State Opening of Parliament 1: 2002-2022

[sophie25]

I find it odd that some people think it archaic and out of touch for the monarch to wear a crown but are ok with the the idea of a monarchy in the first place. Those who think a hereditary monarchy is past it's sell by date won't stop thinking it simply because the King or Queen concerned stops wearing the crown jewels.

 

[Andy T]

it is highly likely that the UK will change radically in the years to come as the post-war, post-imperial Elizabethan era draws to a close. Commonwealth realms will become republics, the "House of Lords" as is will surely breathe its last breath and it's even perfectly plausible that the UK as it exists today will be no more in the not too distant future. At that point, the coinage, the flag, even the current royal coat of arms, will all become relics, too. With a new reality to adjust to, and so much consigned to history, whatever is left will have to reinvent itself, and the English monarchy, if that survives, will be no exception. I think it's likely that Kings Charles III and William V will look to the European monarchies to provide a blueprint for a pared down, toned down, style more appropriate to the diminished status and role of the country.

 

[Duc_et_Pair]

I find it odd that some people think it archaic and out of touch for the monarch to wear a crown but are ok with the the idea of a monarchy in the first place. Those who think a hereditary monarchy is past it's sell by date won't stop thinking it simply because the King or Queen concerned stops wearing the crown jewels.

A monarchy is an anomaly in a democratic state and these will ultimately disappear anyway. But let us say that the last 3 Popes had changed nothing, then the current Pope still would be wearing a triple papal tiara, is carried around on a sedia gestatoria resting on twelve shoulders, flanked by two aides waving the flabellae (ostrich feather fans) like in 1964... A custom of a millennium but disbanded in 1978.

After all, to paraphrase Bob Dylan: the times, they are changing. And Britain is changing as well. The Britain of 1952 is unrecognizeable from the Britain of 2021 and Elizabeth II has shown she can adapt. I am sure Charles, William and George can and will adapt too.

 

[wbenson]

What i also noticed is that on the side where Charles and Camilly have been seated yesterday they have put another red carpet over the red/golden carpet which covers the steps and place before the Throne. This wasn't done previously.

The red carpet was there because there was a temporary extension of one of the steps, which I assume was done to allow the appropriate amount of distance between the Queen and Charles.

 

[Kronprinz]

"Prince Charles is on standby to read the Queen's Speech at State Opening of Parliament on May 10 if ill-heath stops her from attending"

Daily Mail

Prince Charles is lined up to deliver the Queen's Speech at the state opening of parliament amid concerns she may not feel fit enough to attend.

 

[iceflower]

The rehearsal of the military units took place at dawn today, May 9:


** gettyimages gallery: GBR: Rehearsal For The State Opening Of Parliament **

 

[eya]

"Prince Charles is on standby to read the Queen's Speech at State Opening of Parliament on May 10 if ill-heath stops her from attending"

Daily Mail

Queen will not attend tomorrow


https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FSVRlTrWYAcaUWU?format=jpg&name=large


Prince Charles with Duke of Cambridge.

 

[An Ard Ri]

This will the first State Opening for the Duke of Cambridge?

From the BBC
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-61384527

 

[tommy100]

Yes I think it will be William's first time. I wonder if Catherine will attend with him.

Its sad HM doesn't feel up to it but given how her mobility issues have been affecting her I'm surprised it was even suggested a possibility.

 

[Saragli]

I know it's probably a long shot, but I hope to see the Duchess's of Cornwall and Cambridge in full regalia tomorrow. Sensible move from Her Majesty but one I'm sure she's probably disappointed about.

 

[wbenson]

I hadn't realized counsellors of state would be used for this. It makes perfect sense now that it's described, but I had imagined Charles, Camila, and William (the three privy counsellors in the family) being appointed as Lords Commissioners (which would be more clunky as the commission has to be read out).

 

[Duc_et_Pair]

The communiqué only mentions the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Cambridge. So not their spouses?

 

[wbenson]

We've seen so much variation in this event over the last six years that it's hard to have any expectations at all, but supposedly the Queen was going to wear day dress if she attended, so if that was true I'd expect morning suits and (if the duchesses attend at all) day dresses from the royal party. The dress code probably wouldn't change at the last minute.

Edit: Well, I was half right:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1523728288195428352

"#PrinceCharles will be in his Admiral of the Fleet uniform tomorrow while Prince William will be in a morning suit."

 

[Duc_et_Pair]

We've seen so much variation in this event over the last six years that it's hard to have any expectations at all, but supposedly the Queen was going to wear day dress if she attended, so if that was true I'd expect morning suits and (if the duchesses attend at all) day dresses from the royal party. The dress code probably wouldn't change at the last minute.

Edit: Well, I was half right:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1523728288195428352

"#PrinceCharles will be in his Admiral of the Fleet uniform tomorrow while Prince William will be in a morning suit."

Strange that the two royal gentlemen do not follow the same dresscode.

 

[Tatiana Maria]

Wouldn't the spouse(s) have been mentioned in the press release if their presence was planned? I do wonder why the Duke of Cambridge is accompanying his father instead of the Duchess of Cornwall, who has attended the opening of Parliament before.

Queen will not attend tomorrow


https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FSVRlTrWYAcaUWU?format=jpg&name=large


Prince Charles with Duke of Cambridge.

Would this be the first on the record statement from the palace (following its many anonymous source discussions with the media) that mobility problems are the main constraint on Queen Elizabeth's schedule at the moment?

It is interesting that as mentioned in many of the articles, on the only past occasions when Elizabeth missed the state opening of Parliament (1959 and 1963), the Lord Chancellor read out the Queen's Speech. Of course the Prince of Wales was too young to deputize for his mother but there were plenty of adult working royals back then. I wonder what has changed since 1963.

 

[Alison H]

Would this be the first on the record statement from the palace (following its many anonymous source discussions with the media) that mobility problems are the main constraint on Queen Elizabeth's schedule at the moment?

They said that the walking/standing was the issue with the garden parties.

I'm quite glad that they've said this. I'm sure everyone understands that a lady of 96 might have difficulties walking, and, whilst there hasn't really been any speculation that it's nothing more serious, they would have been if they hadn't made it clear. I hope that makes sense!

 

[tommy100]

William is also attending as the speech will be read by Charles in his role as Counsellor of State who always have to act in pairs - so two are needed to perform it on HM's behalf. That is why I'm not sure whether Camilla and Catherine are attending as well - both Charles and William have to attend for it to go ahead whereas Cams and Catherine would be merely "accompanying"

 

[sophie25]

I know it's probably a long shot, but I hope to see the Duchess's of Cornwall and Cambridge in full regalia tomorrow. Sensible move from Her Majesty but one I'm sure she's probably disappointed about.

Well it should not be a long shot unless the evening dresses and tiaras will now be gone forever but why should they be? Day dress came into it because of Covid but that's all but over now.

 

[VictoriaB]

The BBC and the Guardian are both reporting that Camilla will attend with Charles but there is no mention of Catherine attending.

 

[tommy100]

the guardian reports:

No other functions have been delegated by the Queen. The Duchess of Cornwall will also attend, although she is not a counsellor of state.

The new arrangement will leave the main throne empty during the ceremony, as Charles and Camilla take their usual seats, with William on the opposite side to Camilla. The imperial state crown will still travel to parliament

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news...-opening-of-parliament-says-buckingham-palace

 

[An Ard Ri]

The BBC and the Guardian are both reporting that Camilla will attend with Charles but there is no mention of Catherine attending.

I'm hoping that the duchess of Cambridge will be there.

 

[Stefan]

Well it should not be a long shot unless the evening dresses and tiaras will now be gone forever but why should they be? Day dress came into it because of Covid but that's all but over now.

I think they planned it with Day Dress because it would have been easier for HM if she had attended. And now it is too late to change. I think there will also be no Carriage procession and they will all arrive in Cars.

 

[yukari]

The Cambridges have a planned engagement tomorrow, anyone know what time it will be? Even though there's report that William still want to attend, but I think if it's too close then maybe Catherine will be on standby to go alone in case he doesn't make it, hence she won't accompany him to the State Opening. And maybe that's also why William will be in morning suit so he can jump from this to the next.

 

[Mbruno]

The Cambridges have a planned engagement tomorrow, anyone know what time it will be? Even though there's report that William still want to attend, but I think if it's to close then maybe Catherine will be on standby to go alone in case he doesn't make it, hence she won't accompany him to the State Opening. And maybe that's also why William will be in morning suit so he can jump from this to the next.

Doesn't William have to be present since at least two Counsellors of State must always be in attendance?

 

[duchessrachel]

Given how the dress for the State Opening of Parliament was day dress in 2017 due to a general election and then the same the past couple of years due to Covid, does anyone think that the pomp and circumstance of it will go away eventually for the Opening of Parliament? I know these situations required it and the one tomorrow does, but I hope people wanting to "modernize" the monarchy won't use these occasions as a spring board to doing away with it.

 

[wbenson]

I wonder what has changed since 1963.

I think the Queen's steady record of attendance, especially in the television age, has cemented it as a major royal occasion. There's now only one member of either house (Lord Trefgarne) who could have been there in 1963, and the event wasn't yet routinely televised. Early in the Queen's reign, there would have been memory of the illnesses of George VI and George V, and of the war years where the kings attended but it was a dressed-down occasion, etc. And of course, it was only in the 20th century that the monarch restarted attending as a rule; Queen Victoria only went a few times after she was widowed, and she didn't wear the crown or read the speech herself (Edward VII attended annually and read the speech himself, and George V wore the crown at the opening for the first time in ~50 years).

 

[yukari]

The Cambridges have a planned engagement tomorrow, anyone know what time it will be? Even though there's report that William still want to attend, but I think if it's too close then maybe Catherine will be on standby to go alone in case he doesn't make it, hence she won't accompany him to the State Opening. And maybe that's also why William will be in morning suit so he can jump from this to the next.

Doesn't William have to be present since at least two Counsellors of State must always be in attendance?

Just to clarify my comment, what I meant is that William still wants to attend the opening of the Glade of Light Memorial in Manchester today (his planned engagement which was announced a week ago). Let's see if it's time-permitted considering the travel from London to Manchester.

I'm not implying that he's forced or reluctant to be at the State Opening.

 

[Iluvbertie]

Given how the dress for the State Opening of Parliament was day dress in 2017 due to a general election and then the same the past couple of years due to Covid, does anyone think that the pomp and circumstance of it will go away eventually for the Opening of Parliament? I know these situations required it and the one tomorrow does, but I hope people wanting to "modernize" the monarchy won't use these occasions as a spring board to doing away with it.

The two main people wanting to 'modernise' the monarchy are Charles and William so I can see this as the way forward. It is very clear that Catherine isn't comfortable at the glam events where she has to wear a tiara and other jewels so I can see this as the way forward - fewer and fewer events with the bling.

The BRF is already down to only three events a year in the UK usually (State Opening of Parliament and two State Banquets) down from about 15-20 at the start of the Queen's reign where even a film premiere was a tiara event and all the royals attended the State Opening with all the bling.

 

[muriel]

The two main people wanting to 'modernise' the monarchy are Charles and William so I can see this as the way forward.

It may well be the case that the State Opening of Parliament is modernised and dress codes change in time, lets see.

It is very clear that Catherine isn't comfortable at the glam events where she has to wear a tiara and other jewels so I can see this as the way forward - fewer and fewer events with the bling.

I think Catherine has grown to be quite comfortable in gala wear and jewellery. I thought she looked quite uncomfortable at the Chinese state banquet (2015) which was her first state banquet. By the Dutch state banquet in 2018, she seemed quite comfortable and very much in her element. She has also been at several Diplomatic Receptions over the years, so I do not agree that she is still uncomfortable "at the glam events where she has to wear a tiara and other jewels"

The BRF is already down to only three events a year in the UK usually (State Opening of Parliament and two State Banquets) down from about 15-20 at the start of the Queen's reign where even a film premiere was a tiara event and all the royals attended the State Opening with all the bling.

There is no doubt that there are far fewer events now compared to 70 years ago that require a tiara to be worn. Society and social norms have evolved considerably in the time. Till a few years ago, we were down to the following tiara wearing events for the Queen:

> 2 incoming state visits
> 2 outgoing state visits, till HM stopped doing them around 2016. I suspect these will be back on in the next reign
> Diplomatic Reception
> State Opening of Parliament
> Order of Bath and Order of Thistle Service

So lets see how these evolve in the coming years.

 

[angieuk]

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10799027/ROBERT-HARDMAN-Queen-charge.html

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/ar...ning-Parliament-tomorrow-mobility-issues.html

Her mind is as sharp as ever; it's just the mobility issues are causing the problems. Charles and William will now attend. I think after the Jubilee, we will see less and less of the Queen, apart from on video cam.