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More than 5000 entries on the history, culture and life of Britain (published in 1993 by Macmillan, now out of print)
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Lancaster House
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(London SW1) Palatial mansion in the stable yard of St James's Palace, bordering Green Park. It was begun in 1825 for the duke of *York (to a design by Benjamin, son of James *Wyatt) but was sold before it was completed. The name was changed to Lancaster House by Lord *Leverhulme, in honour of the county of his birth; he bought the building in 1912 and in 1913 gave it to the nation, originally as a home for the London Museum (which remained there until World War II and is now part of the *Museum of London).
Lancaster House is now used for government entertainment and for conferences, being best known in recent years for the talks in 1979 which gave independence to *Zimbabwe.
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