Big Ben To Be Renamed The Elizabeth Tower

By · June 26, 2012 at 16:00 pm · 16 Comments · Miscellaneous · Report an error ·

Bong to reign over us.

It’s official. The Westminster Clock Tower, usually referred to as Big Ben, is to be renamed the Elizabeth Tower in honour of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.

The renaming was mooted a few months ago and has the backing of most MPs and all three main party leaders. The House of Commons Commission, who apparently have authority in these matters, ”will arrange for this decision to be implemented in an appropriate manner in due course”.

The new moniker mirrors that of the southern tower at Westminster, named the Victoria Tower in honour of the only other British monarch to serve 60 years.

We’ll all continue to call it Big Ben, of course. But at least this should put an end to the longstanding misconception that the building is really called St Stephen’s Tower.

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  • http://twitter.com/astrotomato astrotomato

    Can we just call it “Big Betty” instead? A nice compromise, surely.

    • slabman

      Personally I’d go for The Tower of Mabel. But that’s just me

  • Lil

    The bell’s Big Ben so the Tower as Elizabeth Tower wont change it – but Big Betty definately gets my vote

  • GeordieShore

    Doubt the Queen’s gonna thank ‘em: couldn’t build ya something new so we went & robbed Ben! 

  • Dave H

    There is nothing about this story that isn’t utterly tedious.

  • Nate

    I’m more intrigued by how they got permission to replace one of the windows in Westminster Hall with an awful new stained glass thing in honour of the Queen. That building is listed to high heaven as one of the oldest things in the UK. But I guess rules don’t apply to ‘her majesty’. Another entry for the enormous ‘reasons to be republican’ list.

  • Sjw1982

    eeerrrmmm! NO!?!?! They are only doing this to get a reaction out of people. If we all just agree and say ‘Oh, how lovely’, then they will realise that they have made a big error when all the tourists get all confused and pissed of. Oh Government, you are silly! hahaha

  • Sjw1982

    eeerrrmmm! NO!?!?! They are only doing this to get a reaction out of people. If we all just agree and say ‘Oh, how lovely’, then they will realise that they have made a big error when all the tourists get all confused and pissed of. Oh Government, you are silly! hahaha

  • http://www.facebook.com/jane.s.ennis Jane Susanna Ennis

    There’s a story about two American ladies of a certain age looking at Michelangelo’s DAVID, and one of them says, ‘No dear, Big Ben is a clock’.  And before anyone pedantically spoils the joke by saying,’No, it’s not the clock, it’s the bell’…..how many people actually know that? And I suppose the BELL will continue to be called Big Ben anyway……

  • killrmt

    This makes no sense.  Big Ben is the bell in the Place of Westminster Clock Tower. The TOWER is being renamed.  Not the BELL.  Stupid attempt at journalism.

    • MattFromLondonist

      The article clearly says “the tower, usually referred to as Big Ben” (which it is, regardless of the “correct” name). No one’s talking about the bell.

      • welsh247

        but if it is referred to as big ben, people will continue to refer to it as big ben. i agree with Killrmt. GET IT RIGHT

        • MattFromLondonist

          There are different interpretations of what is ‘right’, as we’ve argued at length here: http://londonist.com/2012/06/big-ben-the-tower-with-five-names.php

          • Stephen Sharp

            No there are not “Different interpretations” there are people who are wrong but gain some traction because there’s a lot of them.

  • Neddy Seagoon

    Typical whitehall grovel. Call it what you like, we,ll still call it Big Ben. Forget renaming it and build a new column or bell tower somewhere in the city and call it the queens tower or elizabeths tower then it would have more significance..

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