What is the capital of the United Kingdom?

The capital of the United Kingdom is London.

London is the United Kingdom’s capital and largest city, situated on the River Thames in southeast England. It is the country’s political centre, home to the UK Parliament at the Palace of Westminster, the monarch’s principal London residence at Buckingham Palace, and the central departments of government.

The city’s ancient core is the City of London, founded by the Romans as Londinium around AD 47. To its west, Westminster became the centre of royal administration and parliamentary government during the medieval period. Over time, the two areas and surrounding settlements expanded into the enormous urban region now known as Greater London.

A common mix-up is confusing the UK with England. London is the capital of both, but England is one constituent country within the United Kingdom. Edinburgh is Scotland’s capital, Cardiff is Wales’s, and Belfast is Northern Ireland’s. Another historical detail is that Winchester preceded London as England’s political capital; Westminster’s growing importance shifted the centre of government to London during the 12th and 13th centuries.