State Opening of Parliament 2: 2023 -

[Marengo]

Logo of UK Parliament​

Welcome to the thread State Opening of Parliament, Part 2
Commencing September 1st, 2022 ​

The previous thread can be found here
​

Please take a look at the
TRF Community Rules & FAQs
​

· Only pictures that you have written permission to share can be posted here. You can post links to any pictures.
· It's a copyright violation to post translations of entire articles, so no more than 20% of an article
text should be posted, along with the link to the original article.
· We expect our members to treat each other, and the royals and persons in these threads, with respect.
· The Report Post button is for reporting inappropriate content in a post if no moderators or administrators are online.
· Threads should remain on topic. Posts which are irrelevant or disruptive
will be deleted or moved by one of the moderators.

***​

​

 

[doro]

It's supposed that the State Opening of Parliament was scheduled for today...

 

[muriel]

The sight of a Charles or William wearing a fur mantle and a wobbling diamond-studded monstrosity on the head, announcing budget cuts to fight a spiralling Debt, really is a demonstration of the unmeasurable deep gap with real life.

My honest and well-meant advice would be to place the Crown on a side table, as is done now for years and to drape the ermine mantle over the throne, à la Sweden: picture

I think we may well move to such a situation, where the King, dressed in military uniform, reads the speech out. The crown is kept on a pedestal near the King.

 

[JGio]

It's supposed that the State Opening of Parliament was scheduled for today...

Where did you read that? I can’t find anything that states that it should have been today.

 

[Iluvbertie]

It was announced last December that the session for this parliament had been extended until the Autumn.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/...treet-charles-prime-rishi-sunak-b2245882.html

 

[Hans-Rickard]

It's supposed that the State Opening of Parliament was scheduled for today...

For a State Opening to happen, the Parliament must be in prorogation wich it is not.

As the coronation was on Saturday, they had to be in session.

 

[An Ard Ri]

I've always preferred the State Opening taking place in the autumn!

 

[doro]

According to British media, The State Opening of Parliament will be held on November 7th

 

[tommy100]

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/royals/king-charles-gives-princess-anne-31376594

Mirror is reporting Princess Anne will be taking part as Gold Stick in Waiting.

 

[wbenson]

They don't seem to be aware that she's done it roughly every other time since 1998.

 

[iceflower]

The State Opening of Parliament today, November 7:


** gettyimages gallery: GBR: King Charles III Delivers Speech At The Opening Of Parliament **

 

[Stefan]

The State Opening of Parliament today, November 7:


** gettyimages gallery: GBR: King Charles III Delivers Speech At The Opening Of Parliament **

The Duchess of Wellington is there in the Wellington tiara

 

[Hallo girl]

They don't seem to be aware that she's done it roughly every other time since 1998.

I don't think so, but I am prepared to be corrected.

She is Gold stick in Waiting to Charles. Anne did not regularly attend this event in recent years.

 

[wbenson]

I don't think so, but I am prepared to be corrected.

She is Gold stick in Waiting to Charles. Anne did not regularly attend this event in recent years.

She's one of the two gold sticks because she's colonel of the Blues and Royals, which she has been since 1998. She has attended the opening alternately with the colonel of the Life Guards since then (perhaps not including some of the "dressed down" ones that had reduced processions).

She usually wasn't noticed. The camera always followed the Queen, so the back half of the procession was either in the background or facing the wrong way.

 

[Hallo girl]

She's one of the two gold sticks because she's colonel of the Blues and Royals, which she has been since 1998. She has attended the opening alternately with the colonel of the Life Guards since then (perhaps not including some of the "dressed down" ones that had reduced processions).

She usually wasn't noticed. The camera always followed the Queen and the back half of the procession was either in the background or facing the wrong way.

I take your word for it I just would have thought that there would have been photographs published at the time to show her in the role but you have obviously looked in to this so fair enough.

 

[wbenson]

The Getty album linked above has a picture of the Duchess of Wellington with her programme open, and I think I can just make out that it lists separate pages of honour for the King and Queen (I can't make out the names, but it's four for the King and two for the Queen), which would mean they'll both be wearing their robes (which I hadn't been expecting until the last day or two).

There will also be two Queen's Companions, and I think they're the Marchioness of Lansdowne and Lady Sarah Keswick.

 

[wbenson]

The Queen is indeed wearing the George IV diadem as was reported in several outlets.

The King appears to be wearing the sash of the Royal Victorian Order and the Royal Victorian Chain for the first time since he became sovereign of the order. I wonder if that means he'll have a new star too. He hadn't updated his decorations at all since the accession.

 

[Adda]

A sea of tiaras!

 

[Saragli]

Why has the King worn the sash of the RVO and not the Thistle for this event? Does anyone know?

 

[An Ard Ri]

Here are a few more photos from the State Opening of Parliament today.
https://www.ppe-agency.com/show.php?zoektype=2&search=07-11-2023 England

 

[Stefan]

I noticed in the coverage that the King and Queen entered and left the House of Lords Chamber through different doors, those on their side of their thrones, unlike Queen Elizabeth II. and Prince Philip. I guess it had to with their trains as is was probably easier to manage this way.

 

[wbenson]

Why has the King worn the sash of the RVO and not the Thistle for this event? Does anyone know?

I find it a bit odd too, but Edward VII and George V both wore it that way in their coronation portraits and when they opened Parliament. Perhaps it's more personal because it's a family order (though the current king never had it before he became sovereign of the order).

 

[Saragli]

I find it a bit odd too, but Edward VII and George V both wore it that way in their coronation portraits and when they opened Parliament. Perhaps it's more personal because it's a family order (though the current king never had it before he became sovereign of the order).

How interesting that there is a precedent for it from previous Kings. I am also just now learning that Charles never had the RVO before coming King which makes sense as neither does the current PoW's. I know that the King loves Scotland, and respects her, but I am disappointed to not see the sash of Scotland's order at the opening of the UK's parliament.

 

[An Ard Ri]

Where were the Prince and Princess of Wales ?

 

[muriel]

Where were the Prince and Princess of Wales ?

The Prince is in Singapore for Earthshot.

 

[Prinsara]

Where were the Prince and Princess of Wales ?

William is in Singapore. Catherine is said to be helping George revise for his first major exams and I guess her presence wasn't needed solo.

 

[wbenson]

Where were the Prince and Princess of Wales ?

Even if they were both available, it's not a given that they would attend. That only became a regular thing in 2013. Before that, the last time the now-King had attended was in 1996.

 

[Durham]

Glad to see that the opening has returned to the pomp of earlier years. Crown et al.

Long may it continue!

Thank you to those who have posted links & pictures.

 

[EllieCat]

King Charles looks much more regal and royal wearing his crown and cape with a uniform under it, than the purple tunic he wore for the coronation in my opinion.

The necklace Queen Camilla is wearing is, I think, the same one she wore for her 60th birthday portrait.

 

[tommy100]

Lovely to see the pomp back - defo adds something to it. I think the late Queen got away with the 'dressed down' ceremonies because she was so experienced and so well seen for so long in all the pomp. In some ways I think Charles needed to be seen in it all.

Camilla looked great (personally I could have done with the diadem being slightly straighter and slightly raised more off her hair or her hair styled o feather it out a bit more.

Loved seeing Anne there - though of course she had attended on and off for years as gold stick in waiting to the late Queen and now to her brother.

The Queen's Companions looked every inch - well Ladies in Waiting! I still don't personally understand the name change even less now we've seen them do exactly the same role as the Ladies in Waiting did. One pair of aristocratic ladies in white gowns and tiaras helping the Queen replaced by another, makes it seem very much the change in name was for stylistic / message reasons. But I am glad they were there so add to the pomp.

I like the way the King & Queen entered from the different sides of the thrones, a practical point no doubt (trying to squeeze two robes through one door) but it looked very well done and "neater". I was surprised they swapped sides to leave.

I was so excited when I thought the Queen's Companions medals were new RFO for King Charles.

Camilla seemed much more relaxed when they were leaving. Did love the poppy on her clutch bag.

And my hope for next year / next time - the BBC find a different new presenter and that Nicky Campbell was only doing it as all the major news presenters were at the funeral of George Alagiah.