Today was perhaps the one day of the year the Queen acts in a way that you always think of queens as acting - sitting on a throne with a crown on her head.
It is one of the days in which the British do what they do best - grand pomp and ceremony with lavish costumes involving people with strange titles who carry out obscure functions that have been around for centuries.
It is the State Opening of Parliament. It is held in the House of Lords Chamber - the Queen and other Royals are not allowed to set foot inside the House of Commons. This dates back to the English Civil War when, in 1642, Charles I burst in there to demand the arrest of five MPs.
This is symbolised during the ceremony for the State Opening of Parliament by Black Rod, who walks up to the open door of the Commons which is then ritually slammed shut in his face - in other words: "You can't come in!"
Before the ceremony, the Yeomen of the Guard - in their colourful uniforms - also search the cellars of the Houses of Parliament for any hidden explosives. This dates back to the Gunpowder Plot of 1605 when Catholic terrorists tried to blow up Parliament. After the search of the cellar is completed, each one is also allowed a little glass of brandy! They never expect to find any explosives during the search - it is merely carried out as a form of ritual and tradition.
It's great having a monarchy. None of this would happen in a boring republic.
Here's the State Opening of Parliament in more detail -
In the United Kingdom, the State Opening of Parliament is an annual event held usually in November or December that marks the commencement of a session of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It is held in the House of Lords Chamber after Parliament first assembles in consequence of a General Election and each autumn thereafter - (except the autumn of the year in which a State Opening has already occurred following a General Election. In other words, one State Opening per year).
The current Sovereign, Queen Elizabeth II, has opened every session of the Westminster Parliament since her accession except in 1959 and 1963, when she was pregnant with Prince Andrew and Prince Edward, respectively. Her two older children were born during the reign of her father, King George VI. These two sessions were opened by Lords Commissioners, headed by Geoffrey Fisher, the Archbishop of Canterbury, empowered by Her Majesty. The Lord Chancellor read the Queen's Speech on both occasions.
The State Opening is a lavish ceremony. First, the cellars of the Palace of Westminster are searched by the Yeomen of the Guard in order to prevent a modern-day Gunpowder Plot. The Plot of 1605 involved a failed attempt by English Catholics to blow up the Houses of Parliament and kill the Protestant King James I and aristocracy. Since that year, the cellars have been searched, but for the sake of form only.
Before the monarch departs her residence, the Crown takes a member of the House of Commons to Buckingham Palace as a ceremonial hostage. This is to guarantee the safety of the Sovereign as she enters a possibly hostile Parliament. Today, with the convention that the majority of the government is drawn from the Commons, the symbolism becomes rather confused - the chosen hostage is usually a Whip who, being a member of Her Majesty's Government, it can be assumed would not be hostile. The hostage is released upon the safe return of the Queen.
Before the arrival of the sovereign the Imperial State Crown is carried to the palace of Westminster in its own state coach. From the Victoria tower the crown is passed by the Queen's bargemaster to the comptroller of the Lord Chamberlain's office. It is then carried, along with the sword of state and the Cap of Maintenance, to be displayed in the royal gallery.
The Queen arrives at the Palace of Westminster in a horse-drawn coach, entering through Sovereign's Entrance under the Victoria Tower. As the building is a royal palace, the Royal Standard is hoisted to replace the Union Flag upon the sovereign's entrance and remains whilst she is in attendance.
Then, after she takes on the Robes of State and the Imperial State Crown in the Robing Chamber, the Queen proceeds through the royal gallery, usually accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh, to the House of Lords. The ceremony is traditionally held in the Lords Chamber rather than in the Commons Chamber due to a custom initiated in the seventeenth century. In 1642, King Charles I entered the Commons Chamber and attempted to arrest five members. The Speaker famously defied the King, refusing to inform him as to where the members were hiding. Ever since that incident, no monarch has entered the House of Commons. Once on the Throne, the Queen, wearing the Imperial State Crown, instructs the house by saying, "My Lords, pray be seated", she then motions the Lord Great Chamberlain to summon the House of Commons.
The Lord Great Chamberlain raises his wand of office to signal to the Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod, who has been waiting in the Commons lobby. Black Rod turns and, under the escort of the doorkeeper of the House of Lords and an inspector of police (who orders "hats off, strangers" to all persons along the way), approaches the doors to the chamber of the Commons. The doors are slammed in his face – symbolizing the independence of the Commons and its right to debate without the presence of the Queen's representative. He then strikes three times with his staff (the Black Rod), and is then admitted. At the bar, Black Rod bows to the speaker before proceeding to the Dispatch box and issuing the command of the monarch that the Commons attend, in the following formula:
The Queen reads a prepared speech, known as the Speech from the Throne or the Queen's Speech, outlining her Government's agenda for the coming year. The speech is not written by the Queen, but rather by the Cabinet, and reflects the legislative agenda they wish to pursue with the agreement of the House of Commons. It is traditionally written on goatskin vellum.
Yeomen of the Guard line up inside the House of Lords, as part of a ceremonial search ahead of the Queen's speech for the State Opening of Parliament. The Queen's Body Guard of the Yeomen of the Guard are a bodyguard of the British Monarch. The oldest British military corps still in existence, it was created by Henry VII in 1485 at the Battle of Bosworth Field. As a token of this venerability, the Yeomen still wear red and gold uniforms of Tudor style. There are 60 Yeomen of the Guard (plus 6 Officers), drawn from retired members of the British Army, Royal Marines and Royal Air Force, but not the Royal Navy, because while members of the other services take oaths to the Crown, members of the Navy take an oath to the Admiralty.
Battle honours of the Yeomen of the Guard:
The Queen travels to the Palace of Westminster in a carriage
Picture: EDDIE MULHOLLAND
Princess Anne travels to Westminster
The Imperial State Crown leaves Buckingham Palace in Queen Alexandra's State Coach
The Queen arrives at the Palace of Westminster
The Queen walks with Prince Philip in the Palace of Westminster, on her way to the House of Lords
The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh walk through the Royal Gallery
Picture: REUTERS
Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh sit on golden thrones
The Queen delivers her speech, setting out the government's plans for the next parliamentary session
Picture: AP
Speaker of the House, Michael Martin
Black Rod, Michael Willcocks
Friends or enemies?: Prime Minister Gordon Brown talks with Conservative Party Leader David Cameron, as they walk into the House of Lords
The Prime Minister's wife, Sarah Brown, and Shadow Minister for Immigration, Damian Green
Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice Jack Straw, and Baroness Thatcher
Lord Mandelson and Lord Levy
The Queen leaves Parliament after her speech
The Household Cavalry lead the Queen's carriage on her return to Buckingham Palace
The Imperial State Crown is carried from the Palace of Westminster following the State Opening of Parliament
The ceremonial maces are transported back to Buckingham Palace in a carriage
dailymail.co.uk
wikipedia.org
It is one of the days in which the British do what they do best - grand pomp and ceremony with lavish costumes involving people with strange titles who carry out obscure functions that have been around for centuries.
It is the State Opening of Parliament. It is held in the House of Lords Chamber - the Queen and other Royals are not allowed to set foot inside the House of Commons. This dates back to the English Civil War when, in 1642, Charles I burst in there to demand the arrest of five MPs.
This is symbolised during the ceremony for the State Opening of Parliament by Black Rod, who walks up to the open door of the Commons which is then ritually slammed shut in his face - in other words: "You can't come in!"
Before the ceremony, the Yeomen of the Guard - in their colourful uniforms - also search the cellars of the Houses of Parliament for any hidden explosives. This dates back to the Gunpowder Plot of 1605 when Catholic terrorists tried to blow up Parliament. After the search of the cellar is completed, each one is also allowed a little glass of brandy! They never expect to find any explosives during the search - it is merely carried out as a form of ritual and tradition.
It's great having a monarchy. None of this would happen in a boring republic.
Here's the State Opening of Parliament in more detail -
In the United Kingdom, the State Opening of Parliament is an annual event held usually in November or December that marks the commencement of a session of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It is held in the House of Lords Chamber after Parliament first assembles in consequence of a General Election and each autumn thereafter - (except the autumn of the year in which a State Opening has already occurred following a General Election. In other words, one State Opening per year).
The current Sovereign, Queen Elizabeth II, has opened every session of the Westminster Parliament since her accession except in 1959 and 1963, when she was pregnant with Prince Andrew and Prince Edward, respectively. Her two older children were born during the reign of her father, King George VI. These two sessions were opened by Lords Commissioners, headed by Geoffrey Fisher, the Archbishop of Canterbury, empowered by Her Majesty. The Lord Chancellor read the Queen's Speech on both occasions.
The State Opening is a lavish ceremony. First, the cellars of the Palace of Westminster are searched by the Yeomen of the Guard in order to prevent a modern-day Gunpowder Plot. The Plot of 1605 involved a failed attempt by English Catholics to blow up the Houses of Parliament and kill the Protestant King James I and aristocracy. Since that year, the cellars have been searched, but for the sake of form only.
Before the monarch departs her residence, the Crown takes a member of the House of Commons to Buckingham Palace as a ceremonial hostage. This is to guarantee the safety of the Sovereign as she enters a possibly hostile Parliament. Today, with the convention that the majority of the government is drawn from the Commons, the symbolism becomes rather confused - the chosen hostage is usually a Whip who, being a member of Her Majesty's Government, it can be assumed would not be hostile. The hostage is released upon the safe return of the Queen.
Before the arrival of the sovereign the Imperial State Crown is carried to the palace of Westminster in its own state coach. From the Victoria tower the crown is passed by the Queen's bargemaster to the comptroller of the Lord Chamberlain's office. It is then carried, along with the sword of state and the Cap of Maintenance, to be displayed in the royal gallery.
The Queen arrives at the Palace of Westminster in a horse-drawn coach, entering through Sovereign's Entrance under the Victoria Tower. As the building is a royal palace, the Royal Standard is hoisted to replace the Union Flag upon the sovereign's entrance and remains whilst she is in attendance.
Then, after she takes on the Robes of State and the Imperial State Crown in the Robing Chamber, the Queen proceeds through the royal gallery, usually accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh, to the House of Lords. The ceremony is traditionally held in the Lords Chamber rather than in the Commons Chamber due to a custom initiated in the seventeenth century. In 1642, King Charles I entered the Commons Chamber and attempted to arrest five members. The Speaker famously defied the King, refusing to inform him as to where the members were hiding. Ever since that incident, no monarch has entered the House of Commons. Once on the Throne, the Queen, wearing the Imperial State Crown, instructs the house by saying, "My Lords, pray be seated", she then motions the Lord Great Chamberlain to summon the House of Commons.
The Lord Great Chamberlain raises his wand of office to signal to the Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod, who has been waiting in the Commons lobby. Black Rod turns and, under the escort of the doorkeeper of the House of Lords and an inspector of police (who orders "hats off, strangers" to all persons along the way), approaches the doors to the chamber of the Commons. The doors are slammed in his face – symbolizing the independence of the Commons and its right to debate without the presence of the Queen's representative. He then strikes three times with his staff (the Black Rod), and is then admitted. At the bar, Black Rod bows to the speaker before proceeding to the Dispatch box and issuing the command of the monarch that the Commons attend, in the following formula:
"Mr/Madam Speaker, The Queen commands this honourable House to attend Her Majesty immediately in the House of Peers."
The Speaker proceeds to attend the summons at once. The Sergeant-at-Arms picks up the ceremonial mace and, with the Speaker, leads the Members of the House of Commons as they walk, in pairs, towards the House of Lords. By custom, the members saunter, with much discussion and joking, rather than formally process. The Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition usually walk side by side, leading the two lines of MPs. The Commons then arrive at the Bar of the House of Lords (no person who is not a member of the Upper House may pass the Bar unbidden when it is in session; a similar rule applies to the Commons), where they bow to The Queen. They remain at the Bar for the speech.
The Queen reads a prepared speech, known as the Speech from the Throne or the Queen's Speech, outlining her Government's agenda for the coming year. The speech is not written by the Queen, but rather by the Cabinet, and reflects the legislative agenda they wish to pursue with the agreement of the House of Commons. It is traditionally written on goatskin vellum.
Yeomen of the Guard line up inside the House of Lords, as part of a ceremonial search ahead of the Queen's speech for the State Opening of Parliament. The Queen's Body Guard of the Yeomen of the Guard are a bodyguard of the British Monarch. The oldest British military corps still in existence, it was created by Henry VII in 1485 at the Battle of Bosworth Field. As a token of this venerability, the Yeomen still wear red and gold uniforms of Tudor style. There are 60 Yeomen of the Guard (plus 6 Officers), drawn from retired members of the British Army, Royal Marines and Royal Air Force, but not the Royal Navy, because while members of the other services take oaths to the Crown, members of the Navy take an oath to the Admiralty.
Battle honours of the Yeomen of the Guard:
- Field of Stoke, 1487
- Boulogne, 1492
- Blackheath, 1497
- Tournai, 1514
- Boulogne, 1544
- Boyne, 1690
- Dettingen, 1743
The Queen travels to the Palace of Westminster in a carriage
Picture: EDDIE MULHOLLAND
Princess Anne travels to Westminster
The Imperial State Crown leaves Buckingham Palace in Queen Alexandra's State Coach
The Queen arrives at the Palace of Westminster
The Queen walks with Prince Philip in the Palace of Westminster, on her way to the House of Lords
The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh walk through the Royal Gallery
Picture: REUTERS
Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh sit on golden thrones
The Queen delivers her speech, setting out the government's plans for the next parliamentary session
Picture: AP
Speaker of the House, Michael Martin
Black Rod, Michael Willcocks
Friends or enemies?: Prime Minister Gordon Brown talks with Conservative Party Leader David Cameron, as they walk into the House of Lords
The Prime Minister's wife, Sarah Brown, and Shadow Minister for Immigration, Damian Green
Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice Jack Straw, and Baroness Thatcher
Lord Mandelson and Lord Levy
The Queen leaves Parliament after her speech
The Household Cavalry lead the Queen's carriage on her return to Buckingham Palace
The Imperial State Crown is carried from the Palace of Westminster following the State Opening of Parliament
The ceremonial maces are transported back to Buckingham Palace in a carriage
dailymail.co.uk
wikipedia.org