The Royal Liver Building, one of Liverpool's most iconic structures, marks its 115th birthday today, July 19, 2026. Opened in 1911, the Grade I-listed building stands 98 meters tall and was once dubbed Britain's first skyscraper. Designed by W. Aubrey Thomas, it was among the earliest multi-storey concrete buildings ever erected, costing £533,000 at the time—equivalent to over £60 million today.
A Monument to Liverpool's Skyline
As one of the Three Graces, alongside the Cunard Building and the Port of Liverpool Building, the Royal Liver Building is a cornerstone of Liverpool's renowned waterfront skyline. Its construction began in 1907 to serve as the headquarters for the Royal Liver Group, which had been founded in 1850 as a burial society for working-class members. At its peak, the building housed 6,000 employees.
By the 1970s, the building required extensive repairs. Royal Liver considered selling but opted for a full refurbishment. The 2008 financial crash led to merger talks with Royal London, finalized in 2011, and the Royal Liver name disappeared as staff moved to Cheshire in 2012. In 2017, the building was sold for £48 million to Corestate Capital and Farhad Moshiri. In 2025, Princes Group, the long-term tenant, purchased it for £60 million.
The Clock Face Banquet
The building's clocks, made by Gent & Co., were set in motion on June 22, 1911, to mark the coronation of King George V. To celebrate, one of the four clock faces was turned into a banqueting table for senior members of the Liver Assurance Group and Liverpool Corporation. The four-course meal included mock turtle soup (made from calf brains, organs, and head), breaded mutton cutlets, galantine of turkey, pressed beef, and dry-cured York ham. A dessert described as "a trifle larger than Big Ben" followed, highlighting the clock faces' size—larger than those of Big Ben. After the meal, guests inspected the clock mechanism.
The Donkey Opening Myth
A persistent tale claims that a donkey named Judy officially opened the building in 1911 by chewing through a ribbon coated in peanut butter. Google's AI Gemini even repeats this story. However, its veracity is disputed. Laura Prior, chair of the Friends of Princes Park, told the ECHO: "Judy was well-loved and very famous in Liverpool. The story is that they wanted to get someone well-known to open the Liver Building, and they got Judy. The ribbon was covered in peanut butter, and she chewed through it." Yet many historians consider the story apocryphal, despite Judy's fame and a memorial in Princes Park.
The Underground Social Club
Beneath the building, the Royal Liver Social Club served as a popular spot for workers. Opened in the early 1980s by the Board of Directors, it featured a small bar and pool tables. Initially exclusive to Royal Liver staff, it later opened to other tenants and the public for special occasions. The club closed in the early 2000s, becoming Bartells Café Bar in 2004, named after Carl Bartells, designer of the original Liver Birds.
The Legendary Liver Birds
Two copper Liver Birds, Bella and Bertie, stand atop the building. Bella faces the sea to ensure safe ship arrivals, while Bertie watches over the city. Each bird is 18 feet tall with a 24-foot wingspan. The Liver Bird symbol dates back to 1207 when King John granted Liverpool a Royal Charter.
Hollywood on the Waterfront
The building served as a stand-in for the Gotham City Police Department headquarters in the 2022 film The Batman, starring Robert Pattinson. Liverpool's skyline doubled as Gotham's towers, showcasing the building's architectural grandeur on the global stage.
