London’s Big Ben Clock Tower Renamed After Queen Elizabeth

London's Big Ben Clock Tower Renamed After Queen Elizabeth

The Big Ben Clock Tower is one of the most famous landmarks in the world, as with the Statue of Liberty and the Eiffel Tower.  But now, there is a proposal that London's Big Ben clock tower is to be renamed Elizabeth Tower to mark the queen's 60th year on the British throne.

The announcement on Tuesday, followed four days of celebrations earlier this month to mark 86-year-old Queen's Elizabeth's Diamond Jubilee, was met by mixed reaction from the people.

The landmark, which is part of Britain's Houses of Parliament, is officially called the Clock Tower but is popularly known as Big Ben, the name of the giant bell in the tower that chimes the famous bongs in the capital.

Prime Minister David Cameron welcomed the name change. "The renaming of the Clock Tower to the Elizabeth Tower is a fitting recognition of the Queen's 60 years of service. This is an exceptional tribute to an exceptional monarch," he said.

Reactions among the people were varied, however. "Big Ben is so old and iconic, what is the sense in changing its name? All over the world people won't understand what the Elizabeth Tower is," said Romanian tourist Mara Ciortescu.

The 315-feet-high neo-Gothic landmark features four gilded clockfaces and was completed in 1859. There are 393 steps to the top of the tower, sited on the bank of the River Thames in the heart of London's Whitehall government district.

The name change was proposed by Conservative Party lawmaker Tobias Ellwood and accepted by parliamentary authorities.

"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," a House of Commons spokesman said.

Posted by Sophia Andrews on Thursday June 28 2012, 3:18 AM EST. Ref: Reuters. All trademarks acknowledged. Filed under Featured News, Travel. Comments and Trackbacks closed. Follow responses: RSS 2.0