https://tweedlandthegentlemansclub.blogspot.com/2010/11/her-majestys-bodyguard-of-honourable.html
https://tweedlandthegentlemansclub.blogspot.com/2017/11/a-tale-of-decay-houses-of-parliament.html
State Opening of Parliament 2021
11 May 2021
https://www.parliament.uk/business/news/2021/april/state-opening-of-parliament-2021/
The State
Opening of Parliament on Tuesday 11 May marks the formal start of the
parliamentary year and the Queen's Speech sets out the government’s agenda for
the new session.
State
Opening
The State
Opening of Parliament is the main ceremonial event in the parliamentary
calendar and marks the start of the parliamentary year.
This year's
ceremony is a reduced, COVID-secure event.
The timings
for the 11 May State Opening are the same as in previous years: the main parts
of the ceremony take place between 11am and 12.30pm.
Queen’s
Speech
Central to
the ceremony is the Queen's Speech. Written by the government, it is read out
by the Queen from the Throne in the House of Lords chamber. The speech contains
an outline of government policies and proposed legislation for the new
parliamentary session.
Back to
work
When the
Queen leaves, a new parliamentary session starts and Parliament gets back to
work. Both Houses agree an ‘Address in Reply to Her Majesty’s Gracious Speech’
and debate the content of the speech.
House of
Commons debate
Members of
the House of Commons debate the planned legislative programme for several days,
looking at different subject areas. The Queen's Speech is voted on by the
Commons.
House of
Lords debate
The House
of Lords debates the different subject areas of the speech over five days.
After which, bills are introduced and the Lords returns to work shaping laws,
holding the government to account and investigating important issues of the
day.
State Opening of
Parliament"
The opening
ceremony of Parliament which traditionally takes place between November and
December of each year, in the architectural ensemble known as "Houses of
Parliament" in London , constitutes one of the great surviving moments of
the unique conjugation between "Decor", ( The magnificent and
iniguanável architectural set ) attributes, (heraldry,
uniforms,banners,objects- constricting a phenomenon of "Pageantry"
unique) and Symbolic Ceremonial ( Set of series of processions , militaria and
voices of command, music, moments of deep symbolism with regard to the
Political Constitution and its principles and values-"Pomp and
Circumstance"). This Act reveals and symbolizes, ritualizes and proves, as
the unique union between constitutional and democratic monarchy and its
political constitution enrich, guarantee and safeguard the Metaphysics of the
State and the Heterogeneous Patriotic Union of the United Kingdom.
Firstly, in a
symbolic act, the beefeeters of the Palace of Westminster are searched, thus
recalling the attempt of the attack in 1605 by the Catholics, which aimed at
the destruction of Parliament and the mass murder of the Protestant king james
I and the aristocracy at the same time.
Before the
departure of the Royal Procession of Buckingham Palace, the Queen's residence,
the Crown takes a member of the Commons to the Palace as a symbolic
"Hostage" in order to ensure the Queen's safe entry into Parliament.
Here we already have several symbolic acts of a Monarchy without absolute power
and dependent on the People's Will and its Democratically Elected
Representatives. The "Hostage" is returned to Parliament and the
House of Commons after the Queen's safe arrival.
Also before the
departure of the Queen and her Procession towards Parliament the Imperial State
Crown is transported, with Circumstance, in its own carriage. She and two other
symbols and attributes of monarchical authority and law, The sword of State and
The Cap of Maintenance are transported in the initial procession already inside
to be exhibited at the Royal Gallery of the same Palace of Westminster.
The Queen arrives
at the Palace of Westminster, in the whole of the "Houses of
Parliament", accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh and enters the Palace
via the Victoria Tower. The Union Flag is replaced by the Royal banner. It is
at this moment of entry that the voices of command of the regiments present are
heard in no way and interval.
After having worn
The Robes of State and placed The Imperial State Crown the Queen proceeds in
Cortejo through the Royal Gallery towards the House of Lords. There is still a
particularity ... on this route two (used to be four) of their companions,
those in front, walk back wards all the way so that they never turn their backs
on the sovereign and the symbols that accompany her.
The custom of
always using the House of Lords for the ceremony began in the 17th century,
after Charles I in 1642 entered the House of Commons with his guard in order to
arrest five members of the Commons. The Speaker refused to turn them in. After
this incident, no monarch entered the House of Commons again.
This fact is
important for the symbolic act i am going to describe... After the Queen and
Duke of Edinburgh's entry into the House of Lords and Queen has uttered the
famous phrase "My Lords pray be seated", Lord Great Chamberlain
elevates his symbol of office and signals instruction to the Gentleman Usher of
the Black Rod, a character dressed in black, to address the House of Commons in
order to call on the Commons to come and watch the Queen's Speech ... and... in
a moment of a sublime symbolism ... the door is closed to him in the face,
preventing his entry and thus affirming the authority of the Commons Elected by
the People before the Royal Emissary. Only after he has knocked on the door three
times with his stick (the Black Rod) is admitted. Having entered, he addressed
the Speaker and pronounced the famous phrase "Mr/Madam Speaker, The Queen
commands this honourable House to attend Her Majesty immediately in the House
of Peers"
The members of
the Commons, accompanied by the Ceremonial Staff, form an informal procession
of two to two, led by the leaders of the two parties, where it is tradition a
certain informality, conversation and ironies, in order to symbolize their
freedom.
Members of the
House of Commons, the Queen begins reading the Speech written by the Cabinet in
power, and where the political programme of the year that begins is revealed
... the Queen reads the speech without emothes in order to accentuate her
neutrality and impartiality.
JEEVES / TWEEDLAND
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