Big Ben clock hands go blue after surprise historical discovery

Restorers initially thought the dials were painted black when it was finished in 1859

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  Workers stand on scaffolding underneath the clock face known as Big Ben with the clock hands seen restored to the original Prussian blue colouring in London, September 2021. EPA

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  A union flag flies in front of the clock face of Big Ben just after the sun rises on January 1, 2021, the first day of the UK's future outside the European Union. Getty Images

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  Big Ben pictured in 2015 before the current restoration works began. Getty Images

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  Workers clean the east-facing clock face in 2014. Getty Images

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  The flag of Great Britain is projected on to the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben during a light show to mark the start of the 2012 Olympic Games. Getty Images

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  A close up view of the clock face of Big Ben, with Westminster Bridge over the River Thames to the left, in 1985. Getty Images

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  The 13.5 ton bell known as Big Ben is seen in 1959. The clock came into operation on May 31, 1859, but Big Ben itself did not ring out until July 11 of that year. Getty Images

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  Charles King, the man then responsible for winding and maintaining the great clock of Big Ben, looking down the centre of the tower's staircase in 1957. Getty Images

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  The debris of St Thomas's Hospital, London, the morning after receiving a direct hit during the Blitz, in front of the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben, in 1940. Getty Images

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  Big Ben stands above Westminster Bridge in 1890. Getty Images

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  A sounding experiment on the first bell for St Stephen's Clock Tower, commonly known as Big Ben, in 1856. Getty Images

Big Ben’s clock hands are to return to their original shade as one of London’s most well-known landmarks moves closer to the completion of its refurbishment.

The iconic building is undergoing a major facelift which has seen it shrouded in scaffolding for the past four years.

Now, with less than a year to go before the tower at the Houses of Parliament is expected to be fully revamped, the clock hands have reappeared in their original format.

During work on the 96-metre-tall Elizabeth Tower, workmen discovered that the hands were originally painted blue rather than black.

As a result, restorers decided to paint the hands in their original Prussian blue colour.

The extensive project involves reglazing and repainting the clock dials, adding a lift to the tower, repairing roof tiles, upgrading lighting and refurbishing the stonework.

The £80 million initiative to spruce up the 177-year-old tower is on track to wrap up in the second quarter of next year.

The completion will be marked by the ringing of Big Ben’s famous 13.7-tonne bell which has been largely silent since 2017.

In January 2020, the clock bonged to mark the moment the United Kingdom officially left the European Union.

Lindsay Hoyle, Speaker of the House of Commons, said when fans of Big Ben see the final result the long wait will have been worth it.

He said: "While we are all longing for the sound of Big Ben marking the time, and for the scaffolding to be removed from the tower – I think we will all agree at the unveiling next year, our patience has been worth it.”