The State Opening of Parliament formally marks the beginning of a session of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.
Queen Victoria at the State Opening of Parliament
Source picture: Wikipedia
It includes a speech from the throne known as the Queen's Speech (or King's Speech).
The event takes place in the House of Lords chamber on the first day of a new session, which is usually in May or June, and traditionally in November, but can occur at any time of year depending on the timing of General Elections and parliamentary session start dates.
It takes place in front of both Houses of Parliament. The monarch, wearing the Imperial State Crown, reads a speech that has been prepared by his or her government outlining its plans for that
parliamentary year. In 1974, when two general elections were held, there were two State Openings.
Queen Elizabeth II has opened every session of Parliament since her accession in 1952, except in 1959, 1963, and 2022. In 1959 and 1963, she was pregnant with Prince Andrew and Prince Edward respectively and those two sessions were opened by Lords Commissioners, headed by the Archbishop of Canterbury (Geoffrey Fisher in 1959 and Michael Ramsey in 1963), empowered by the Queen. The Lord Chancellor (Viscount Kilmuir in 1959 and Lord Dilhorne in 1963) read the Queen's Speech on those occasions.
The Queen will also miss the 2022 State Opening, and her son Charles, Prince of Wales will read the Queen's Speech on behalf of his mother. The Duchess of Cornwall and the Duke of Cambridge will accompany him. Is this perhaps the end of an era?
Traditions
King Edward VII and Alexandra
source picture: Wikipedia
Before the monarch departs from Buckingham Palace the Treasurer, Comptroller and Vice-Chamberlain of the Queen's Household (all of whom are government whips) deliver ceremonial white staves to her.
The Lord Chamberlain, on behalf of the monarch, keeps the hostage MP (usually the Vice-Chamberlain) "prisoner" for the duration of the state opening, by tradition as a surety for the safe return of the monarch.
The hostage MP is well entertained until the successful conclusion of the ceremony, when they are released upon the safe return of the Queen. The Vice-Chamberlain's imprisonment is now purely ceremonial, though they do remain under guard; originally, it guaranteed the safety of the Sovereign as they entered a possibly hostile Parliament.
The tradition stems from the time of Charles I, who had a contentious relationship with Parliament and was eventually beheaded in 1649 during the Civil War between the monarchy and Parliament.
A copy of Charles I's death warrant is displayed in the robing room used by the monarch as a ceremonial reminder of what can happen to a monarch who attempts to interfere with Parliament.
The speech
The monarch reads a prepared speech, known as the "Speech from the Throne" or the "Queen's Speech", outlining the Government's agenda for the coming year. The speech is written by the Prime Minister and their cabinet members, and reflects the legislative agenda for which the Government seeks the agreement of both Houses of Parliament.
The whole speech is addressed to "My Lords and Members of the House of Commons", with one significant exception that the monarch says specifically, "Members of the House of Commons, estimates for the public services will be laid before you", since the budget is constitutionally reserved to the Commons.
The monarch reads the entire speech in a neutral and formal tone, implying neither approval nor disapproval of the proposals of Her Government: the monarch makes constant reference to "My Government" when reading the text. After listing the main bills to be introduced during the session, the monarch states: "Other measures will be laid before you", thus leaving the government scope to introduce bills not mentioned in the speech. The monarch mentions any state visits that she intends to make and also any planned state visits of foreign heads of state to the United Kingdom during the parliamentary session. The monarch concludes the speech in saying: "My Lords and Members of the House of Commons, I pray that the blessing of Almighty God may rest upon your counsels".
The departure
Following the speech, the monarch and his or her retinue leave the chamber. The monarch bows to both sides of the House of Peers and then leaves the chamber, in the reverse order of the usual procession, before the Commons bow again and return to their Chamber.
Are traditions boring? Absolutely not! I always like to know the background behind certain events. In this case they are funny and useful as well.
Source pictures: wikipedia
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