"and several above. The remaining interior space was converted into a courtyard. He connected the Downing Street houses with a corridor. Having united the structures, Kent gutted and rebuilt the interior. He then surmounted the third storey of the house at the back with a pediment. To allow Walpole quicker access to Parliament, Kent closed the north side entrance from St James's Park, and made the door in Downing Street the main entrance. The rebuilding took three years. On 23 September 1735, the ""London Daily Post"" announced that: ""Yesterday the Right Hon. Sir Robert Walpole, with his Lady and Family,"
"10 Downing Street 10 Downing Street, colloquially known in the United Kingdom as Number 10, is the headquarters of the Government of the United Kingdom and the official residence and office of the First Lord of the Treasury, a post which, for much of the 18th and 19th centuries and invariably since 1905, has been held by the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. Situated in Downing Street in the City of Westminster, London, Number 10 is over 300 years old and contains approximately 100 rooms. A private residence occupies the third floor and there is a kitchen in the"
"by secretaries of state, who have substantial budgets voted to them by Parliament."" 10 Downing Street 10 Downing Street, colloquially known in the United Kingdom as Number 10, is the headquarters of the Government of the United Kingdom and the official residence and office of the First Lord of the Treasury, a post which, for much of the 18th and 19th centuries and invariably since 1905, has been held by the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. Situated in Downing Street in the City of Westminster, London, Number 10 is over 300 years old and contains approximately 100 rooms. A"
"become ""one of the most precious jewels in the national heritage"". The current tenants of 10 Downing Street are: It currently houses the UK Cabinet Room in which Cabinet meetings in the UK take place, chaired by 10 Downing Street resident Prime Minister Theresa May. It also houses the Prime Minister's executive Office which deals with logistics and diplomacy concerning the government of the United Kingdom Number 10 Downing Street was originally three properties: a mansion overlooking St James's Park called ""the House at the Back"", a town house behind it and a cottage. The town house, from which the"
"his nephew, Arthur James Balfour, became Prime Minister. It was an easy transition: he was already First Lord of the Treasury and Leader of the House of Commons, and he was already living in Number 10. Balfour revived the custom that Number 10 is the First Lord and Prime Minister's official residence. It has remained the custom since. However, there have been numerous times when prime ministers have unofficially lived elsewhere out of necessity or preference. Winston Churchill, for example, had a great affection for Number 10, but, during World War II, he grudgingly slept in the hastily converted flat"
"his home in Lord North Street because Mary Wilson wanted ""a proper home"". However, recognising the symbolic importance of Number 10, he worked and held meetings there and entertained guests in the State Dining Room. For most of his premiership, Tony Blair lived in the more spacious residence above Number 11 to accommodate his large family. In May 2010, it was reported that David Cameron would also take up actual residence above Number 11, and his Chancellor, George Osborne, above Number 10. Despite these exceptions, Number 10 has been known as the Prime Minister's official home for over one hundred"
"Prime Ministers when 10 Downing Street was being renovated. U.S. President John F. Kennedy attended a meeting there with Prime Minister Harold Macmillan in 1962 to discuss the allies' reaction to the communist threat and more wide-ranging matters. Winston Churchill lived in the house while serving as First Lord of the Admiralty for two terms, 1911–15 and 1939–40. It now contains government function rooms and three ministerial flats. Admiralty House is part of a complex of former Admiralty buildings and is sometimes confused with the more visible Ripley Building (also known as the Old Admiralty Office), built in 1726, or"
"10 Downing Street by Churchill (who was now Prime Minister), and then by King George VI at Buckingham Palace. In September 1940, MI6 set up a communications center in Surrey for Czechoslovak intelligence and in October 1940 a Victorian mansion at Leamington Spa was given to the Czechoslovak brigade under General Miroslav. At the same time, Moravec's group began to work with the Special Operations Executive (SOE) to plan resistance in the Protectorate of Bohemia-Moravia, through the distance between Britain and the Protectorate made it difficult for the SOE to parachute in agents. In November 1940, in the wake of"
"the gift was to the office of First Lord of the Treasury rather than to him personally. Walpole commissioned William Kent to join the three houses and it is this larger house that is known as Number 10 Downing Street. The arrangement was not an immediate success. Despite its size and convenient location near to Parliament, few early Prime Ministers lived there. Costly to maintain, neglected, and run-down, Number 10 was close to being demolished several times but the property survived and became linked with many statesmen and events in British history. In 1985 Margaret Thatcher said Number 10 had"
"Prime Minister's official residence is 10 Downing Street; the Chancellor's official residence is Number 11. The government's Chief Whip has an official residence at Number 12. The current Chief Whip's residence is at Number 9. The houses on the south side of the street were demolished in the 19th century to make way for government offices now occupied by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. 'Downing Street' is used as a metonym for the Government of the United Kingdom. The street was built in the 1680s by Sir George Downing, 1st Baronet, on the site of a mansion, Hampden House. It"
"concomitant, so much so that the Prime Minister's official residence, 10 Downing Street, is in fact the official residence of the First Lord of the Treasury, which title is named on the letter box. Salisbury, as a marquess of vast independent wealth, had no use of an official residence, instead living in his grander town house at 20 Arlington Street in St James's, and could instead bestow it as a perquisite to other ministers, along with the First Lordship itself. Other positions have been linked to the Prime Ministership as well. Continuously since 1968, when the position was created by"
"Street was mortar bombed by the IRA in 1991. Downing Street Downing Street is a street in London that houses the official residences and offices of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and the Chancellor of the Exchequer. Situated off Whitehall, a few minutes' walk from the Houses of Parliament, Downing Street was built in the 1680s by Sir George Downing. For more than three hundred years, it has held the official residences of both the First Lord of the Treasury, the office now synonymous with that of the Prime Minister, and the Second Lord of the Treasury, the"
"David Cameron, moved into 11, instead of 10 Downing Street, because George Osborne chose to remain in his Notting Hill home. In early August 2011, Osborne moved into Number 10. Prime Minister Theresa May and Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond have continued the recent tradition of residing in opposite flats. 11 Downing Street 11 Downing Street (sometimes referred to as just Number 11) is the official residence of Britain's Chancellor of the Exchequer (who traditionally also has the title of Second Lord of the Treasury). The residence, in Downing Street in London, was built alongside the official residence of"
"Downing Street Downing Street is a street in London that houses the official residences and offices of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and the Chancellor of the Exchequer. Situated off Whitehall, a few minutes' walk from the Houses of Parliament, Downing Street was built in the 1680s by Sir George Downing. For more than three hundred years, it has held the official residences of both the First Lord of the Treasury, the office now synonymous with that of the Prime Minister, and the Second Lord of the Treasury, the office held by the Chancellor of the Exchequer. The"
"11 Downing Street 11 Downing Street (sometimes referred to as just Number 11) is the official residence of Britain's Chancellor of the Exchequer (who traditionally also has the title of Second Lord of the Treasury). The residence, in Downing Street in London, was built alongside the official residence of the Prime Minister at Number 10 in 1682. The first Chancellor to live there was Henry Petty-Fitzmaurice in 1806, but Number 11 did not become the Chancellor's official residence until 1828. It is currently the official residence of Philip Hammond, who was appointed as Chancellor by Prime Minister Theresa May in"
"basement. The other floors contain offices and conference, reception, sitting and dining rooms where the Prime Minister works, and where government ministers, national leaders and foreign dignitaries are met and entertained. At the rear is an interior courtyard and a terrace overlooking a garden of . Adjacent to St James's Park, Number 10 is near Buckingham Palace, the London residence of the British monarch, and the Palace of Westminster, the meeting place of both houses of parliament. Originally three houses, Number 10 was offered to Sir Robert Walpole by King George II in 1732. Walpole accepted on the condition that"
"as a personal gift in 1732, but Walpole accepted it only as the official residence of the First Lord of the Treasury, taking up his residence there on 22 September 1735. His immediate successors did not always reside in Number 10 (preferring their larger private residences) but the home has nevertheless become established as the official residence of the Prime Minister (in his or her capacity as First Lord of the Treasury). Walpole has attracted attention from heterodox economists as a pioneer of protectionist policies, in the form of tariffs and subsidies to woollen manufacturers. As a result, the industry"
"of Prime Minister, and to the historic link between the Premiership and the office of First Lord of the Treasury, by providing in respect to that position and office a salary of ..."" The Act made a distinction between the ""position"" (Prime Minister) and the ""office"" (First Lord of the Treasury), emphasising the unique political character of the former. Nevertheless, the brass plate on the door of the Prime Minister's home, 10 Downing Street, still bears the title of ""First Lord of the Treasury"", as it has since the 18th century as it is officially the home of the First"
"sometimes used by foreign dignitaries and news sources. 10 Downing Street, in London, has been the official place of residence of the Prime Minister since 1732; they are entitled to use its staff and facilities, including extensive offices. Chequers, a country house in Buckinghamshire, gifted to the government in 1917, may be used as a country retreat for the Prime Minister. There are four living former British Prime Ministers: Upon retirement, it is customary for the Sovereign to grant a Prime Minister some honour or dignity. The honour bestowed is commonly, but not invariably, membership of the United Kingdom's most"
"9 Downing Street 9 Downing Street is one of the buildings situated on Downing Street in the City of Westminster in London, England. Under the current government, the building is being used to house the Department for Exiting the European Union and the office of the Chief Whip, and is also the Downing Street entrance to the Privy Council Office. Formerly the building was part of the more famous official residence of the First Lord of the Treasury, who since the early years of the 19th century has always been the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. Many internal refurbishments"
"Soane. When Tony Blair became Prime Minister in 1997 he chose to reside in Number 11, rather than Number 10, as it has a larger living area; Blair at that time was living with his wife and their several young children, while Gordon Brown, his Chancellor of the Exchequer, was at that point still a bachelor. In 2007, when Brown became Prime Minister, he at first chose to live in Number 11, but soon moved back to Number 10; Brown was by then married but had fewer children than the Blairs. Following the 2010 general election, the incoming prime minister,"
"Brown and his advisers, something which was not available in 10 Downing Street. 12 Downing Street 12 Downing Street is one of the buildings situated on Downing Street in the City of Westminster in London, England. It has been traditionally used as the office of the Chief Whip although the upper floor forms part of the residential apartment for the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. It has been owned and used by the Crown since 1803, first housing the Judge Advocate General of the Armed Forces and then the Colonial Office, before the office of the Chief Whip moved"
"the convention developed that the Prime Minister should always sit in the lower house. As leader of the House of Commons, the Prime Minister's authority was further enhanced by the Parliament Act of 1911 which marginalised the influence of the House of Lords in the law-making process. The Prime Minister is ""ex officio"" also First Lord of the Treasury and Minister for the Civil Service. Certain privileges, such as residency of 10 Downing Street, are accorded to Prime Ministers by virtue of their position as First Lord of the Treasury. The status of the position as Prime Minister means that"
"did not settle. Sybil died in July 2009. In February 2011, a new cat was welcomed into Downing Street from London's Battersea Dogs and Cats Home. Larry arrived following weeks of speculation about potential pest control measures after a large black rat was seen scuttling past Number 10. Humphrey (cat) Humphrey ( – March 2006) was a cat employed as the Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office at 10 Downing Street, the official residence of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, from October 1989 to 13 November 1997. Arriving as a one year old stray, he served under the"
"""The Crown"". Jock Colville Sir John Rupert Colville, CB, CVO (28 January 1915 – 19 November 1987), known as Jock Colville, was a British civil servant. He is best known for his diaries, which provide an intimate view of number 10 Downing Street during the wartime Prime Ministership of Winston Churchill. Colville came from a politically active and well-connected family, although, as he stated in the introduction to his published diaries, he was the younger son of a younger son and so did not inherit family wealth. His father was the Hon. George Charles Colville, who was secretary of the"
"in Stanwell — the Lord Knyvet School was founded in 1624. An effigy of him and his wife features in the chancel of Stanwell's St Mary's parish church. Knyvet occupied as his London townhouse the first house known on the site of 10 Downing Street, the modern-day residence of the British Prime Minister, in a large timber and brick building with an L-shaped garden. It was first leased to him in 1581 by Queen Elizabeth I at which point it became known as Knyvet House, and his lifetime lease was extended in 1604 to extend to his heirs. The house"
"years. By the turn of the 20th century, photography and the penny press had linked Number 10 in the public mind with the premiership. The introduction of films and television would strengthen this association. Pictures of prime ministers with distinguished guests at the door became commonplace. With or without the Prime Minister present, visitors had their picture taken. Suffragettes posed in front of the door when they petitioned H. H. Asquith for women's rights in 1913, a picture that became famous and was circulated around the world. In 1931, Mohandas Gandhi, wearing the traditional homespun ""dhoti"", posed leaving Number 10"
"Humphrey (cat) Humphrey ( – March 2006) was a cat employed as the Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office at 10 Downing Street, the official residence of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, from October 1989 to 13 November 1997. Arriving as a one year old stray, he served under the premierships of Margaret Thatcher, John Major and Tony Blair, retiring six months after the Blairs moved into Downing Street. He was the successor to Wilberforce. He was frequently referred to in jest by the press as an actual employee at Number 10. Humphrey was found as a stray"
"his last period in office, in 1881, William Ewart Gladstone claimed residence in numbers 10, 11 and 12 for himself and his family. He was both Chancellor of the Exchequer and Prime Minister at the time. After the 1997 general election, in which Labour took power, a swap was carried out by the new incumbents of the two titles; Tony Blair being a married man with three children living at home, while his counterpart Gordon Brown was unmarried at the time of taking up his post. Although Number 10 was the Prime Minister's official residence and contained the prime ministerial"
"the Prime Minister at 10 Downing Street, the First Minister makes press conferences and employs and dismisses government ministers. In 2017, following extensive survey work on the condition of the building undertaken by the building's conservators, Bute House was closed for urgent repairs, with the First Minister having to decant the building until necessary work was completed. The work to Bute House is being co-ordinated by Historic Environment Scotland, with ""temporary measures"" being put in place for the First Minister to reside and meetings of the cabinet whilst the building is being restored. Bute House is unusual for an Edinburgh"
"12 Downing Street 12 Downing Street is one of the buildings situated on Downing Street in the City of Westminster in London, England. It has been traditionally used as the office of the Chief Whip although the upper floor forms part of the residential apartment for the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. It has been owned and used by the Crown since 1803, first housing the Judge Advocate General of the Armed Forces and then the Colonial Office, before the office of the Chief Whip moved into the premises in 1879 until 2001. It is a Grade II listed"
"10 Downing Street. The relationship between the three posts was the basis for the BBC television series ""Yes, Prime Minister"". Following the creation of the role, the Chief of Staff supplanted the Principal Private Secretary in running Downing Street operations and effectively replaced the power of the Cabinet Secretary in terms of co-ordinating government policy. Although the Cabinet Secretary continued to be a highly important role, through remaining responsible for making sure that the civil service was organised effectively and was capable of delivering the Government's objectives, the Chief of Staff replaced the Cabinet Secretary as the ""right-hand man"" for"
"feeling of Britain's historic greatness which pervades every nook and cranny of this complicated and meandering old building ... All Prime Ministers are intensely aware that, as tenants and stewards of No. 10 Downing Street, they have in their charge one of the most precious jewels in the nation's heritage"". For most of its history, Number 10 was accessible to the public. Early security consisted of two police officers. One stood guard outside the door. The other was stationed inside to open it. Since the door had no keyhole, the inside officer depended upon the lone outside officer. During Thatcher's"