Parliament then and now

Parliament is where the laws of this country are made, and where people meet to make sure the government is running the country properly.

Once a year the three separate parts of Parliament all get together. The House of Lords, the House of Commons and the King or Queen of the time gather for an opening ceremony.

The gunpowder plotters wanted to kill James I and as many important people as they possibly could at just such a ceremony on November 5th 1605.

	Some of these pictures show Parliament as it looks now. Others show it as it looked at the time of the Gunpowder Plot. Can you tell the difference between then and now?

Go to Explore: Parliament to find out more about the different Houses and exactly what Parliament does (this is an external web link and will open in a new window).

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