VICTORIA TOWER

:''This article is about Victoria Tower in London. For other places named "Victoria Tower" see Victoria Tower (disambiguation).''

'Victoria Tower' is the square tower at the south end of the Palace of Westminster in London. At 98.5 m, it is slightly taller than the more famous Saint Stephen's Tower clock tower, which contains the bell, Big Ben, at the north end of the Palace (96 m). When it was built it was the tallest square tower in the world. The main entrance at the base of the tower is the Sovereign's Entrance, through which the Monarch passes at the State Opening of Parliament. Atop the Victoria Tower is an iron flagstaff, from which the Union Flag is flown (unless the Sovereign is present in the Palace, when it is replaced by the Royal Standard).
The Tower houses the Parliamentary Archives in archive conditions meeting the BS 5454 standard.
There has been a historical debate over who designed the Houses of Parliament and the clock tower (commonly known as Big Ben) over the past few years. This is because Charles Barry did the design but after that he hired Augustus Pugin to complete the building. Augustus Pugin himself says that Charles Barry must be credited with the best part of the work.