10 Downing Street’s understated looks are deceptive
All Americans know where the country’s commander in chief lives.
The White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW in Washington, is probably the most famous and widely recognized house in the world, and it’s been the home of U.S. presidents since 1800 when John Adams moved in.
The president’s digs also come with a pretty well-appointed home office.
But what’s the deal with 10 Downing St. in London, the official home and office of Britain’s prime minister?
The White House is an imposing 55,000-square-foot mansion with 132 rooms, 35 bathrooms, and six levels. No. 10 Downing St. looks like it might be a two-bedroom, one-bath townhome. Probably with a galley kitchen and minimal closet space.
According to The White House website, the residence has 412 doors, 147 windows, 28 fireplaces, eight staircases, three elevators, and armed guards on the roof 24/7. The dwelling on Downing Street has a mail slot in the front door, for God’s sake. And a damn doorbell! Really! Can you just walk up, press the button, and expect the PM to open the door if you’re selling Girl Scouts cookies or hoping to make a few quid pressure-washing the sidewalk?
The White House sits on 18 acres of what looks like a park. The 10 Downing doesn’t even have a front lawn. The president briefs reporters in the posh White House Rose Garden; the prime minister has to drag a podium out onto the street to address the media.
And who lives at No. 9 and No. 11 Downing Street? I’ll bet they’re who complained about those raucous COVID parties that got Boris Johnson in trouble.
Well, as it turns out, there are no neighbors. Haven’t been since the late 1800s. Over time, the 300-year-old Number 10 devoured the homes next door along with two other nearby residences, growing to around 100 rooms over five floors. So it’s a whale of a lot bigger than it might appear from the street. Good thing, too, because it’s more than just the official residence of the prime minister – it’s also the headquarters of the entire British government.
So what’s behind that black door? A hall with a “chequered floor” that leads to a vast collection of rooms and staircases. According to the website BritPolitics, Number 10 has expanded to the left of the famous front door and has gobbled up most of 12 Downing Street, which you get to via a corridor that runs through No. 11 – that’s the official residence of the chancellor of the exchequer, perhaps the most powerful office in British politics today after the prime minister because he holds the government’s purse strings.
Number 10’s small, six-paneled door is made of blast-proof steel and is so heavy that removing it for maintenance requires eight men. There’s no keyhole, so it can’t be opened from the outside — someone must always be inside to unlock it. It’s surrounded by cream-colored casing and topped by a semicircular fanlight window. The “10” in white on the door has an oddly styled zero tilted left at a 37-degree angle. That shiny letter slot isn’t real — it’s just an engraved brass plate. And it’s said the doorbell, inscribed with “PUSH,” actually works, but the guards seem to prefer the big iron knocker.
CREDIT: AFP
Beyond the door, there’s a Chippendale guard’s chair in one corner. It was once used by policemen sitting watch on the street outside. It has a hood to protect them from the elements and a drawer under the seat where hot coals were inserted to keep the cops warm. Furniture and artworks throughout the complex include many exceptional pieces owned by the house or on loan from elsewhere.
The prime minister’s official residence is on Number 10’s third floor. On the other floors are rooms where the prime minister works and meets or dines with other government officials, national leaders and foreign dignitaries. Among them are the Cabinet Room, a number of drawing and dining rooms, and the prime minister’s executive office. In the basement is a massive two-story kitchen that’s seldom seen by anyone but the staff. It has a 14-foot, 5-inch-thick chopping-block work table in the center.
There’s also an interior courtyard and a terrace that overlooks a half-acre garden. Buckingham Palace, the royal crib, is just down the street and around the corner, and both Houses of Parliament are within walking distance.
Not all prime ministers in recent years have actually lived at Number 10. Tony Blair and David Cameron switched with their chancellors and lived in the more spacious residence above Number 11 because they had such large families.
The building was renovated in the 1950s when it was determined the entire thing was near collapse. Many parts were reconstructed exactly as they were in the old Number 10. Around 40 coats of paint were stripped from some areas revealing details that had been hidden for almost 200 years. And when the exterior black façade was given a good cleaning, the bricks were found to actually be yellow. Their black color was really two centuries of caked-on pollution. But to preserve the “traditional look,” the cleaned-up yellow bricks were painted black.
For most of its history, Number 10 was open to the public. Early security amounted to just a pair of police officers – one on guard outside the door, and another inside to open it. Today, though, there are heavily guarded gates at both ends of Downing Street. The Metropolitan Police Service’s Diplomatic Protection Group is in charge of security with clandestine support provided by MI5 (Military Intelligence, Section 5). In other words, you’re not gettin’ in without a pass.
