State Opening of Parliament 1: 2002-2022


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In the May issue of Vanity Fair there is an interview with the Marquess of Cholmondeley. He briefly discusses his role as Lord Great Chamberlain and the opening of Parliament. Apparently he rather regrets the Queen's decision that he should no longer walk backwards when leading the procession. He thought it was a nice bit of tradition. I thought it interesting that the thrones occupied by HM and the DofE are not kept at Westminster but in fact are kept in a state room at Lord Cholmondeley's estate Houghton Hall in Norfolk. There is a picture of them in the article. The thrones are only brought to Westminster when needed for the opening of Parliament.
Since HMs Sandringham estate borders on Houghton I suppose she could pop over to check on the thrones if she wanted to.
 
william never were with the queen in the state opering of parliament?? (he was in 1981 in diana's bump)
 
Nice video, Nice ceremony.
But one thing I am very upset with is the way they treated Mark Phillips.
Couldnt they give him a chair?
It is so awkward for him to stand with the Ladies-in-Waiting when in his wife and all in-laws were seated royally.
If you say he is non-royal and not a peer, then he shouldnt be invited to the ceremony in the first place.
Once he accompanies his wife, he should be given the same status, albeit one step behind..
No self-respecting man can tolerate this kind of shabby treatment for long.
No wonder he left her for other woma(e)n..
 
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This year will be fascinating and watched closely, if not for the speech {which is expected to be particularly 'thin'} but because of the presence of the Prince of Wales {after a number of years absence}, and the Duchess of Cornwall.

Perhaps this is a sign of things to come, with the presence of the heirs a regular, even annual event.
 
Dman said:
State Opening of Parliament: 1981-
Attended by The Prince & Princess of Wales, HRH Princess Anne, TRH Duchesses of Kent & Gloucester.

The State Opening of Parliament - 1981 - YouTube
Click to expand...

Thanks for posting that,I really enjoyed watching that footage.It was a real peek into the past with all the royal ladies and peeresses dressed in their formal attire and tiaras.In a way I prefer the old State Openings of Parliament in the UK and other monarchies.
 
An Ard Ri said:
Thanks for posting that,I really enjoyed watching that footage.It was a real peek into the past with all the royal ladies and peeresses dressed in their formal attire and tiaras.In a way I prefer the old State Openings of Parliament in the UK and other monarchies.
Click to expand...

I do too. I love watching all the pomp and circumstance and really like traditions that go back centuries. On the other hand, I wouldn't cross the street to see a US President inaugurated. :cool:
 
Osipi said:
I do too. I love watching all the pomp and circumstance and really like traditions that go back centuries. On the other hand, I wouldn't cross the street to see a US President inaugurated. :cool:
Click to expand...

Nor would I for the Irish version either ;)
 
vkrish said:
Nice video, Nice ceremony.
But one thing I am very upset with is the way they treated Mark Phillips.
Couldnt they give him a chair?
It is so awkward for him to stand with the Ladies-in-Waiting when in his wife and all in-laws were seated royally.
If you say he is non-royal and not a peer, then he shouldnt be invited to the ceremony in the first place.
Once he accompanies his wife, he should be given the same status, albeit one step behind..
No self-respecting man can tolerate this kind of shabby treatment for long.
No wonder he left her for other woma(e)n..
Click to expand...

Mark was a Personal ADC to HM. ADCs who are not peers stand just like a lady in waiting does. I rather doubt the seating arrangements at the Opening of Parliament had anything to do with his infidelity towards either his first or his second wife.
 
I too enjoy the State Opening of Parliament ceremony but I also like the Presidential Inaugurations. I'm hoping The Prince of Wales & Duchess of Cornwall's attendance at Wednesday's ceremony means they will attend annually and The Cambridge's and Prince Harry will start attending at some point. I think it would be good to see the new faces of the Monarchy attend this event.
 
Maybe will see the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge next year (I can't wait to see the Duchess with a tiara and the Royal Family Order).

Prince Harry will join when her marries, or perhaps before that.
 
The normal routine in the past was for them all to attend and then in the 90s it was decided that it was over the top to have them all there.

I see no reason for anyone other than the monarch and the heir to attend at all and even question any reason for the heir to be there.
 
Osipi said:
I do too. I love watching all the pomp and circumstance and really like traditions that go back centuries. On the other hand, I wouldn't cross the street to see a US President inaugurated. :cool:
Click to expand...

Depending on who is elected, I might not like the man in the office, but I respect the Office itself. So as a part of my own American history, yes, I'd like to see an Inauguration in person. It may not have the pizazz of British parliament, but I think we've got nothing to be ashamed of.
 
Iluvbertie said:
The normal routine in the past was for them all to attend and then in the 90s it was decided that it was over the top to have them all there.

I see no reason for anyone other than the monarch and the heir to attend at all and even question any reason for the heir to be there.
Click to expand...

I actually thought it was beautiful when several members of the royal family attended the Opening. The New Labour party of the 90's thought the ceremony was too grand (according to the DM) and decided to scale back the ceremony a bit.

I think it would be okay for Charles & Camilla, William & Catherine to attend. Perhaps having the Kent's and Gloucester's in attendance would be too much today. I think the Cambridge's will be attending anyway when Charles is on the throne. I think it's just one of the ways The Queen and palace officials are trying to bring the new faces of the Monarchy to the forefront.
 
COESpiral said:
Depending on who is elected, I might not like the man in the office, but I respect the Office itself. So as a part of my own American history, yes, I'd like to see an Inauguration in person. It may not have the pizazz of British parliament, but I think we've got nothing to be ashamed of.
Click to expand...

I couldn't agree more!
 
As usual DMAN thanks so much for the links, so useful for us abroad.

Interesting fact : The Prince and the Duchess will not share the Queen's carriage and will have their very own procession.
 
:previous: Wasnt it the same in '81 also..
Only in late 60s, I believe, all four of them (E,P,C,A) used to come in the same carriage..
 
Charles & Diana used to travel with The Queen & Prince Philip in the same carriage everynow and then. Now that Charles & Camilla will travel in their own carriage, they will enter another entrance and wait for The Queen to enter.
 
But even in the video you posted, Charles and Diana arrived in a separate carriage and waited for Queen and DoE to arrive, and joined behind them in the procession..Charles and Camilla will do the same now..
 
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