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'''10 Downing Street''' was the residence for the [[British Prime Minister]] and seat of the government of [[Great Britain]] and later the [[United Kingdom]] from the [[17th century]] to the early [[21st century]]. As [[Ninth Doctor|the Doctor]] recalled, a Mr [[Chicken (Mr)|Chicken]] owned the property and lived there.
{{wikipediainfo}}
{{Infobox Location
|image      = 10 Downing Street (Revolution of the Daleks).jpg
|aka        =
|type        = Residence of the [[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom]]
|location    = [[City of Westminster]]
|first cs    = Doomcloud (comic story)
|appearances = [[10 Downing Street/Appearances|'''''see list''''']]
|clip        = Mickey Fires a Missile at Downing Street! (HD) World War Three Doctor Who
}}{{you may|10 Browning Street}}
'''10 Downing Street''' was the residence of the [[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom]] and seat of the government of [[Great Britain]], and later the [[United Kingdom|UK]] from the [[17th century]] to the early [[21st century]].
 
It was located in the [[City of Westminster]].{{Note|[[File:London_Map_RotS.jpg|thumb|The location of the City of Westminster on [[Mr Smith]]'s map. ([[TV]]: ''[[Revenge of the Slitheen (TV story)|Revenge of the Slitheen]]'')]] We know from the birds-eye view of the area in {{cs|The Christmas Invasion (TV story)}} that the [[London Eye]] is - in conjunction with the map from {{cs|Revenge of the Slitheen (TV story)}} - located in [[Lambeth]]. The Eye is shown to be on the opposite bank of the [[River Thames]] to the [[Palace of Westminster]] in {{cs|Aliens of London (TV story)}}, thereby placing the Palace of Westminster in the City of Westminster, according to the map from {{cs|Revenge of the Slitheen (TV story)}}. As [[Harriet Jones]] leaves Downing Street following its destruction in {{cs|World War Three (TV story)}}, she is then shown to be on a street just outside the Palace of Westminster. This would therefore also place Downing Street in the City of Westminster.}}
 
== History ==
=== Early history ===
10 Downing Street was badly built on shallow foundations by a crooked speculator, Sir [[George Downing]], in the [[1680s]]. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[Upstairs (audio story)|Upstairs]]'')
 
As the [[Ninth Doctor]] recalled, in [[1730]] "a nice man" called Mr [[Chicken (World War Three)|Chicken]] occupied the property. ([[TV]]: ''[[World War Three (TV story)|World War Three]]'')


By the early [[21st century]], it contained an almost impregnable room for the safety of government officials. During the [[Slitheen]] takeover of [[2006]], it was destroyed by a [[Harpoon missile]]. The explosion leveled the building and killed almost all of the Slitheens inside, who did not have access to the safe room. ([[DW]]: ''[[World War Three]]'')  
Sir [[Robert Walpole]], the [[First Lord of the Treasury]], accepted 10 Downing Street as his official residence in the [[1730s]]. He stipulated that the property should be held for the exclusive use of Britain's heads of government after him. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[The Time Traveller's Almanac (reference book)|The Time Travellers' Almanac]]'')


By [[2008]], it had been re-built. ([[DW]]: ''[[The Sound of Drums]]'')  
From [[1796]], weekly [[Cabinet of the United Kingdom|Cabinet]] meetings were held in the [[Cabinet Room]]. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[The Time Traveller's Almanac (reference book)|The Time Travellers' Almanac]]'')


{{wikipediainfo}}
[[Robert Gascoyne-Cecil]] was the last Prime Minister to refuse to use 10 Downing Street as his official home. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[Upstairs (audio story)|Upstairs]]'')
 
=== 20th century ===
The [[Eighth Doctor]] claimed to have chained [[Emmeline Pankhurst]] to the railings outside Downing Street. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Casualties of War (novel)|Casualties of War]]'')
 
In [[1974]], the [[Third Doctor]], [[Sarah Jane Smith]] and [[Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart|Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart]] met with the [[Prime Minister (Doomcloud)|Prime Minister]] at 10 Downing Street to discuss the approaching [[poison]] [[cloud]] caused by the [[Zircon (species)|Zircon]]. According to another account, it was the [[Fourth Doctor]], [[Joan Brown]] and [[Maxwell-Lennon|General Maxwell-Lennon]]. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[Doomcloud (comic story)|Doomcloud]]'')
 
By [[1991]], following an [[Downing Street mortar attack|unsuccessful terrorist attack]], ([[PROSE]]: ''[[The Time Traveller's Almanac (reference book)|The Time Travellers' Almanac]]'') the [[Cabinet Room]] was almost impregnable for the safety of government officials when three [[inch]]es of [[steel]] were installed into every wall of the room. ([[TV]]: ''[[World War Three (TV story)|World War Three]]'')
 
=== 21st century ===
On New Year's Day 2000, amidst the chaos of the [[Y2K bug]], 10 Downing Street was the site of a skirmish between the [[British Army|British army]] and agents of the [[Voracian]]s, who were planning a coup with Prime Minster [[Terry Brooks]]. Through the use of a tank, the [[Fourth Doctor]] assisted in destroying the Voracian agents and forcing Brooks to confess to his scheme in a live broadcast to Parliament, as well as tracking down the base of the Voracian's final operation and defeating them for got. ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|Millennium Shock (novel)}})
 
In [[2005]], at least part of 10 Downing Street was damaged by the explosion caused by [[Philip Kirby|Major Kirby]]'s detonation of his suicide bomb. ([[AUDIO]]: {{cs|The Longest Night (audio story)}})
 
During the [[Slitheen]] [[London UFO crash|takeover]] on [[7 March]] [[2006]], it was destroyed by a [[harpoon missile]]. [[Mickey Smith]] ([[TV]]: {{cs|World War Three (TV story)}}) wrote on [[Who is Doctor Who?|his website]] about how the seat of [[British government|the government]] was rubble the morning after. ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|Hoax This! (short story)}})
 
[[File:Number 10 goes boom.jpg|thumb|Number 10 is destroyed. ([[TV]]: ''[[World War Three (TV story)|World War Three]]'')]]
The explosion levelled the building and killed all [[Blon Fel-Fotch Passameer-Day Slitheen|but one]] of the Slitheen within the [[Prime Minister's office]]. ([[TV]]: {{cs|World War Three (TV story)}}, {{cs|Boom Town (TV story)}})
 
Just before the explosion occurred, the [[Twelfth Doctor]] arrived through a rip in [[time]] (narrowly avoiding a run-in with his past self) in pursuit of the [[time fly|time flies]] operated by the [[Time Weaver]]s. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[A Stitch in Time (CC comic story)|A Stitch in Time]]'')
 
As Prime Minister, [[Harriet Jones]] ordered that the house be rebuilt exactly as it was. This work was still ongoing at the time of the [[Sycorax invasion of Earth]]. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[The Time Traveller's Almanac (reference book)|The Time Travellers' Almanac]]'')
 
By the time that [[Harold Saxon]] took office in the [[2000s]],{{note|According to the episode ''[[The Sound of Drums (TV story)|The Sound of Drums]]'', [[Martha Jones]]' present day during [[Series 3 (Doctor Who 2005)|series 3]] of ''[[Doctor Who]]'' takes place over a six-day period, with {{Simm}} being elected three days after ''Smith and Jones'', and the [[Toclafane]] [[Toclafane invasion|invading Earth]] five days after ''Smith and Jones''. However, [[Aliens of London dating controversy|sources differ on which dates these stories are set]]. According to [[PROSE]]: ''[[The Paradox Moon (short story)|The Paradox Moon]]'', the Toclafane invasion happens on [[23 June]] [[2007]], placing the events of ''Smith and Jones'' on [[18 June]]. According to [[AUDIO]]: ''[[Hysteria (audio story)|Hysteria]]'', ''Smith and Jones'' takes place in [[2008]], with a [[UNIT]] mission log in [[AUDIO]]: ''[[Recruits (audio story)|Recruits]]'' referring to the recovery of moon rocks from [[Royal Hope Hospital]] in [[March]] 2008. A newspaper clipping in [[PROSE]]: ''[[The Secret Lives of Monsters (short story)|The Secret Lives of Monsters]]'' places ''Smith and Jones'' on a [[Sunday]] [[4 June]], thus placing the Toclafane invasion on [[Friday]] [[9 June]]. In the real world, these dates do not fall on a Sunday and Friday in either 2007 or 2008.}} it had been re-built. Saxon, who was in reality {{Simm|n=the Master}}, considered the [[Cabinet of the United Kingdom|Cabinet]] to have displayed disloyalty in abandoning their own parties to jump on his winning band wagon and so gassed them to death in the Cabinet Room. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Sound of Drums (TV story)|The Sound of Drums]]'')
 
On [[1 January]] [[2021]], Prime Minister [[Jo Patterson]] unveiled the [[Defence Drone|defence drones]] during a televised press conference outside 10 Downing Street. Later, when the defence drones began their hostile takeover of Earth, they exterminated Patterson when she refused to surrender to them. ([[TV]]: ''[[Revolution of the Daleks (TV story)|Revolution of the Daleks]]'')
 
== Behind the scenes ==
The exterior of 10 Downing Street featured in a promotional teaser for ''[[Meet the Thirteenth Doctor]]'', with the number ''10'' on the [[door]] changed to ''13''.
 
[[10 Browning Street]], a parody of 10 Downing Street, is a recurring location in ''[[Hedz (series)|Hedz]]'', appearing in the {{cs|Hedz Series 1 title sequence (TV story)|series 1 title sequence|noital=1}}.
 
== Footnotes ==
{{notelist}}
 
{{City of Westminster}}
[[fr:10 Downing Street]]
[[it:10 Downing Street]]
 
[[Category:City of Westminster]]
[[Category:10 Downing Street| ]]
[[Category:London landmarks]]
[[Category:London landmarks]]
[[Category:British government]]
[[Category:Government buildings]]
[[Category:Buildings from the real world]]
[[Category:London houses and mansions]]
[[Category:London houses and mansions]]
[[Category:Buildings visited by the First Doctor]]
[[Category:Buildings visited by the Sixth Doctor]]
[[Category:Buildings visited by the Ninth Doctor]]
[[Category:Buildings visited by the Twelfth Doctor]]
[[Category:Buildings visited by the Saxon Master]]

Latest revision as of 22:40, 18 December 2024

10 Downing Street

You may be looking for 10 Browning Street.

10 Downing Street was the residence of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and seat of the government of Great Britain, and later the UK from the 17th century to the early 21st century.

It was located in the City of Westminster.[nb 1]

History[[edit] | [edit source]]

Early history[[edit] | [edit source]]

10 Downing Street was badly built on shallow foundations by a crooked speculator, Sir George Downing, in the 1680s. (AUDIO: Upstairs)

As the Ninth Doctor recalled, in 1730 "a nice man" called Mr Chicken occupied the property. (TV: World War Three)

Sir Robert Walpole, the First Lord of the Treasury, accepted 10 Downing Street as his official residence in the 1730s. He stipulated that the property should be held for the exclusive use of Britain's heads of government after him. (PROSE: The Time Travellers' Almanac)

From 1796, weekly Cabinet meetings were held in the Cabinet Room. (PROSE: The Time Travellers' Almanac)

Robert Gascoyne-Cecil was the last Prime Minister to refuse to use 10 Downing Street as his official home. (AUDIO: Upstairs)

20th century[[edit] | [edit source]]

The Eighth Doctor claimed to have chained Emmeline Pankhurst to the railings outside Downing Street. (PROSE: Casualties of War)

In 1974, the Third Doctor, Sarah Jane Smith and Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart met with the Prime Minister at 10 Downing Street to discuss the approaching poison cloud caused by the Zircon. According to another account, it was the Fourth Doctor, Joan Brown and General Maxwell-Lennon. (COMIC: Doomcloud)

By 1991, following an unsuccessful terrorist attack, (PROSE: The Time Travellers' Almanac) the Cabinet Room was almost impregnable for the safety of government officials when three inches of steel were installed into every wall of the room. (TV: World War Three)

21st century[[edit] | [edit source]]

On New Year's Day 2000, amidst the chaos of the Y2K bug, 10 Downing Street was the site of a skirmish between the British army and agents of the Voracians, who were planning a coup with Prime Minster Terry Brooks. Through the use of a tank, the Fourth Doctor assisted in destroying the Voracian agents and forcing Brooks to confess to his scheme in a live broadcast to Parliament, as well as tracking down the base of the Voracian's final operation and defeating them for got. (PROSE: Millennium Shock [+]Loading...["Millennium Shock (novel)"])

In 2005, at least part of 10 Downing Street was damaged by the explosion caused by Major Kirby's detonation of his suicide bomb. (AUDIO: The Longest Night [+]Loading...["The Longest Night (audio story)"])

During the Slitheen takeover on 7 March 2006, it was destroyed by a harpoon missile. Mickey Smith (TV: World War Three [+]Loading...["World War Three (TV story)"]) wrote on his website about how the seat of the government was rubble the morning after. (PROSE: Hoax This! [+]Loading...["Hoax This! (short story)"])

Number 10 is destroyed. (TV: World War Three)

The explosion levelled the building and killed all but one of the Slitheen within the Prime Minister's office. (TV: World War Three [+]Loading...["World War Three (TV story)"], Boom Town [+]Loading...["Boom Town (TV story)"])

Just before the explosion occurred, the Twelfth Doctor arrived through a rip in time (narrowly avoiding a run-in with his past self) in pursuit of the time flies operated by the Time Weavers. (COMIC: A Stitch in Time)

As Prime Minister, Harriet Jones ordered that the house be rebuilt exactly as it was. This work was still ongoing at the time of the Sycorax invasion of Earth. (PROSE: The Time Travellers' Almanac)

By the time that Harold Saxon took office in the 2000s,[nb 2] it had been re-built. Saxon, who was in reality the Master, considered the Cabinet to have displayed disloyalty in abandoning their own parties to jump on his winning band wagon and so gassed them to death in the Cabinet Room. (TV: The Sound of Drums)

On 1 January 2021, Prime Minister Jo Patterson unveiled the defence drones during a televised press conference outside 10 Downing Street. Later, when the defence drones began their hostile takeover of Earth, they exterminated Patterson when she refused to surrender to them. (TV: Revolution of the Daleks)

Behind the scenes[[edit] | [edit source]]

The exterior of 10 Downing Street featured in a promotional teaser for Meet the Thirteenth Doctor, with the number 10 on the door changed to 13.

10 Browning Street, a parody of 10 Downing Street, is a recurring location in Hedz, appearing in the series 1 title sequence [+]Loading...{"noital":"1","1":"Hedz Series 1 title sequence (TV story)","2":"series 1 title sequence"}.

Footnotes[[edit] | [edit source]]

  1. The location of the City of Westminster on Mr Smith's map. (TV: Revenge of the Slitheen)
    We know from the birds-eye view of the area in The Christmas Invasion [+]Loading...["The Christmas Invasion (TV story)"] that the London Eye is - in conjunction with the map from Revenge of the Slitheen [+]Loading...["Revenge of the Slitheen (TV story)"] - located in Lambeth. The Eye is shown to be on the opposite bank of the River Thames to the Palace of Westminster in Aliens of London [+]Loading...["Aliens of London (TV story)"], thereby placing the Palace of Westminster in the City of Westminster, according to the map from Revenge of the Slitheen [+]Loading...["Revenge of the Slitheen (TV story)"]. As Harriet Jones leaves Downing Street following its destruction in World War Three [+]Loading...["World War Three (TV story)"], she is then shown to be on a street just outside the Palace of Westminster. This would therefore also place Downing Street in the City of Westminster.
  2. According to the episode The Sound of Drums, Martha Jones' present day during series 3 of Doctor Who takes place over a six-day period, with the Saxon Master being elected three days after Smith and Jones, and the Toclafane invading Earth five days after Smith and Jones. However, sources differ on which dates these stories are set. According to PROSE: The Paradox Moon, the Toclafane invasion happens on 23 June 2007, placing the events of Smith and Jones on 18 June. According to AUDIO: Hysteria, Smith and Jones takes place in 2008, with a UNIT mission log in AUDIO: Recruits referring to the recovery of moon rocks from Royal Hope Hospital in March 2008. A newspaper clipping in PROSE: The Secret Lives of Monsters places Smith and Jones on a Sunday 4 June, thus placing the Toclafane invasion on Friday 9 June. In the real world, these dates do not fall on a Sunday and Friday in either 2007 or 2008.