1-232-548 - Reproduced by permission of Historic England/Heritage Images

Aerial view of Westminster, London, 2002.The area of Westminster has been the royal and administrative centre of London since the times of Edward the Confessor, who reigned from 1040 until his death 1066 set in motion the chain of events that culminated in the Norman Conquest. Although today there is a certain amount of pomp, pageantry and tourism in existence in the City of Westminster, the area is still the heart of the government and the civil service