Who lives in Downing Street… apart from Larry the cat and the Prime Minister? Who are the neighbors?

If Rishi Sunak turns into 10 Downing Street with his wife Akshata Murthy and their two daughters, he will become the 56th Prime Minister to live in the SW1A property.

Downing Street has been the home of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom since 1735 and is the headquarters from which the country’s leaders have managed world wars, financial crises and pandemics.

The hotel fulfills three functions: it is the official residence of the Prime Minister, as well as their official office and a place where the leaders of Great Britain receive other world figures and guests from His Majesty the King.

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The main staircase inside is lined with photos of former Prime Ministers from Sir Robert Walpole to Liz Truss (pictured: David Cameron on the stairs while in office)

Downing Street’s Rose Garden, which was the site of Boris Johnson’s former adviser Dominic Cummings’ press conference following the Barnard Castle row, is an L-shaped garden

Downing Street’s “Chief Mousebearer” Larry was brought to the Prime Minister’s House by David Cameron in 2012 as a pet for his children.

After passing through the black doors, visitors are greeted by a black and white checkered entrance hall with an elegant staircase leading to the first floor. Pictures of previous prime ministers hang on the yellow walls around the stairs.

The prime minister’s living quarters make up only part of the building, which is mostly office space for the dozens of staff who work inside.

In the early 18th century, when this address was first used as the Prime Minister’s home and office, 10 Downing Street was actually attached to another, more elegant building behind it to create the space needed for the new purpose. .

As for other residents of the street, the Prime Minister’s most famous neighbor is their Chancellor of the Exchequer, who lives in house 11.

Downing Street’s famous White Reception Room has seen 10 Prime Ministers receive audiences with several VIP guests, such as Theresa May hosting US Secretary of State John Kerry in 2016.

However, in recent years, some prime ministers have chosen to live in apartments above number 11, which were considered more spacious.

Sir Tony Blair was the first to do so when he took office in 1997 – and his successors Gordon Brown, David Cameron, Theresa May and Boris Johnson have decided to follow suit.

The ruling party’s chief whip is also known to live at 9 Downing Street (although number 12 is the official residence of the post).

After serving as the prime minister’s residence for nearly 300 years, it is perhaps unsurprising that the residence has undergone several renovations as well as extensive restoration.

At the end of World War II, the building was found to have serious structural problems, including leaning walls and twisted door frames.

Eventually, during Harold Macmillan’s tenure, 10 Downing Street was restored in a project costing around £1 million and taking three years to complete.

Since then, the structural problems seem to have remained largely unaddressed, although some of the building’s most prominent reception rooms have been renovated by various managers.

During her 11 years in office, Margaret Thatcher oversaw the renovation of the White Drawing Room and the Terracotta Room, both of which are used to entertain important guests.

The latter, on the first floor of number 10, was actually called the Blue Room when Thatcher first took office in 1979, but she decided she preferred the warm tones of the orange hue in the reception room.

Renovations were carried out in the late 1980s, as Mrs Thatcher was nearing the end of her tenure, and she hired interior designer Quinlan Terry to carry out the work.

The room itself was first used as a dining room by Sir Robert Walpole, who was the first Prime Minister of Great Britain.

After living at 10 Downing Street for so long, Mrs Thatcher left her mark on the residence and now has a room named after her.

Thatcher’s room was used as her private office during her time in office, and a picture of her hangs on the wall inside.

It’s not just the interior of Number 10 that has an impressive history – the Rose Garden has hosted several historic press conferences over the years.

When Sir Tony stepped down in 2007 to hand over the reins to Mr Brown, he hosted a farewell reception in the Rose Garden.

British media recently gathered in the Rose Garden during the pandemic to attend a press conference organized by Johnson’s former adviser Dominic Cummings after it emerged he had broken lockdown rules to travel from London to Durham after he tested positive for covid in 2020.

Shortly before leaving office, David Cameron is sitting in an armchair with Larry after rumors that relations between him and the chief mouser were cold.

As well as the dozens of people who come and go from 10 Downing Street every day, the house is also home to a cheeky feline and ‘head of mice’, Larry the cat.

He is a rescue cat from Battersea Dogs and Cats Home who was taken to Number 10 in 2011 and was originally intended to be a pet for David and Samantha Cameron’s children.

According to the 10 Downing Street website, Larry’s duties include: “Meeting guests in the house, inspecting security features and testing antique furniture for sleep quality.”

The website adds: “His day-to-day duties also include thinking about a solution to the problem of mice infesting the house. Larry says it’s still “in the tactical planning stage.”

By the time Mrs May became prime minister in 2016, Larry had earned a reputation as an “aggressive man” – particularly towards number 11 cat Palmerston, a black and white magician.

Prime Minister David Cameron was also rumored to have a frosty relationship with the cat, prompting him to take a picture of himself in a chair with Larry on his lap just before he left. Questions as “proof” that they got along great.

In recent years, Larry has been seen attacking a pigeon outside his home in front of the world’s media and chasing away a fox that dared to enter his territory.

He was also filmed being dismissive of Prime Minister Liz Truss, who was walking from Downing Street, as she leaned over to try to pat him during her 45-day tenure.