One of the Queen's young page boys dramatically collapsed in the House of Lords earlier today as the Queen was giving her Gracious Address - which sets out the government's agenda for the coming session of Parliament - to MPs and peers during the State Opening of Parliament.
Witnesses described hearing a 'loud thud' as a young member of the procession fell to the floor to the right of the throne.
Prince Charles and Camilla looked on with concern as footmen rushed to the boy's aid, before apparently carrying him out of the Lords chamber.
The boys who carry out the role are known as pages of honour. They carried the Queen's train as she arrived in the Lords and performed the same role as she left, remaining in the chamber throughout the event.
The four pages of honour listed in today's programme were Hugo Bertie, Viscount Aithrie, Charles Armstrong-Jones and Arthur Chatto. It is not known which of the boys collapsed.
Around eight minutes and 53 seconds into the Queen's Speech, there was a disturbance behind Lord Hill, the leader of the Lords.
The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall, who were sat nearest to the boy, appeared to be among the first to notice what had happened.
Other footmen then carried the boy out of the chamber. The three remaining page boys assisted the Queen as she left the Lords after she completed the speech.
The incident occurred as the Queen told those assembled that the Government will work towards a 'comprehensive nuclear agreement with Iran'.
She continued reading the speech without appearing to break her stride, adding: 'The United Kingdom will lead efforts to prevent sexual violence in conflict worldwide.'
Today Her Majesty set out Government plans to make Britain the best place in the world to start a business, get a job and raise a family.
Announcing the Coalition’s last year of law-making, the Queen said a key priority would be to ‘build an economy that rewards those who work hard’.
In total, the Queen announced 12 new Bills, the lowest since 2009.
The speech is always in the Lords because no monarch has set foot in the House of Commons since Charles I entered the Commons and tried to arrest five Members of Parliament in 1642.
The Queen travelled to the Palace of Westminster in a new state coach, which incorporates fragments of the Mary Rose, timber from the Western Front and a musketball from Waterloo.
The speech is always in the Lords because no monarch has set foot in the House of Commons since Charles I entered the Commons and tried to arrest five Members of Parliament in 1642.
The Queen travelled to the Palace of Westminster in a new state coach, which incorporates fragments of the Mary Rose, timber from the Western Front and a musketball from Waterloo.
The moment a page boy collapsed as the Queen was still reading her speech as a concerned Charles and Camilla looked on
[SIZE=+0]Moment of drama amid the pomp and ceremony occurred eight minutes into the Gracious Address to MPs and peers [/SIZE]
Witnesses described hearing a 'loud thud' and a disturbance to the right of the throne as one of the page boys fainted
[SIZE=+0]Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall express concern as the page boy stumbled forward and fell to the floor [/SIZE]
The Queen continued he speech without missing a beat, referring to a 'comprehensive nuclear agreement with Iran'
Annual speech promised to make Britain the best place in the world to start a business, get a job and raise a family
By Matt Chorley, Mailonline Political Editor
4 June 2014
Daily Mail
Daily Mail
One of the Queen's page boys dramatically collapsed the middle of her speech to MPs and peers.
Witnesses described hearing a 'loud thud' as a young member of the procession fell to the floor to the right of the throne.
Prince Charles and Camilla looked on with concern as footmen rushed to the boy's aid, before apparently carrying him out of the Lords chamber.
The boys who carry out the role are known as pages of honour. They carried the Queen's train as she arrived in the Lords and performed the same role as she left, remaining in the chamber throughout the event.
The four pages of honour listed in today's programme were Hugo Bertie, Viscount Aithrie, Charles Armstrong-Jones and Arthur Chatto. It is not known which of the boys collapsed.
Around eight minutes and 53 seconds into the Queen's Speech, there was a disturbance behind Lord Hill, the leader of the Lords.
The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall, who were sat nearest to the boy, appeared to be among the first to notice what had happened.
Fell ill: In a moment of drama, one of these page boys appeared to collapse while the Queen was addressing MPs and peers in the House of Lords
Other footmen then carried the boy out of the chamber. The three remaining page boys assisted the Queen as she left the Lords after she completed the speech.
The incident occurred as the Queen told those assembled that the Government will work towards a 'comprehensive nuclear agreement with Iran'.
She continued reading the speech without appearing to break her stride, adding: 'The United Kingdom will lead efforts to prevent sexual violence in conflict worldwide.'
Today Her Majesty set out Government plans to make Britain the best place in the world to start a business, get a job and raise a family.
Announcing the Coalition’s last year of law-making, the Queen said a key priority would be to ‘build an economy that rewards those who work hard’.
David Cameron and Nick Clegg admitted there is still a ‘long way to go’ to rebuild Britain, but insisted they have not run out of ideas after four years in power.
A slimmed-down slate of just 12 new bills include major pension reforms, tax-free childcare, help for small business and legal crackdowns on trafficking, criminal gangs and parents who starve their children of love.
But to the surprise of some, there is no new legislation on schools or the NHS and no mention of tackling immigration.
Annual speech: Announcing the Coalition's last year of law-making, the Queen said a key priority would be to 'build an economy that rewards those who work hard'
After arriving in the Lords, Black Rod was sent to the Commons to summon MPs to hear the speech.
Labour MP Dennis Skinner, who has made a tradition of making a joke at this stage in the ceremony, today declared the raft of laws the ‘Coalition’s last stand’.
Last year he remarked ‘Royal Mail for sale. Queen's head privatised.’ And in 2006 he said: ‘Have you got Helen Mirren on standby?’
The government placed heavy emphasis on new efforts to help business, ease the squeeze on families, boost private pensions and crackdown on criminal gangs and people traffickers.
The speech included a pledge to continue to cut taxes, including rises in the amount workers can earn before paying income tax, while fuel duty will remain frozen.
A married couple’s allowance will be introduced to recognise marriage in the tax system.
A major package of measures aimed at boosting the economy will ‘help make the United Kingdom the most attractive place to start, finance and grow a business’.
The government said it wants to ‘back entrepreneurs who run our small business – the backbone of our economy – and those who are looking for work’.
Big pay-offs given to public sector workers as ‘golden goodbyes’ will be clawed back if they get another state-funded job.
The Infrastructure Bill will offer new incentives to encourage the exploration of shale gas through fracking, including amending trespass laws to allow pipelines under private homes.
Official studies suggest the equivalent of an extra 3-4billion barrels of oil could be recovered over the next 20 years, worth £200billion to the economy.
The planning process will be speeded up, while public bodies and state agencies will free up land for house building.
All homes must be zero-carbon, but new rules will allow developers to off-set the environment impact of construction on a different site.
A ‘revolution’ in pensions forms the centrepiece of the Government’s final legislative programme.
The Pensions Tax Bill will allow people to withdraw their funds when they retire, instead of being forced to take out an annuity which pays a guaranteed income until they die.
A separate Private Pensions Bill will create Dutch-style ‘collective schemes’ which allow members of a pensions fund to ‘pool risk’ and potentially increase incomes by up to 30 per cent.
While there is no new education bill, the Queen’s Speech did include existing commitments to open more Free Schools in England.
She also said the Government would continue the overhaul of GCSE and A level exams and provide free school meals to under-7s from this September.
From this autumn up to 40 per cent of the most disadvantaged two-year-olds will get 15 hours of free childcare a week.
All families are promised nursery bills under the Childcare Payments Bill. Parents will receive tax relief on money spent on childcare, worth up to £2,000 per year per child to help them to ‘go out to work if they want to and provide security for their families’.
For every £8 that a parent pays for childcare, the government will pay £2 up to a maximum of £2,000 for each child.
It will be launched in autumn 2015 for all children up to the age of 12, scrapping a plan to limit it to under-5s in the first year.
A Modern Slavery Bill will ensure victims of trafficking forced into beg or the sex trade will escape prosecution.
People traffickers will face ‘suitably severe punishments for these appalling rims – including life sentences’, the government said.
Perpetrators will also have to pay compensation to their victims.
A new law will protect have-a-go heroes and volunteers if they are later sued. The Social Action, Responsibility and Heroism Bill will ensure that ‘where a person acts heroically, responsibly or for the benefit of others, this will be taken into account by the courts’.
It follows fears that some people are put off volunteering or intervening to help those in need because of fears of being sued.
The Service Complaints Bill will improve the complaints system in the Armed Forces, creating a new ombudsman to stamp out bullying, harassment and discrimination.
A Serious Crime Bill will tackle child neglect, disrupt organised crime and increase powers to seize the proceeds of crime.
It includes a US-style anti-mafia law will prosecute lawyers, accountants and couriers who work for crime lords while paedophiles who download manuals on how to groom their victims to be treated like terrorists who possess bomb making guides.
There will also be tougher laws to tackle sexual exploitation and female genital mutilation, while a Cinderella Law will target parents who starve their children of love and affection.
There will also be new powers to deal with the threat from Britons returning home after fighting in Syria.
Corrupt MPs face being kicked out of the Commons under the Recall of MPs Bill.
Voters will be able to trigger a by-election if an MP has been found guilty of serious wrongdoing and 10 per cent of their constituency back a petition demanding a vote.
It includes where an MP is jailed for less than 12 months or if the Commons votes for a recall petition.
The Wales Bill will offer more power over taxation and investment to Wales while ministers will continue to make the case for Scotland to remain in the UK ahead of September’s independence referendum.
The coalition remains split on Europe, with the Lib Dems refusing to back Tory calls for a law to be passed now guaranteeing an in-out referendum by 2017.
Royal visit: The Queen and Prince Philip travel in the new Diamond Jubilee State Coach to deliver her speech for the State Opening of Parliament in the House of Lords at the Palace of Westminster today
However, the Queen did say: ‘My government will work to promote reform in the European Union, including a stronger role for member states and national parliaments.’
Both parties want to see ‘red cards’ to allow national governments, working together, can block new laws from Brussels, and ‘green cards’ to allow member states to make changes to existing legislation.
There are three draft bills: to allow direct elections to the bodies which run national parks; to improve compensation paid to people and business who suffer losses caused by riots; and t tackle abuse of charities.
Amid the pomp and ceremony of the State Opening of Parliament, the government hopes to show that with another year until the general election it has not lost its reforming zeal.
In her address to the MPs and Peers, the Queen said: ‘My government’s legislative programme will continue to deliver on its long-term plan to build and stronger economy and a fairer society.
‘To strengthen the economy and provide stability and security, my ministers will continue to reduce the country’s deficit, helping to ensure that mortgage and interest rates remain low.’
The Queen travelled to the Palace of Westminster in a new state coach, which incorporates fragments of the Mary Rose, timber from the Western Front and a musketball from Waterloo.
WHAT THE QUEEN ANNOUNCED
Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Bill
Cutting red-tape, easier access to loans, overhauling employment tribunals, £20,000 fines for not paying the minimum wage, crackdown on zero hours contracts, limit on public sector golden goodbyes
National Insurance Contributions Bill
Tackling avoidance and making payment easier for the self-employed
Infrastructure Bill
Increasing exploration of shale gas, turning Highways Agency into government-owned company, speeding up the planning system, controlling invasive non-native plants, freeing up public land for homes
Pension Tax Bill
Workers will be able to withdraw their pension funds as a lump sum, instead of taking out an annuity
Private Pensions Bill
Dutch-style collective pension schemes to pool risk between members
Childcare Payments Bill
Tax-free childcare worth up to £2,000 per year per child from September 2015 for under-12s
Modern Slavery Bill
Life sentences for people traffickers, protection from prosecution for victims and more powers to confiscate proceeds of crime
Social Action, Responsibility and Heroism Bill
Protection for volunteers and have-a-go heroes from being sued if things go wrong
Service Complaints Bill
A new watchdog to stamp out bullying and harassment in the armed forces
Serious Crime Bill
Lawyers and advisers to criminal gangs to face prosecution, new offence of possessing a ‘paedophile manual’, a Cinderella Law against parents who deprive children love and affection, extension of laws on female genital mutilation, prosecution of Britons suspected of committing terrorism abroad, including in Syria
Recall of MPs Bill
A by-election would be triggered if an MP is guilty of serous wrongdoing and 10 per cent of local electorate back the chance to have a vote
Wales Bill
Devolving stamp duty, offering a referendum on giving Cardiff control of some income tax
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