State Opening of Parliament 1: 2002-2022


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It was too hot yesterday for a 96 old man in Ascot.
I think we will se more and more the Queen with the Prince of Wales
 
The Queen mentioned in her opening speech the state visit of the Kings of Spain to the United Kingdom to be held from July 12 to 14: "Prince Philip and I yearn to receive his Majesty King Philip and Queen Letizia Of Spain in July. "
The Queen did not speak of Donald Trump's visit, which indicates that it will have been canceled.
 
There have been several reports hitting our news feed that as The Queen did not mention a state visit from the US to the UK, it has been postponed or canceled. This, however is still speculation as there has been no official word from the White House on the matter as of yet.

It may be postponed or even canceled and perhaps its just that the date has not been set yet. We'll see what happens when it happens. :D
 
Even stranger to see how frail and aged Prince Charles looked. Especially considering he is the Queen's replacement !
I don't think Charles looked frail at all.

I think we will se more and more the Queen with the Prince of Wales
We will probably see HM with a lots of family members. We've seen her with William on two occasions after the so-called retirement announcement of Philip, and since he (William) is close to her, then I ecpect seing more of him accompanying her. But on occasions like today, we will (I think) see her with Charles.

The State Opening from the BBC - without commentary:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xk_pi_nq838
 
No Charles don't look frail, but he always look bored at this event. I always think he rather be reading these speeches. Those days are coming though.

The Queen looked beautiful at the State Opening.

I too noticed the US State Visit wasn't mentioned, but the Spanish State Visit was. I really don't blame the U.K. for not embracing the Visit.
 
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Lets not assume anything until we have the absolute facts. There could be many reasons why the state visit was not mentioned. We do not know that the UK "isn't embracing" a state visit from the USA.
 
A state visit of a US president to the UK is always a big thing and would not be announced until all details are sorted out.

Unless there's any official announcement on this, not being mentioned in the speech doesn't mean much.
 
I thought it all looked stylish. My advice would be: drape the ermine mantle over the throne, à la Sweden and place the Imperial State Crown an a cushion close to the throne. It will help the Queen not to wear a heavy crown and mantle. In my personal opinion it is also a bit awkward to see a lady, bedecked by unbelievable priceless jewels, announcing cuts and taxes to be imposed in the coming legislature. A bit of finetuning is enough. The ceremonials like the carriage ride, the colourful pageantry, the ceremonials etc. will remain.

We have seen changed anyway: no more the backward walking of the Lord Chancellor after offering the Speech. No more wigs on the Speakers of both Houses. Peerresses without long robes and big jewels. Things have been changing slowly.
 
Nowadays, bowing and curtseying should always be optional. No one should be criticised for doing it or not doing it.

And to be honest I think the Queen couldn't care less. I think there'll be a time when royals will ask people not to do it. At I would be embarrassed.
 
Nowadays, bowing and curtseying should always be optional. No one should be criticised for doing it or not doing it.

And to be honest I think the Queen couldn't care less. I think there'll be a time when royals will ask people not to do it. At I would be embarrassed.

That practice is already absent at a number of royal courts, for an example the three Benelux monarchies, the three Scandinavian monarchies. Aside members of the royal family it is rare to see ladies go down the knees or gentlemen bowing. Not that it is forbidden, but the people are simply informed that a handshake is perfect. I have the idea thay with Charles and for sure with William this will become more rare indeed.
 
That practice is already absent at a number of royal courts, for an example the three Benelux monarchies, the three Scandinavian monarchies. Aside members of the royal family it is rare to see ladies go down the knees or gentlemen bowing. Not that it is forbidden, but the people are simply informed that a handshake is perfect. I have the idea thay with Charles and for sure with William this will become more rare indeed.

People are already told it's up to them whether they bow or curtsey. There is a documentary showing an investiture and when investees are being taken through what will happen they are told that at a certain point bow or curtsey "if you think it's appropriate". I think the programme was Monarchy.

I always get the impression that the Daily Mail cares more than the Royal Family about that sort of thing.
 
I found it poignant to see The Prince of Wales on that seat. For me it was a symbolic picture. The Prince looked very much alike his great-uncle King Edward VIII, I must say.

Picture.
 
What a terrible error from the Queen and her staff to have her wearing that hat to this occasion. Right up there with Maxima wearing that dress with what looked, to anyone with eyes in their head, to be swastikas on it to Germany.

Given how many staff these people have, mistakes like this simply shouldn't happen.

Kate gets raked over hot coals for the tiniest little thing with her clothes. Had she worn a hat that looks a heck of a lot like the hated (in the UK at least) EU flag to make her most political speech of the year live to the nation on TV she would have been slaughtered on these boards. Let today be the end of the myth, much repeated here, that the Queen never gets her wardrobe wrong.
 
Fashion like beauty is in eye if beholder. There are people on this board who Kate could wear a paper bag and purple Mohawk, and she would be called best dressed. Trend setter. Fashion queen.

I am sorry, but the comparison to the European flag is muck raking at best :bang:

It's a blue hat with blue daisies. The yellow centres are to match her yellow dress. Her outfits are coordinated so every piece is custom made to match each.

Now if she had a hat with yellow stars around it, I could see complaining.
 
What a terrible error from the Queen and her staff to have her wearing that hat to this occasion. Right up there with Maxima wearing that dress with what looked, to anyone with eyes in their head, to be swastikas on it to Germany.

Given how many staff these people have, mistakes like this simply shouldn't happen.

Kate gets raked over hot coals for the tiniest little thing with her clothes. Had she worn a hat that looks a heck of a lot like the hated (in the UK at least) EU flag to make her most political speech of the year live to the nation on TV she would have been slaughtered on these boards. Let today be the end of the myth, much repeated here, that the Queen never gets her wardrobe wrong.

In her long, long Reign Her Majesty has seen her European Realms going sluggish for decades and even through never-seen lows in the middle of the 1970's: the Winter of Discontent comes to mind, or even the then unimaginable which became reality: the IMF had to bail out the United Kingdom because the Bank of England had to withdraw from the foreign exchange market, due to the totally collapsed Pound.

The entrance of the United Kingdom to the (then) European Community, the Single Market and the Customs Union has given the nation so much. Today's United Kingdom is a far cry from the impoverished state it was in. All this was achieved during the full membership of the largest economic bloc in the world. The UK owes a lot to the close-knit, border-free, EU-wide trade. I would say: Her Majesty knows her classics and she has not forgotten that 48% of her fellow British citizens, and the majority in three of her European Realms have voted to remain...

Three cheers for the Queen!

:flowers:
 
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Fashion like beauty is in eye if beholder. There are people on this board who Kate could wear a paper bag and purple Mohawk, and she would be called best dressed. Trend setter. Fashion queen.

I am sorry, but the comparison to the European flag is muck raking at best :bang:

It's a blue hat with blue daisies. The yellow centres are to match her yellow dress. Her outfits are coordinated so every piece is custom made to match each.

Now if she had a hat with yellow stars around it, I could see complaining.

There's also the fact that hats are not created overnight. For all we know, this outfit worn at the State Opening of Parliament was thought up a year ago, on the designing board for the Queen 8 months ago and actually sewn up and fashioned to fit 4 months ago. Its highly doubtful that the circumstances of that day in Parliament were behind the creation.

I actually found myself trying to figure out if the the dress HM was wearing underneath the coats for the day was the same pattern and all HM had to do to "change up" her outfits between the State Opening and Ascot was switch coats and hats. Blue and yellow seemed to be the colors of the day. :D
 
In her long, long Reign Her Majesty has seen her European Realms going sluggish for decades and even through never-seen lows in the middle of the 1970's: the Winter of Discontent comes to mind, or even the then unimaginable which became reality: the IMF had to bail out the United Kingdom because the Bank of England had to withdraw from the foreign exchange market, due to the totally collapsed Pound.

The entrance of the United Kingdom to the (then) European Community, the Single Market and the Customs Union has given the nation so much. Today's United Kingdom is a far cry from the impoverished state it was in. All this was achieved during the full membership of the largest economic bloc in the world. The UK owes a lot to the close-knit, border-free, EU-wide trade. I would say: Her Majesty knows her classics and she has not forgotten that 48% of her fellow British citizens, and the majority in three of her European Realms have voted to remain...

Three cheers for the Queen!

:flowers:

What 'three' European realms voted?

The UK of GB and NI voted I know that - one realm. What were the other two?

Remember she is the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, not the Queen of England, Queen of Scotland, Queen of Wales or Queen of Northern Ireland as separate realms but of the UK only.

Northern Ireland and Scotland voted to remain.

England and Wales voted to leave.

However as they are one country one realm voted to leave and that is the way a democracy works - the majority rules and the minority has to accept that decision.

Please tell me what are the other realms of Europe of which the Queen is Queen that even had the chance to vote.
 
What 'three' European realms voted?

The UK of GB and NI voted I know that - one realm. What were the other two?

Remember she is the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, not the Queen of England, Queen of Scotland, Queen of Wales or Queen of Northern Ireland as separate realms but of the UK only.

Northern Ireland and Scotland voted to remain.

England and Wales voted to leave.

However as they are one country one realm voted to leave and that is the way a democracy works - the majority rules and the minority has to accept that decision.

Please tell me what are the other realms of Europe of which the Queen is Queen that even had the chance to vote.

Scotland: remain
Northern Ireland; remain
Gibraltar: remain
Wales: leave
England: leave
Overall: 48,11 to remain and 51,89 to leave.
 
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I'm going to choose to believe the extremely well-connected and respected BBC Political Editor Laura Keunssberg (a Scot working for a pro-Remain organisation in the BBC) who said, after the Referendum, that she understood from a most impeccable, high placed source within Buckingham Palace that the Queen did indeed make comments at a dinner that made clear her preference for the UK to leave the EU and become once more a sovereign and independent nation.

This was dismissed as muckraking from the Leave campaign and The Sun before the referendum and BP took a very dim view of the comments being reported, but it is now generally accepted that the Queen did make pro-leave comments privately.

Which makes the hat yesterday even more inexplicable.
 
That practice is already absent at a number of royal courts, for an example the three Benelux monarchies, the three Scandinavian monarchies. Aside members of the royal family it is rare to see ladies go down the knees or gentlemen bowing. Not that it is forbidden, but the people are simply informed that a handshake is perfect. I have the idea thay with Charles and for sure with William this will become more rare indeed.

I don't know about Norway, but bowing and curstying are still pretty standard in Denmark. It is only in Sweden really that they have fallen somewhat out of use.
 
Scotland: remain
Northern Ireland; remain
Gibraltar: remain
Wales: leave
England: leave
Overall: 48,11 to remain and 51,89 to leave.

You referred to 'three realms'. These are NOT different realms but the same one - the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. So ONE realm voted to leave as only one realm is a member of the EU. There is only ONE realm in the EU - the rest are in places like the Americas, Africa or the Pacific but not in Europe.

The Queen is NOT the Queen of England for instance or Queen of Scotland. Neither of those are titles she holds or countries of which she is Queen. She was crowned Queen of the UK of GB and NI - one country not four or five separate realms.

There are 16 realms - Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Canada, Grenada, Jamaica, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and Grenadines, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, UK. Note that only one of those realms is in the UK.

In a democracy the majority rules and that is the 51.89% that voted to leave. If 50.01% had voted to leave it is still a majority and thus they would have left.
 
In any case the Queen is also monarch over the 48,11 % of her fellow countrymen who thought that leaving the European Union was not a particularly good idea at all. As the core business of a monarch is to encourage social cohesion in society and have a broader vision than the next Prime Minister Questions in the House of Commons, it was wise to reach out to that half of society which did join the zelots of the Leave campaign. Very wise. Together with the assumed pro-Brexit off-the-record-remark, this is then balancing the swing to an impartial Queen.

What 'three' European realms voted?

The UK of GB and NI voted I know that - one realm. What were the other two?

Remember she is the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, not the Queen of England, Queen of Scotland, Queen of Wales or Queen of Northern Ireland as separate realms but of the UK only.

Northern Ireland and Scotland voted to remain.

England and Wales voted to leave.

However as they are one country one realm voted to leave and that is the way a democracy works - the majority rules and the minority has to accept that decision.

Please tell me what are the other realms of Europe of which the Queen is Queen that even had the chance to vote.

Well then, if it are not "realms" then we can say that the majority in three of the five nations voted against leaving the European Union. I hope we can consider Scotland, Northern Ireland and Gibraltar as nations indeed.
 
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In any case the Queen is also monarch over the 48,11 % of her fellow countrymen who thought that leaving the European Union was not a particularly good idea at all. As the core business of a monarch is to encourage social cohesion in society and have a broader vision than the next Prime Minister Questions in the House of Commons, it was wise to reach out to that half of society which did join the zelots of the Leave campaign. Very wise. Together with the assumed pro-Brexit off-the-record-remark, this is then balancing the swing to an impartial Queen.

It is not the Queen's role to decide the country's foreign policy or to dictate its relations with other foreign nations. If anything, it was up to the Parliament, as the sovereign body under the British "constitution", to decide whether a majority of 52 % in a referendum was sufficient to warrant invoking Art. 50 of the Lisbon Treaty or not (keep in mind that the referendum itself was legally non-binding).

Once Parliament (with support of both the Tories and Labour) passed the bill allowing the government to invoke Art. 50, then I assume the UK politicians made their policy decision and it is not up to the Queen to question it. The politicians will be politically responsible in the future though for the course they have taken now, especially the ones that are currently in government, as there is still a policy debate over hard Brexit vs. soft Brexit, I guess.
 
Well then, if it are not "realms" then we can say that the majority in three of the five nations voted against leaving the European Union. I hope we can consider Scotland, Northern Ireland and Gibraltar as nations indeed.

Are they independent members of the UN or the EU - no. They are ONE country or ONE nation.

They are like Australian states or Canadian provinces not nations or countries.

Would the French regard Burgundy or Normandy as 'nations' or 'countries' - no. These four areas are no different - once independent of the whole but have lost their independence over time and are now part of a nation or country called the United Kingdom - one realm, one nation, one country.
 
There's also the fact that hats are not created overnight. For all we know, this outfit worn at the State Opening of Parliament was thought up a year ago, on the designing board for the Queen 8 months ago and actually sewn up and fashioned to fit 4 months ago. Its highly doubtful that the circumstances of that day in Parliament were behind the creation.

I actually found myself trying to figure out if the the dress HM was wearing underneath the coats for the day was the same pattern and all HM had to do to "change up" her outfits between the State Opening and Ascot was switch coats and hats. Blue and yellow seemed to be the colors of the day. :D
They were two different, but very similar, dresses. There is a side-by-side comparison over on "From Her Majesty's Jewel Vault" - down in the comments. From Her Majesty's Jewel Vault: State Opening of Parliament and Royal Ascot, Day 2
 
Are they independent members of the UN or the EU - no. They are ONE country or ONE nation.

They are like Australian states or Canadian provinces not nations or countries.

Would the French regard Burgundy or Normandy as 'nations' or 'countries' - no. These four areas are no different - once independent of the whole but have lost their independence over time and are now part of a nation or country called the United Kingdom - one realm, one nation, one country.

How does that work then that in sports like football and rugby Scotland, England, Wales, Northern Ireland and even Gibraltar are independent teams while no such situation exists for Germany (no teams from Bavaria, Hannover, etc.), for Italy (no teams from Parma, Sardinia, Lombardy, etc.) and other countries?
 
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