Palace of Westminster, London, England 15 May 2025

Palace of Westminster, London, England

London"s most famous clock tower isn"t called Big Ben—that name belongs to the massive 13.5-tonne bell inside. It has marked time for Londoners since 1859, ringing from what is now known as the Elizabeth Tower. In 2012, officials renamed the Clock Tower as Elizabeth Tower to honour Queen Elizabeth II during her Diamond Jubilee. The clock has stopped only for maintenance and rare disruptions, such as bomb damage during World Wars I and II. Each of its four clock faces spans 6.9 metres, with the minute hands measuring 4.3 metres. At 96 metres tall, the tower is part of the grand Palace of Westminster, home to the UK Parliament.

© Puthipong Worasaran/Getty Images

palette

Today in History

An island crossroad of culture
Get ready for the blood moon
15 May 2024The Blue City of Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India

More Desktop Wallpapers:

7 Jun 2025Victoria Street in Edinburgh, Scotland
A time-worn mediaeval marvel
2 Jul 2025Spine-cheeked anemonefish
8 Dec 2024Notre-Dame reopens
Kings of the north
23 Jun 2024Dhaka, Bangladesh
2 Jan 2024Prayer flags in Phobjikha Valley, Bhutan
9 Feb 2026Amur leopard cat, Russia
Let’s protect our turtles
11 Mar 2024Koala
24 Apr 2024The white trilliums in Ontario, Canada
16 Nov 2023World Philosophy Day
6 Jun 2024The 80th anniversary of D-Day
Whats so funny?
3 Jan 2025Happy Birthday, JRR Tolkien!
Sequoias of the sea
A delightfully ornate Easter display
14 Jun 2024Peggys Cove Lighthouse, Canada
24 Sep 2024Skaftafell, Vatnajökull National Park, Iceland
Mountains of sand
2 Sep 2024Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument, Maine, USA
25 Jan 2026Burns Night
10 Jun 2024The city of Osaka at night, Japan
17 Dec 2025Eurasian red squirrel in Northumberland, England
22 Jul 2025Badlands National Park, South Dakota, United States
26 Aug 2024Palmyra Atoll National Wildlife Refuge
Unbe-leaf-able
A chocolate lovers favourite fruit
23 Jan 2025Sundance Film Festival
13 Sep 2025Last Night of the Proms