London's famous landmark, Big Ben, is getting a name change. In honor of Queen Elizabeth's 60th year on the British throne, the tower is being renamed Elizabeth Tower.
The name change is part of the celebrations that have been taking place all month for 86-year-old Queen's Elizabeth's Diamond Jubilee.
The official name of the famous 316-foot landmark is the Clock Tower, but it is commonly called Big Ben. Technically, Big Ben is the name of the bell at the top of the tower that rings every hour, letting Londoners know what time it is, according to the Los Angeles Times.
The House of Commons Commission accounted the decision to change the Clock Tower's name on Monday but there is no date for when the official name change will occur, according to the British Parliament's website.
Some are welcoming the change and believe that it is fitting such as Prime Minister David Cameron who was quoted by Reuters as saying "The renaming of the Clock Tower to the Elizabeth Tower is a fitting recognition of the Queen's 60 years of service. This is an exceptional tribute to an exceptional monarch."
However, others, including tourists and locals are not too pleased with the name change. According to Reuters, a YouGov poll found that almost half of the English population opposed to name change and only 30 percent supported the move.
The tower will most likely continue to be referred to as Big Ben by most people, but it will no longer be known as the Clock Tower. When parliament calls for the change, the official name will be the Elizabeth Tower.
This renaming is a tradition in England. In 1860, the Victoria Tower was renamed for Queen Victoria to mark her 60-year reign.
The famous tower with four clock faces was completed in 1859. Visitors can take a free tour up the 334 steps of the spiral staircase inside the tower to get wonderful views of London and a close up look at the clocks.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
