The City of London is the principal financial district not only of London, but of the UK and Europe and one can find banks of many nations in the famous Threadneedle Street and the surrounding areas. Here, too, the Bank of England is situated. Nearby is the Stock Exchange. A little further along in Leadenhall Street is Lloyds, the most famous insurance company in the world.
Fleet Street is famous as the home of the nation’s newspapers but, in fact, only two of them – The Daily Express and The Daily Telegraph – are still in Fleet Street. However, people still say “Fleet Street” when they mean “the press”.
Historic buildings in the City:
St Paul’s Cathedral – an Anglican cathedral and the seat of the Bishop of London. The present St Paul’s Cathedral was designed by the famous architect Sir Christopher Wren, after the Great Fire of London in 1666. Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer were married there in July 1981.
The Tower of London, first built by William the Conqueror more than 900 years ago. The tower’s primary function was a fortress, a royal palace, and a prison (particularly for high status and royal prisoners, such as the Princes in the Tower and the future Queen Elizabeth I). This last use has led to the phrase “sent to the Tower” (meaning “imprisoned”). It has also served as a place of execution and torture, an armoury, a treasury, a zoo, the Royal Mint, a public records office, an observatory, and since 1303, the home of the Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom.