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Coronations
Epiphany
Garden Parties
Garter Services
Investitures
Maundy Services
Royal Funerals
State Visits
The Ambassadors
 The State
Opening of Parliament marks the start of the parliamentary session.
It
occurs when Parliament reassembles after a general election, and each subsequent
year, in the November. At 1130hrs Her Majesty is seated in the Royal
Throne ready to deliver the Glorious Speech (Queen's Speech). The speech is
written however by the Prime Minister and Cabinet, and outlines the Government
policies and legislative programme for the new Parliamentary session. The
speech is presented from the Throne in the House of Lords in the presence of
members of both Houses, the Commons having been summoned to hear the speech by
'Black Rod'. In a symbol of the Commons' independence, the door to their
chamber is slammed in his face and not opened until he has knocked on the door
with his staff of office.
However
some hours of ceremony and tradition have been re-enacted prior to the speech's
delivery. A contingent of The Queen's Body Guard of the Yeomen of the
Guard carry out their search of the vaults of the Palace of Westminster.
Armed with swords and their lanterns, possibly the same lanterns used by
their predecessors four hundred and fifty years ago on morning 5 November 1605
when they thwarted the
Gun Powder
Plot,
they march in single file along the passages and uneven staircases, beneath the
Palace of Westminster ensuring that 'all is secure' for the ceremony to
continue.
 The doors of the Palace are closed to the
public from 1030hrs. Invited guests have already taken their seats in the
Royal Gallery to the left and right of the aisle waiting in anticipation for the
grand procession.
The Honourable Corp of Gentlemen at Arms assemble at the
top of the Sovereign's Staircase whilst The Queen's Body Guard of the Yeomen of
the Guard and a dismounted detachment of the Household Cavalry assemble in Royal
Court. At 1044hrs the Household Cavalry march in column through the Norman
Porch and line the Sovereign's Staircase. At 1047hrs The Queen's Body
Guard of the Yeomen of the Guard enter the Norman Porch in column and ascend the
Sovereign's Staircase and enter the Royal Gallery. The Body Guard is
positioned at the sides of the Royal Gallery and will form a Guard of Honour for
Her Majesty and The Sovereign's Procession. At 1052 The
Gentlemen at Arms
move from the top of The Sovereign's Staircase, through the Royal Gallery and
into the Prince's Chamber. At the same time The Crown, the
Cap of
Maintenance and the Sword of State arrive at the Sovereign's Staircase. At
1055hrs they are carried under escort up the Staircase and into the Royal
Gallery. At 1100hrs the Officers of Arms proceed from the Prince's Chamber
to the Sovereign's Staircase. At 1104hrs the Crown is borne by the Lord
Great Chamberlain into the Robing Room. At 1107hrs the
Lord High
Chancellor enters the Royal Gallery from the Prince's Chamber, joins the Lord
Privy Seal at the top of the Sovereign's Staircase and then proceeds with him
to the foot of the Staircase to await the arrival of Her Majesty. At
1110hrs The Peers appointed to carry the
Cap of Maintenance and the Sword of
State enter the Royal Gallery from the Prince's Chamber.
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 Her
Majesty The Queen, accompanied by His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of
Edinburgh, arrives at the Sovereign's Entrance at 1115hrs. Her Majesty is
received by the Lord Great Chamberlain and the Earl Marshal and conducted thence
to the Robing Room. The Heralds and Pursuivants proceed to the Chamber of
the House of Lords, entering through the doorway on the left. The
Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod proceeds to Central Lobby. Those remaining in
the leading part of the Procession proceed to the Royal Gallery. Those in
the rear part of the Procession assemble and halt at the entrance of the Royal
Gallery.
At 1120hrs
The Cap of Maintenance and the
Sword
of State are handed to the Peers appointed to carry them, who then join the
leading part of the Procession in the Royal Gallery.
At 1127hrs Her Majesty, having put on the Royal
Robes and wearing the Imperial Crown, enters the Royal Gallery and proceed in
State to the Chamber of the House of Lords.
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8 May 2013 Procession: |
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Clarenceux King
of Arms,
Norray and Ulster King of Arms, the
Serjeants at Arms, the Ladies in
Waiting enter the Lords Chamber through the
doorway on the left, the remainder of the Procession entering through the
doorway on the right.
At 1130hrs Her
Majesty being seated on the Throne, the Peer bearing the
Cap of Maintenance
stands on the right and the Peer bearing the
Sword of State stands on the left
of Her Majesty, on the steps of the Throne. The
Lord Chancellor, the
Lord
Privy Seal and the
Earl Marshal stand on the right of Her Majesty. The
Lord Great Chamberlain stands on the steps of the Throne, on the left of Her
Majesty, to receive the Royal Commands. The Officers of Her Majesty's
Household arrange themselves on each side of the steps of the throne in the rear
of the
Great Officers of State.
The Queen is
not allowed to enter The House of Commons (the Chamber where elected Members of
Parliament deliberate) so Her Majesty
commands the
Gentleman
Usher of the Black Rod (Black Rod) to proceed from Central Lobby to summon the Speaker and
Members of the House of Commons to the Bar of the House of Lords. Upon
their arrival, the
Lord High Chancellor presents The Queen with The Glorious Speech that has been kept safe in his
Woolsack; The Glorious Speech, which
sets out Government policy for the coming year, is
read by Her Majesty.
When Her
Majesty retires, the Procession returns through the Royal Gallery in the same
order as before. Her Majesty proceeds to the Robing Room and removes her robes. Her Majesty is then conducted to the State Carriage by the Earl
Marshal and the Lord Great Chamberlain, preceded by the Officers of Arms.
As soon as Her Majesty has departed, the Crown, the
Cap of Maintenance and the
Sword of State and carried under escort to the Sovereign's Entrance. Her
Majesty's Judges proceed through the Royal Gallery to the Sovereign's Entrance.
The
Gentlemen at Arms, having handed in their axes, proceed to the Norman Porch
followed by the Yeomen of the Body Guard. The Household Cavalry close and
dismiss.
Taken from The Ceremonial to be Observed
At the Opening of Parliament signed by
Earl Norfolk, Earl Marshal
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