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The State Opening of Parliament is an extremely important event
that marks the formal beginning of the Parliamentary year. It is
the only occasion that brings together the three components of the
legislature – The Sovereign, the House of Commons and the House of
Lords. The State Opening is mainly a ceremonial event, and attracts
large crowds and television audiences.
The ceremony begins when Her Majesty, along with the Duke of
Edinburgh, travel from Buckingham Palace to Westminster in a
carriage, escorted by the Household Cavalry. However, before The
Queen can leave Buckingham Palace, a few traditional precautions
take place to ensure her safety. To begin with, the Yeoman of the
Guard, the official Royal bodyguards, search the cellars of the
Palace of Westminster with lanterns. This practice dates back to
Gunpowder Plot of 1605 when, during the reign of King James I, the
cellars were stuffed with gunpowder in an attempt on the King’s
life. Nowadays, after this search is complete, a more thorough
search of the building and the surrounding areas is conducted by
the police.
Another custom is the holding of a
hostage, where a Member of Parliament is held at Buckingham Palace
to guarantee the safe return of The Queen. This tradition began
under Charles I’s rule, at a time when the relationship between the
monarch and Parliament was less than cordial. Nowadays, this
ritual is simply ceremonial and the MP taken hostage is
extremely well treated.
When Her Majesty arrives at the Houses of Parliament, she enters
through the Sovereign’s Entrance and goes to the Robing Room, where
she puts on the Robe of State and the State Imperial Crown, which
travels to Westminster in it’s own coach. The Opening of Parliament
is the only time of the year The Queen gets to wear the Crown. Once
Her Majesty is ready, she leads the Royal Procession to the
chamber of the House of Lords, where she takes the throne.
It is from the throne that The Queen delivers her famed speech,
also known as ‘The Queen’s Speech’. The speech is handed to Her
Majesty by the Lord Chancellor in a special silk bag, and although
it is read by The Queen, the speech is written entirely by the
government, outlining it’s policies and proposed legislation for
the coming year. After the completion of the speech, The Queen
leaves and the Parliament goes back to work.
Throughout her reign, The Queen has attended all the State Openings
except for on two occasions where, in 1959 and 1963, she was
pregnant with Prince Andrew and Prince Edward. The State Opening
did not take place in 2011 as a result of introduction of five-year
terms for the Parliaments, with elections held in every year
divisible by 5. This caused the shifting of the ceremony from the
month of November to May. For that reason, the date set for this
year’s Opening, 3rd June, is an unusual one.
Her Majesty’s attendance at the event was announced by the leader
of the House of Commons, Andrew Lansley. As with last year, the
Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall are expected to accompany
The Queen to the State Opening of Parliament this year.
Photo credit: UK Parliament via photopin
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Geez, guys…”in it’s own coach” – “outlining it’s policies” – really?