thought to have belonged to William Pitt the Younger and used by him during the Napoleonic Wars. 2371. A leaked message from Matt Hancock's aide-turned-lover Gina Coladangelo has sparked questions over whether there was a Department of Health celebration at the height of Covid lockdown.. Dont include personal or financial information like your National Insurance number or credit card details. He may be the most beloved resident of 10 Downing Street in the modern era and his activities are watched closely by the press and the adoring public. "These were useful exchanges. Start your review of No 10 Downing Street. This video below made for the 2012 Olympics, gives you a good look into the public rooms inside 10 Downing Street. "Under (Prime Minister) Blair . The black appearance was the product of two centuries of pollution. 10 is in stark contrast to the five prime ministers who have taken office in the past 12 years: David Cameron,. [155] (See works from the Government Art Collection currently on display at Number 10[156]), About a dozen paintings are changed annually. From 1834 to 1877, it was either vacant or used only for offices and meetings. The front door to Number 10 is most likely the most famous feature of the building. In 1787 Number 5 became "Number 10". Measuring 37 feet (11m) long by 28 feet (8.5m) wide, it takes its name from the twin Ionic pilasters with straight pediments at one end. Earls, Lords, and Countesses quickly moved into the prime real estate built here although it seems unlikely that Sir Downing himself ever actually resided on the street that holds his name. In May 2010, it was reported that David Cameron, who also had four small children upon taking office, would also take up actual residence above Number 11, and his Chancellor, George Osborne, above Number 10. [172] Several changes in staffing took place early in February 2022. Sir Robert Walpole, with his Lady and Family, removed from their House in St James's Square, to his new House, adjoining to the Treasury in St James's Park". [94] (See The Entrance Door c1930: As seen from the outside)[95][96] The door cannot be opened from the outside; there is always someone inside to unlock the door. During Thatcher's premiership, terrorist threats led to the implementation of a second level of security. $88. Berlin [105][106] At the bottom of the staircase are group photographs of Prime Ministers with their Cabinet ministers and representatives to imperial conferences. This system was used until November 1897 when the Treasury assumed responsibility for purchasing and maintaining almost all of the furnishings in both the public and private areas except decorating the walls with art work. Major moved to Admiralty House while repairs were being completed. Many of these attractions have ticket prices attached to them for entry. From blossom honey to ethical coffee, a number of successful Welsh businesses came to showcase their fantastic produce. London. 's office, based at 10 Downing Street. With an area in No. Check benefits and financial support you can get, Find out about the Energy Bills Support Scheme. 7 reviews. The Hampden family had a lease on the land that they refused to relinquish. [153] It was also the location of the first press conference announcing the Coalition Government between David Cameron's Conservatives and Nick Clegg's Liberal Democrats. He then moved the chimney to the east side, running a Y-shaped split flue inside the walls up either side of one of the windows above. 10 Downing Street, known in the UK as "Number 10", is the headquarters of Her Majesty's Government and the official residence and office of the First Lord of the Treasury. Nassau, who Anglicised his name to "Overkirk", lived there until his death in 1708.