State Opening of Parliament

The State Opening of Parliament is a grand affair full of tradition. Britain’s Parliament closes over the summer months and the Houses of Parliament open to the public. Our government goes back to work in November, and Parliament officially opens again. The State Opening for the 2007-2008 session takes place on Tuesday 6 November.

For over 500 years, the ceremony has served as a symbolic reminder of the unity of Parliament’s 3 parts: the Queen, the House of Commons and the House of Lords.

First off, the Queen arrives at the Houses of Parliament. She goes to the House of Lords, where she’ll make her speech. Members of both the Lords and the Commons must be present for the Queen’s Speech, but the Queen can’t enter the House of Commons due to its independence from the Sovereign.

Next, one of the Queen’s officials called Black Rod (because of the black baton he carries) has to summon the members of the Commons. He walks from the House of Lords through the Central Lobby, which links the 2 Houses.

When Black Rod reaches the House of Commons, the door is slammed in his face and not opened again until he has banged on the door with his baton and states his name. This is a symbol of the Commons’ independence from the Queen.

The MPs then join Black Rod and walk through the Central Lobby to the House of Lords, where the Queen gives her speech, setting out Parliament’s business for the coming year. Although the Queen gives the speech, it’s actually the Government that draws up the content.

Once she’s finished her speech, the Queen leaves the Houses of Parliament and the government goes back to work. After the ceremony, each House meets separately to discuss and debate the contents of the Queen’s speech. 

More information:
• State Opening, visit Parliament UK – State Opening of Parliament (www.parliament.uk/faq/lords_stateopening.cfm#current).  
• British Government, visit our Government page.