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10 Downing Street: Take a rare glimpse inside the Prime Minister's home

The building's black front door is well-known, but few have had a look behind the iconic brick facade

Dina Spector
Wednesday 09 December 2015 15:01 GMT
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King George II gave the house to then-Prime Minister Robert Walpole in 1735
King George II gave the house to then-Prime Minister Robert Walpole in 1735 (Getty Images)

10 Downing Street has been used as a home for British prime ministers since 1735, when King George II gave the house to then-Prime Minister Robert Walpole.

The building's black front door is well-known, but few have had a look behind the iconic brick facade.

Now, thanks to Eye Revolution, the public can take a virtual tour of Number 10's inner-guts.

We've pulled together screenshots from Eye Revolution's 360-degree tour to give you a glimpse inside the elegant rooms of Number 10.

Welcome to 10 Downing Street, the home and office of the British prime minister, located in Whitehall in central London.

Getty Images (Getty Images)

The building is famous for its outside entrance — a single white stone step and black steel door with the number "10" on it. The door was originally made of oak but was replaced by a blast-proof one in 1991 after an Irish Republican Army (IRA) bomb exploded in the garden.

History of 10 Downing Street

The iconic black bricks are actually yellow underneath. They were blackened by London smog in the 19th century and then painted black during the 1960s since people had become used to seeing them that way.

History of 10 Downing Street

The door features a black iron knocker in the shape of a lion's head. The door can't be opened from the outside, but there is always someone ready to open it from the inside. The prime minister doesn't even bother carrying keys with him.

History of 10 Downing Street

Through the door is the entrance hall. The black chair in the corner was initially used by guards who sat on watch outside, which is why it's designed with a "hood" to shield them from the wind.

History of 10 Downing Street (10 Downing Street)

The black-and-white chequerboard floor was added during Lord North's time, who was prime minister from 1770-1782.

History of 10 Downing Street (10 Downing Street History)

The entrance hall leads to the main staircase, one of the most impressive features of the building.

History of 10 Downing Street (10 Downing Street History)

The walls are lined with portraits of past prime ministers, with the most recent incumbents at the top of the staircase. There's Winston Churchill on the bottom-left.

History of 10 Downing Street (History of 10 Downing Street)

The Cabinet room, located upstairs, is separated from the rest of the house by soundproof doors. The Cabinet meets weekly, traditionally every Thursday morning.

History of 10 Downing Street (History of 10 Downing Street)

A copy of a portrait of Sir Robert Walpole by Jean-Baptiste van Loo hangs over the fireplace.

History of 10 Downing Street (History of 10 Downing Street)

We now move on to the Pillard room, the largest of three drawing rooms. It's used for large receptions — such as when the England Rugby Union team won the 2003 World Cup — and for the signing of international agreements. There's a portrait of Queen Elizabeth I over the fireplace and a Persian carpet covers almost the entire floor.

History of 10 Downing Street (History of 10 Downing Street)

The Pillard Rooms opens up into the Terracotta room.

History of 10 Downing Street (History of 10 Downing Street)

The Terracotta room is named after the colour it is painted. It was the Green room when Margaret Thatcher was prime minister and the Blue room before that. This part of the house was used as the dining room when Sir Robert Walpole was prime minister.

History of 10 Downing Street (History of 10 Downing Street)

The Terracotta room is decorated with many famous artworks, on loan from the Government Art Collection. Doors in the Terracotta room lead to the White Drawing room.

History of 10 Downing Street (History of 10 Downing Street)

The White Drawing room was used by prime ministers for private use until the 1940s. Now, it's often used as a meeting room for Downing Street staff.

History of 10 Downing Street (History of 10 Downing Street)

On the wall are works by works by J. M. W. Turner, an English Romanticist landscape painter in the 19th century.

History of 10 Downing Street (History of 10 Downing Street)

Getting hungry? Let's move onto the Small Dining room, or breakfast room, where a mahogany table seats 8.

History of 10 Downing Street (History of 10 Downing Street)

There's a window instead of a chimney breast over the fireplace, which was removed by architect Sir John Soane in the 1820s. "The flues used to get so hot that the substance holding the window together would melt, causing the glass to fall out," according to the Downing Street history website.

History of 10 Downing Street (History of 10 Downing Street)

Double doors take us from the Small Dining room to the larger State Dining room, which is built over the original vaulted stone kitchen.

History of 10 Downing Street (History of 10 Downing Street)

This room is used to host the the prime minister's press conferences.

History of 10 Downing Street (History of 10 Downing Street)

The State Dining room can seat up to 65 people around a large table.

History of 10 Downing Street (History of 10 Downing Street)

Here's the study, where a portrait of Margaret Thatcher hangs over the fireplace.

History of 10 Downing Street (History of 10 Downing Street)

Number 10 also has a well-kept garden, which is often used to host events.

History of 10 Downing Street (History of 10 Downing Street)

This also appears to be where Cameron's cat, Larry, likes to spend time. Larry, a brown and white tabby, was adopted in 2011 to control the mice population at 10 Downing Street.

History of 10 Downing Street (History of 10 Downing Street)

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