10 World Famous Landmarks That Were Almost Destroyed

5. St Paul's Cathedral And Buckingham Palace Barely Survive The Blitz

The Blitz saw London attacked 71 times in 267 days by the German Luftwaffe between September 7, 1940, and May 21, 1941 - and the majority of the city was destroyed as a result. However, St Paul's Cathedral and Buckingham Palace remained standing - albeit with significant damage. Buckingham Palace - built in 1703 - was bombed seven times by the Nazis during World War II, resulting in significant damage to the chapel. In fact, coverage of this event was used as propaganda as it was played in cinemas around Britain to prove that rich and poor were all suffering during the bombardment together. Queen Elizabeth - who was in residence with King George VI when a bomb landed in the palace's quadrangle and shattered some windows - famously declared: "I'm glad we've been bombed. Now I can look the East End in the face." Sir Christopher Wren's masterpiece St Paul's Cathedral (constructed between 1675 and 1720) on the other hand was struck by 10 different bombs which destroyed its high altar and created a huge hole in the floor above the crypt. Crucially, however, a time-delayed bomb that struck the cathedral in September 1940 was successfully defused by the Royal Engineers before it could detonate - because if it had exploded, it would have flattened the cathedral completely. Interestingly, Prime Minister Winston Churchill knew of the psychological importance of keeping St Paul's Cathedral dominating the London skyline during the bombardment of London by the Luftwaffe. He demanded that the building be protected at all costs - and if it stayed standing, then Britain would survive the Blitz. And so it proved...