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102-596: The State Opening of Parliament is a ceremonial event which formally marks the beginning of each session of the Parliament of the United Kingdom . At its core is His (or Her) Majesty's " gracious speech from the throne " (also known as the King's or Queen's Speech), which is read by the monarch but written by HM Government . In the speech the monarch gives notice of forthcoming state visits , before setting out

204-535: A pro forma bill as a symbol of the right of parliament to give priority to matters other than the monarch's speech (always written by the cabinet of the day). In the parliament of the United Kingdom , prorogation is immediately preceded by a speech to both legislative chambers, with procedures similar to the Throne Speech. The monarch usually approves the oration—which recalls the prior legislative session, noting major bills passed and other functions of

306-697: A Sovereign's Escort, and other members of the armed forces line the processional route from Buckingham Palace to the Palace of Westminster. At the monarch's arrival, the national anthem is played, a gun salute is sounded in Green Park and the Royal Standard is hoisted in place of the Union Flag at the top of the Victoria Tower (where it remains until the monarch departs). The monarch

408-688: A bill pro forma to symbolise their right to deliberate independently of the monarch. In the House of Lords, the bill is called the Select Vestries Bill , while the Commons equivalent is the Outlawries Bill . The bills are considered for the sake of ceremony only, and do not make any actual legislative progress. For the address in reply, a chosen member moves "That a humble Address be presented to His Majesty, as follows". The following

510-657: A fire in 1512. Afterwards another of the King's residences was on occasion used (in 1523, for instance, the State Opening took place at Bridewell Palace , and the Mass beforehand at Blackfriars Priory ). When (in 1530) the King moved into the Palace at Whitehall , however, the ceremony returned to Westminster. In 1536, the State Opening was held for the first time in the White Chamber of the Palace of Westminster, which

612-607: A humorous one given by a member selected in advance. The consideration of the address in reply to the Throne Speech is the occasion for a debate on the Government's agenda. The debate on the Address in Reply is spread over several days. On each day, a different topic, such as foreign affairs or finance, is considered. The debate provides an indication of the views of Parliament regarding the government's agenda. Following this debate,

714-529: A remarkable visual similarity between State Openings of the 16th and 21st centuries. In both cases, the monarch sits on a throne before the Cloth of Estate, crowned and wearing a crimson robe of state; at his right hand sit Cardinal Thomas Wolsey , Archbishop of York and Lord Chancellor , with arms above under a cardinal's hat, and William Warham , Archbishop of Canterbury , with arms above. Behind stands Cuthbert Tunstall , Bishop of London and Lord Keeper of

816-597: A session or during a session on days in which parliament is not meeting. While a parliament is prorogued, between two legislative sessions, the legislature is still constituted – i.e. no general election takes place and all Members of Parliament thus retain their seats. In many legislatures, prorogation causes all orders of the body – bills, motions , etc. – to be expunged. Prorogations should thus not be confused with recesses, adjournments, or holiday breaks from legislation, after which bills can resume exactly where they left off. In

918-410: A set stipend, meet only part of the year. State constitutions, statutes or legislative rules may set deadlines for adjournment sine die per session or term, depending on whether a state constitution defines entire time allowed for a session as "legislative days" (any day from when either house meets quorum until the speaker gavels the body into adjournment) or "calendar days" (any specific 24-hour day on

1020-544: A single session. When the leaders of the majority party in each house have determined that no more business will be conducted by that house during that term of Congress, a motion is introduced to adjourn sine die , effectively dissolving that house. Typically, this is done at some point after the general congressional election in November of even-numbered years. If the party in power is retained, it may happen as early as mid-November and members return to their districts for

1122-589: A single session. (There were only four prorogations since 1961, twice to allow the visiting Queen to "open" Parliament, once after the 1967 death of Prime Minister Harold Holt and for political reasons in 2016.) Since 1990, it has been the practice for the parliament to be prorogued on the same day that the House is dissolved so that the Senate will not be able to sit during the election period. However, on 21 March 2016, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull announced that

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1224-549: A tradition developed for this command to be greeted with a defiant topical comment by republican-leaning Labour MP Dennis Skinner , upon which, with some mirth, the House rose to make its way to the Lords' Chamber. This customary intervention was omitted by Mr Skinner in 2015, claiming that he had "bigger fish to fry than uttering something", due to a dispute over seating with the Scottish Nationalists. Skinner resumed

1326-505: A viscount, and 2 for a baron. Thus there are 2 dukes, both wearing ducal coronets, the first holding a Marshal's Baton, thus he is the Duke of Norfolk , Earl Marshal of England. William Weston , Prior of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem , premier baron in the roll of peers, dressed in black, sits at the end of the cross-bench. The judges (red-robed and coifed ) are on the woolsacks in

1428-553: A vote is taken on the Government Programme. This vote is treated as a vote of no confidence and losing this vote will automatically trigger a general election. When the Fixed-term Parliaments Act was in force, a general election was not automatically triggered if the vote was lost. Since 1901, the monarch has opened Parliament in person on all but six occasions. In 1929 and 1935 King George V

1530-491: A way to avoid investigations into the Afghan detainees affair and triggered citizen protests . In October 2012, the provincial legislature of Ontario was prorogued under similar circumstances, allegedly to avoid scrutiny of the provincial Government on a number of issues. Bills are numbered within each session. For example, in the federal House of Commons each session's government bills are numbered from C-2 to C-200, and

1632-519: A year; between general elections; there are usually anywhere from one to six sessions of parliament before a dissolution by either the Crown-in-Council or the expiry of a legally mandated term limit. Each session begins with a speech from the throne , read to the members of both legislative chambers either by the reigning sovereign or a viceroy or other representative. Houses of parliament in some realms will, following this address, introduce

1734-467: Is a ceremony filled with historical ritual, constitutional symbolism and practical significance relating to the governance of the United Kingdom. Parliament is composed of the Sovereign, the House of Lords and the House of Commons, and a State Opening is the only routine occasion when the three are gathered together in one place. The monarch is seated on the throne, at one end of the chamber in front of

1836-468: Is a large, wool -stuffed cushion covered with red cloth; it has neither a back nor arms, though, in the centre of the Woolsack, there is a back-rest. The Lords' Mace is placed on the rear part of the Woolsack when the House is in session. The Lord Speaker may speak from the Woolsack when speaking in their capacity as Speaker of the House but, if seeking to debate, must deliver their remarks either from

1938-399: Is addressed to "My Lords and Members of the House of Commons", with one significant exception that the monarch says specifically, "Members of the House of Commons, estimates for the public services will be laid before you", since the budget is constitutionally reserved to the Commons. The monarch reads the entire speech in a neutral and formal tone, implying neither approval nor disapproval of

2040-824: Is greeted on arrival by the Lord Great Chamberlain (who has oversight of the royal areas of the Palace of Westminster) and the Earl Marshal (who has responsibility for State ceremonial), before proceeding to the Robing Room, where he or she puts on the Parliament Robe of State and the Imperial State Crown . A procession is formed of heralds , Great Officers of State and members of the Royal Household, and when all

2142-595: Is most convenient, but a "good faith exercise of the power" to prorogue parliament does not include preventing it from frustrating the prime minister's agenda. When the Parliament of the Kingdom of Italy conquered the power to decide on its recalling, the MP Modigliani spoke of a coup d'état , if the right to prorogue or close the session was exercised immediately after Parliament had recalled itself. During

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2244-679: Is ready a fanfare is sounded and the monarch proceeds in State through the Royal Gallery to the House of Lords. Directly ahead of the monarch walk two peers: one (nowadays usually the Leader of the House of Lords ) carrying the Cap of Maintenance , and the other (nowadays generally a retired senior military officer) carrying the Great Sword of State . Once seated on the throne, the monarch, wearing

2346-491: Is the form used in the House of Lords and is nearly identical to that used in the House of Commons: Most Gracious Sovereign, We, Your Majesty's most dutiful and loyal subjects, the Lords Spiritual and Temporal in Parliament assembled, beg leave to thank Your Majesty for the most gracious Speech which Your Majesty has addressed to both Houses of Parliament. The first speech of the debate in the Commons is, by tradition,

2448-578: Is where the House of Lords sat; and so began the custom of the State Opening taking place in the Upper House of Parliament. Since that time the ceremonial has evolved, but not dramatically. In 1679 neither the procession nor the Abbey service took place due to the Popish Plot conspiracy theory; although the procession was subsequently restored, the service in the Abbey was not. The monarch's role in

2550-430: The 44th Parliament , elected in 2013, would be prorogued on 15 April and that a second session would begin on 18 April. Prorogation is now a procedural device, the effect of which is to call the Parliament back on a particular date (especially the Senate, which the government did not control), and to wipe clean all matters before each House, without triggering an election. In the Parliament of Canada and its provinces,

2652-518: The Archbishop of Canterbury ( Geoffrey Fisher in 1959 and Michael Ramsey in 1963), empowered by the Queen. The Queen also missed the 2022 State Opening on the advice of her doctors. That session was opened by her son Charles, Prince of Wales and her grandson Prince William, Duke of Cambridge who, in their capacity as Counsellors of State , were empowered to do so by Letters Patent issued by

2754-795: The British Commonwealth , supplied by the International Wool Secretariat , as a symbol of unity. From the Middle Ages until 2006, the presiding officer in the House of Lords was the Lord Chancellor , and the Woolsack was usually mentioned in association with the office of Lord Chancellor. In July of that year, the function of Lord Speaker was split from that of Lord Chancellor under the Constitutional Reform Act 2005 , with

2856-547: The Cloth of Estate (with the consort , if present, seated alongside), flanked by an entourage of Great Officers of State and members of the Royal Household . The Lords are seated on "the floor of the House" (i.e. in the main body of the chamber), while the Commons attend at "the bar of the House" (the boundary rail at the far end, facing the throne). In addition to the Lords themselves, others are provided with seats on

2958-577: The Leader of the Opposition followed by The Deputy Prime Minister , First Secretary of State or another member of the government and the Deputy Leader of the Opposition usually walk side by side, leading the two lines of MPs. The Commons then arrive at the Bar of the House of Lords. The only people required to bow are the House of Commons Speaker, Commons Clerk, senior Lords official Black Rod and

3060-409: The Parliament of the United Kingdom . Before 2006, it was the seat of the Lord Chancellor , who presided as the presiding officer of the House. The Woolsack’s status in the House was enshrined in the first standing orders in 1621. In the 14th century, King Edward III (1327–1377) said that his Lord Chancellor, while in council, should sit on a wool bale , now known as "The Woolsack", to symbolise

3162-499: The Prime Minister and their cabinet members , and reflects the legislative agenda for which the Government seeks the agreement of both Houses of Parliament . It is traditionally written on goatskin vellum , and presented on bended knee for the monarch to read by the Lord Chancellor , who produces the scroll from a satchel-like bag. Traditionally, rather than turning their back on the Sovereign, which might appear disrespectful,

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3264-620: The Serjeants-at-Arms of the Royal Household who escort the regalia in procession. The monarch travels "in State" from Buckingham Palace to the Palace of Westminster, arriving at the Sovereign's Entrance under the Victoria Tower . Travelling in a state coach , the monarch is usually accompanied by his or her consort and sometimes by other members of the royal family. Senior members of the Royal Household follow in other carriages. The Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment provides

3366-1160: The State Opening of Parliament , the Judges' Woolsack is occupied by the Lord Chief Justice , the Master of the Rolls , the President of the King's Bench Division , the President of the Family Division , the Chancellor of the High Court , the Lords Justices of Appeal and the Justices of the High Court , all of whom are summoned by writ to attend. The Justices of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom , who are likewise summoned to attend

3468-416: The electoral campaign , this break takes place so as to prevent the upper house from sitting and to purge all upper chamber business before the start of the next legislative session. It is not uncommon for a session of parliament to be put into recess during holidays and then resumed a few weeks later exactly where it left off. In Commonwealth realms , legislative sessions can last from a few weeks to over

3570-418: The head of state , or a representative thereof, will address the legislature in an opening ceremony . In both parliamentary and presidential systems , sessions are referred to by the name of the body and an ordinal number  – for example, the 2nd Session of the 39th Canadian Parliament or the 1st Session of the 109th United States Congress . Governments today end sessions whenever it

3672-410: The 14th century, with the first visual depictions dating from the 15th century. The most recent State Opening was held on 17 July 2024 , after the 2024 United Kingdom general election . It was the second of Charles III's reign, the first of the newly elected Labour government under Sir Keir Starmer , and the first State Opening with a Labour government since 2010. The State Opening of Parliament

3774-404: The 1st session of the 114th Congress commenced on January 3, 2015, and the 2nd session commenced on January 3, 2016, with the same members and no intervening election. All legislative business, however, is cleared at the end of each session. It is common for bills to be reintroduced in the second session that were not passed in the first session, and the restrictions on reconsideration only apply to

3876-522: The Commons were checked against the sheriffs' election returns. The Peers were robed and sat in the Painted Chamber at the Palace of Westminster ; the Commons were summoned, and stood at the Bar (threshold) of the Chamber. A speech or sermon was then given (usually by the Lord Chancellor ) explaining why Parliament had been summoned, after which the Lords and Commons went separately to discuss

3978-489: The Gregorian calendar). Constitutional limits on the length of sessions may lead legislative leaders to change rules or pass statutes which define a day on the legislative calendar, such as extending a calendar day beyond 24 hours or defining what legislative business counts against a maximum number of legislative days. Depending upon limitations of the state's constitution, if business arises that must be addressed before

4080-532: The Guard . This is derived from the 1605 Gunpowder Plot , an attempted assassination of James VI and I in which Guy Fawkes was caught guarding gunpowder in the cellars hours before the king was to open the second session of the Blessed Parliament . Since that year, the cellars have been searched, now largely, but not only, for ceremonial purposes. This is supervised by the Lord Great Chamberlain , and

4182-503: The House must not pass between the woolsack and any member who is speaking or between the woolsack and the clerk's table. If members wish to talk to each other while the House is sitting, they are not permitted to speak behind the woolsack and must retire to the Prince's Chamber . In front of the Woolsack are two even larger cushions known as the Judges' Woolsack. Any member of the House can sit on these two cushions during sessions. During

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4284-457: The House of Commons when it is sitting.) The door-closing ritual, however, predates the 1640s, and although it has long since come to symbolise the independence of the Commons, its primary purpose (according to Erskine May ) is for the Commons to establish Black Rod's identity. Once this has been achieved, Black Rod cannot be refused admission, and all other business of whatever kind in the Commons chamber must cease. The doors having been opened,

4386-639: The House of Lords, proceeds to the Members' Lobby of the House of Commons , and reaches the doors of the Commons. On Black Rod's approach, the Doorkeeper of the Commons orders that the doors are slammed shut against them, symbolising the rights of parliament and its independence from the monarch. The Usher of the Black Rod then strikes with the end of their ceremonial staff (the Black Rod) three times on

4488-507: The Imperial State Crown, instructs the House by saying, "My Lords, pray be seated"; his or her consort, if present, sits on a throne to the sovereign’s left, and his or her children, if present, may be provided with seats elsewhere on the dais. The Imperial State Crown has not been worn invariably: for example, on four occasions in the 20th century Parliament was opened by as yet uncrowned monarchs (i.e. after their accession to

4590-468: The Imperial State Crown; but otherwise delegated the opening of Parliament to Lords Commissioners (one of whom was usually the Prince of Wales). It was not until the latter's accession as Edward VII in 1901 that the full state ceremonial of the event was restored (with the king being in regular attendance and reading the speech himself). King George V resumed wearing the Imperial State Crown in 1913. During

4692-584: The Lord Chamberlain's routine absence from the State Opening was said to be due to "the department over which his lordship presides not being acknowledged in His Majesty's Palace at Westminster" (where the Lord Great Chamberlain instead has the equivalent authority). Hostage MPs in recent years (all of whom were serving as Vice-Chamberlain of the Household at the time) have included: Before

4794-513: The Lord Chancellor walks backwards down the steps of the throne, continuing to face the monarch. Lord Irvine of Lairg , the Lord Chancellor at the time, sought to break the custom and applied successfully for permission to turn his back on the sovereign and walk down the steps forwards. The next Lord Chancellor, Jack Straw , continued the former tradition but succeeding Lords Chancellor have mostly chosen to walk forwards. The whole speech

4896-432: The Lord Chancellor, have become attracted to Phyllis, a ward of chancery. The Lord Chancellor laments that propriety would not allow him to marry his ward, no matter how strongly he may care for her. He describes his position this way: "Ah, my Lords, it is indeed painful to have to sit upon a woolsack which is stuffed with such thorns as these!" In Uncommon Law by A. P. Herbert , the newly-appointed Lady Chancellor finds

4998-591: The Privy Seal . The Cap of Maintenance and Sword of State are borne by peers standing before the monarch on the left and right respectively; the Lord Great Chamberlain stands alongside, bearing his white wand of office, near the Garter King of Arms in his tabard displaying the royal arms (Thomas Wriothesley himself, the illustrator). Members of the Royal retinue are arrayed behind the King (top right). In

5100-471: The Queen for the occasion, the Prince of Wales reading the Queen's Speech (from the consort's throne) on behalf of his mother. Legislative session Historically, each session of a parliament would last less than one year, ceasing with a prorogation during which legislators could return to their constituencies . In more recent times, development in transportation technology has permitted these individuals to journey with greater ease and frequency from

5202-465: The Queen was absent on the day at short notice due to "episodic mobility problems", the heir-apparent to the throne and his elder son (the then Prince of Wales , now Charles III, and the Duke of Cambridge , now Prince of Wales) were appointed under the authority of section 6 of the Regency Act 1937 to open Parliament as Counsellors of State , with the then- Prince of Wales reading the speech from

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5304-520: The Serjeant-at-Arms. No person who is not a member of the Upper House may pass the Bar unbidden when it is in session; a similar rule applies to the Commons. They remain standing at the Bar during the speech. The monarch reads a prepared speech, known as the " Speech from the Throne " or the "King's/Queen's Speech", outlining the Government's agenda for the coming year. The speech is written by

5406-417: The Sovereign's Entrance, under the Victoria Tower , the Crown is passed by the Bargemaster to the Comptroller of the Lord Chamberlain's Office , under the watchful eye of the Crown Jeweller . The regalia are then carried to be displayed in the Royal Gallery . Also in the procession, usually in King Edward VII's Town Coach , are the two maces (separate from the three used by parliament) which are carried by

5508-401: The State Opening took on greater symbolic significance as an occasion for the full constitution of the State (Monarch, Lords and Commons) to be seen. In this period, the parliamentary gathering began to be preceded by an open-air State Procession (which often attracted large numbers of onlookers): the Monarch, together with Household retinue, would proceed in State from whichever royal residence

5610-433: The State Opening very much in mind; the choreography of the modern ceremony may be said to date from 1852, when the "Victoria Tower entrance" was used for the first time, and likewise "the Royal Staircase, Norman Porch, new Robing Room and Royal Gallery", establishing the modern processional route. Between 1837 and 1861, Queen Victoria missed the State Opening on only four occasions (each time due to pregnancy); but following

5712-403: The State Opening, are seated nearby, as their predecessors the Law Lords formerly sat on the benches as Lords Temporal . Gilbert and Sullivan's comic opera Iolanthe is partially set in the grounds of the Palace of Westminster , the meeting place of the House of Lords, and the Lords appear as the male chorus and a fictional Lord Chancellor is a main character. The entire house, as well as

5814-423: The United Kingdom during the parliamentary session. The monarch concludes the speech in saying: "My Lords and Members of the House of Commons, I pray that the blessing of Almighty God may rest upon your counsels." Traditionally, the members of both houses of Parliament listen to the speech respectfully, showing neither approval or dissent towards its contents before it is debated in each house. This silence, however,

5916-421: The United Kingdom, however, the practice of terminating all bills upon prorogation has slightly altered; public bills may be re-introduced in the next legislative session, and fast-tracked directly to the stage they reached in the prorogued legislative session. A new session will often begin on the same day that the previous session ended. In most cases, when a parliament reconvenes for a new legislative session,

6018-488: The Yeomen are paid for their services with a small glass of port wine . Peers and peeresses assemble in the House of Lords. The Lords Spiritual and the Lords Temporal wear their Parliament robes for the occasion. They are joined by senior representatives of the judiciary, who sit on woolsacks in the centre of the Chamber, and members of the diplomatic corps, who are seated behind the Bishops. The Commons assemble in their own chamber, wearing ordinary day dress, and begin

6120-452: The advent of rapid transcontinental travel. More recently, prorogations have triggered speculation that they were advised by the sitting prime minister for political purposes: for example, in the 40th Parliament , the first prorogation occurred in the midst of a parliamentary dispute , in which the opposition parties expressed intent to defeat the minority government, and the second was suspected by opposition Members of Parliament to be

6222-409: The arrival of the sovereign, the Imperial State Crown is brought to the Palace of Westminster, together with the Great Sword of State and the Cap of Maintenance , in their own carriage (usually Queen Alexandra's State Coach ). The King's Bargemaster and Watermen accompany it, acting as footmen (a reminder of past times when the regalia were brought from the Tower of London by river). On arrival at

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6324-399: The business in hand. The monarch normally presided, not only for the Opening but also for the deliberations which followed (unless prevented by illness or other pressing matters); the Painted Chamber was one of the monarch's private apartments. In the Tudor period, the modern structure of Parliament began to emerge, and the monarch no longer attended during normal proceedings. For this reason,

6426-428: The central nature and great importance of the wool trade to the economy of England in the Middle Ages . Indeed, it was largely to protect the vital English wool trade routes with continental Europe that the Battle of Crécy was fought with the French in 1346. In 1938, it was discovered that the Woolsack was stuffed with horsehair. When it was remade, it was re-stuffed with wool from the British Isles and all over

6528-420: The centre (two Chief Justices , eight judges, and four Serjeants-at-Law ), and behind them kneel the clerks (with quills and inkpots). At the bottom of the picture members of the House of Commons can be seen behind the Bar of the House, with Thomas More , Speaker of the House of Commons , in the centre, wearing his black and gold robe of state. The Palace of Westminster ceased to be a royal residence following

6630-437: The ceremony remained largely the same. In 2021, the ceremony was scaled down due to the COVID-19 pandemic . The Queen wore day dress and arrived by car at Westminster, where seating was restricted: 74 were allowed in the Lords Chamber, whilst 34 further MPs and peers were able to participate from the gallery. To prevent the spread of the virus, mask-wearing and testing was enforced, and the Lord Chancellor did not directly pass

6732-433: The chief doorkeeper of the House of Commons introduces Black Rod. At the bar, Black Rod bows to the Speaker before proceeding to the table, bowing again, and announcing the command of the monarch for the attendance of the Commons, in the following words: Mr/Madam Speaker, The King/Queen commands this honourable House to attend His/Her Majesty immediately in the House of Peers. During the later decades of Elizabeth II's reign,

6834-497: The closed doors of the Commons Chamber, and is then admitted (there is a mark on the door of the Commons showing the repeated indentations made by Black Rods over the years). This ritual is strongly associated with the occasion when King Charles I stormed into the House of Commons in 1642 in an unsuccessful attempt to arrest five members of Parliament , including the celebrated English patriot and leading parliamentarian John Hampden . (Since that time, no British monarch has entered

6936-415: The consort's throne on this occasion. On certain other occasions through history, ceremonial aspects of the State Opening have been scaled back for specific reasons (including plague in 1593, threats of assassination in 1679 and wartime restrictions in place from 1917-1919 and 1939-1948). On three occasions in the reign of Queen Elizabeth II (namely March 1974, June 2017 and December 2019) the State Opening

7038-462: The day, as any other, with prayers. Beforehand the Speaker's Procession takes place in the usual way: preceded by a doorkeeper, the Serjeant at Arms , leads the Speaker of the House of Commons from his official residence to the Commons Chamber, followed by his trainbearer, chaplain and secretary. In the Central Lobby, a police inspector makes the traditional cry of "Hats off, strangers!", instructing those assembled to remove their hats in deference to

7140-412: The death of the Prince Consort she avoided ceremonial events. She attended the State Opening in 1866 wearing a black dress and veil rather than the robe of state (which was instead draped over the throne); on this occasion she delegated the reading of the speech to the Lord Chancellor. Victoria attended the State Opening on six further occasions (in the 1870s-80s), wearing a small diamond crown in place of

7242-402: The floor of the House on the occasion of a State Opening, namely: The ceremonial surrounding the opening of parliament can be broken down into several parts (the following descriptions refer to the full ceremonial of the event; for occasions when, for various reasons, reduced ceremonial has been used, see below ): First, the cellars of the Palace of Westminster are searched by the Yeomen of

7344-464: The former now sitting on the Woolsack. Until 1949, Canada's Senate had a judges' woolsack. At the behest of Jean-François Pouliot , an MP from Quebec , who decried the use of a cushion on which the Supreme Court of Canada 's judges had to sprawl "like urchins," the woolsack was eventually abolished and replaced with conventional chairs. The original woolsack is still extant. The Woolsack

7446-585: The government —but rarely delivers it in person, Queen Victoria being the last to do so. Instead, the speech is presented by the Lords Commissioners and read by the Leader of the House of Lords . When King Charles I dissolved the Parliament of England in 1628, after the Petition of Right , he gave a prorogation speech that effectively cancelled all future meetings of the legislature, at least until he again required finances. Prior to 1977, it

7548-521: The government's legislative programme for the new parliamentary session. No business of either House of Parliament (the House of Lords or the House of Commons ) can proceed until the Sovereign’s speech has been delivered. The State Opening takes place in the House of Lords chamber within the Palace of Westminster on the first day of the new parliamentary session. This traditionally tends to fall in November, but can occur at any time of year (depending on

7650-472: The highest-ranking commoner in the realm. On the morning of the State Opening, the Treasurer , Comptroller and Vice-Chamberlain of the Household (all of whom are government whips) assemble with other senior members of the Royal Household at Buckingham Palace, carrying their ceremonial white staves of office. The Treasurer and Comptroller, along with other senior members of the Royal Household, accompany

7752-469: The holiday season. However, when the party in power is ousted or if important business, such as approval of appropriation bills , has not been completed, Congress will often meet in a lame-duck session , adjourning as late as December 31, before the newly elected Congress takes office on January 3. In the United States , most state legislatures , most of which are part-time paid legislatures with

7854-601: The left side of the Woolsack or from the normal seats of the Lords. If a Deputy Speaker presides in the absence of the Lord Speaker, then that individual uses the Woolsack. However, when the House meets in the " Committee of the Whole ", the Woolsack remains unoccupied, and the presiding officer, the Chairman or Deputy Chairman, occupies a chair at the front of the table of the House. To keep dignity and order, members of

7956-462: The legislative capital to their respective electoral districts (sometimes called ridings , electorate, division) for short periods, meaning that parliamentary sessions typically last for more than one year, though the length of sessions varies. Legislatures plan their business within a legislative calendar , which lays out how bills will proceed before a session ceases, although related but unofficial affairs may be conducted by legislators outside

8058-567: The legislature is typically prorogued upon the completion of the agenda set forth in the Speech from the Throne (called the legislative programme in the UK). It remains in recess until the monarch, governor general , or lieutenant governor summons parliamentarians again. Historically, long prorogations allowed legislators to spend part of their year in the capital city and part in their home ridings . However, this reason has become less important with

8160-529: The main body of the Chamber, the Bishops are seated on benches to the King's right wearing their parliamentary robes, with the Mitred Abbots behind them. The Lords Temporal are seated to the King's left and on the cross-bench, the status of peers is indicated by the number of miniver bars (white fur edged with gold oak-leaf lace) on their peerage robes: 4 for a duke, 3½ for a marquess, 3 for an earl, 2½ for

8262-547: The monarch in the carriage procession; but the Lord Chamberlain does not join them. Instead, on behalf of the monarch, he remains at Buckingham Palace keeping one MP (the Vice-Chamberlain ) "hostage" for the duration of the state opening, by tradition as a surety for the safe return of the monarch. The hostage MP is well entertained until the successful conclusion of the ceremony, when they are released upon

8364-401: The monarchy and Parliament (a copy of Charles I's death warrant is displayed in the robing room used by the monarch as a ceremonial reminder of what can happen to a monarch who attempts to interfere with Parliament); however it has been suggested that the custom in its present form is of much more recent origin (mention of hostage-taking only dating back to the 1960s or 70s). In 1845, by contrast,

8466-537: The next regular session, the governor may call a special session . In many states, a special session may be called by petition from two-thirds of both houses. The few state legislatures which meet year-round, with the exception of North Carolina , are usually full-time paid legislatures. Woolsack The Woolsack is the seat of the Lord Speaker in the House of Lords , the Upper House of

8568-574: The numbering returns again to C-2 following a prorogation ( Bill C-1 is a pro-forma bill). The Congress is renewed every two years as required by the US Constitution , with all members of the House of Representatives up for reelection and one-third of the members of the US Senate up for reelection. (Senators serve a six-year term; House members serve a two-year term). Each Congress sits in two sessions lasting approximately one year. Thus,

8670-466: The practice in 2016, until he was unseated in 2019. The Speaker proceeds to attend the summons at once. The Serjeant-at-Arms picks up the ceremonial mace and, with the Speaker and Black Rod, leads the Members of the House of Commons as they walk, in pairs, towards the House of Lords. By custom, the members saunter, with much discussion and joking, rather than formally process. The Prime Minister and

8772-532: The proceedings changed over time: early on, the monarch would say some introductory words, before calling upon the Lord Chancellor (or Lord Keeper) to address the assembly. James I, however, was accustomed to speak at greater length himself, and sometimes dispensed with the Chancellor's services as spokesman. This varying pattern continued in subsequent reigns (and during the Commonwealth, when Cromwell gave

8874-444: The proposals of their Government: the monarch makes constant reference to "My Government" when reading the text. After listing the main bills to be introduced during the session, the monarch states: "Other measures will be laid before you", thus leaving the government scope to introduce bills not mentioned in the speech. The monarch mentions any state visits they intend to make and also any planned state visits of foreign heads of state to

8976-463: The safe return of the monarch. The Vice-Chamberlain's imprisonment is now purely ceremonial, though they do remain under guard; originally, it guaranteed the safety of the Sovereign as they entered a possibly hostile Parliament. The tradition is said to stem from the time of Charles I , who had a contentious relationship with Parliament and was eventually beheaded in 1649 during the Civil War between

9078-460: The speech to the Queen, but placed it on a table next to the throne. The State Opening in May 2022 was also scheduled to take place with reduced ceremonial, due to the Queen suffering "episodic mobility problems" (which eventually led to her being absent on the day). Throughout the twentieth century (including in wartime) the State Opening took place on an annual basis, with the following exceptions: In

9180-505: The speech was strongly criticised at the time. Following the speech, the monarch and his or her retinue leave the chamber. The monarch bows to both sides of the House of Peers and then leaves the chamber, walking in procession back to the Robing Room, before the Commons bow again and return to their Chamber. After the departure of the monarch from the palace, each Chamber proceeds to the consideration of an "Address in Reply to His/ Her Majesty's Gracious Speech." But first, each House considers

9282-469: The speech), but from 1679 onwards it became the norm for the monarch alone to speak. Since then, the monarch (if present) has almost invariably given the speech, with the exception of George I (whose command of English was poor) and Victoria (after the death of Prince Albert). During the Regency of 1811-1820, the Prince of Wales attended in full state and gave a Prince Regent's Speech. A dramatic change

9384-608: The throne, but before their coronation); on these occasions the robe of state was worn but the crown was not (instead it was carried on a cushion by one of the Great Officers of State). Motioned by the monarch, the Lord Great Chamberlain raises his white staff of office to signal the official known as Black Rod to summon the House of Commons. Black Rod turns and, under the escort of the Door-keeper of

9486-423: The timing of General Elections and parliamentary session start dates). It takes place in front of a formal gathering of both Houses of Parliament; the monarch customarily wears the Imperial State Crown and a Robe of State , and members of the House of Lords wear their parliament robes (in contrast to the House of Commons, whose members wear day dress). State Openings of Parliament are documented from as early as

9588-436: The twenty-first century the State Opening continued on an annual basis, with the following exceptions: The Opening of Parliament began out of practical necessity. By the late 14th century, the manner in which the King gathered his nobles and representatives of the Commons had begun to follow an established pattern. First of all, Peers ' names were checked against the list of those who had been summoned , and representatives of

9690-517: The two world wars the ceremonial was reduced, and by necessity modified: for example, in 1940 the entire State Opening took place in Church House, Westminster for reasons of security; and then from 1941-1944 it took place in the Robing Room, which was serving as a temporary chamber for the Lords while theirs was in use by the Commons (whose chamber had been destroyed in the Blitz ). Full ceremonial

9792-575: Was being used, first to Westminster Abbey for a service (usually a Mass of the Holy Ghost , prior to the Reformation), and thence on foot (accompanied by the Lords Spiritual and Temporal in their robes) to the Palace of Westminster for the Opening itself. The Wriothesley Garter Book, a 1523 illustration by Thomas Wriothesley , depicts King Henry VIII seated in Parliament in that year. It shows

9894-417: Was broken in 1998, when Queen Elizabeth II announced the government's plan of abolishing the right of hereditary peers to automatically sit in the House of Lords. A few Labour members of the House of Commons cried "yes" and "hear", prompting several of the Lords to shout "no" and "shame". The Queen continued delivering her speech without any pause, ignoring the intervention. The conduct of those who interrupted

9996-422: Was common for the federal Parliament to have up to three sessions, with Parliament being prorogued at the end of each session and recalled at the beginning of the next. This was not always the case, for instance the 10th Parliament (1926–1928) went full term without prorogation. The practice of having multiple sessions in the same parliament gradually fell into disuse, and all parliaments from 1978 to 2013 had

10098-474: Was conducted in a "dressed-down" manner, due to the snap general elections held in those years. On these occasions the Queen attended in day dress, rather than the traditional ceremonial robes of state, and the Imperial State Crown was carried in front of the Queen rather than worn. Inside the Palace, there were reduced numbers in the procession, and outside motor cars were used in place of horse-drawn carriages (and no military escort accompanied them). Otherwise,

10200-465: Was occasioned by the destruction of the old Palace of Westminster by fire in 1834. After that, the Painted Chamber (which had been gutted in the blaze) was roofed over and fitted up to serve as a temporary house of Lords, pending the rebuilding of the palace; the State Opening took place there until 1847, when the new Lords' chamber was opened. The new palace was designed with the ceremony of

10302-464: Was restored for the most part in 1948, with the crown and robes returning two years later (once the Lords had vacated the Robing Room). Queen Elizabeth II opened every session of Parliament during her reign, except in 1959, 1963, and 2022. In 1959 and 1963, she was pregnant with Prince Andrew and Prince Edward respectively and those two sessions were opened by Lords Commissioners , headed by

10404-717: Was too ill to attend; in 1951 King George VI was too ill to attend; in 1959 and 1963 Queen Elizabeth II was pregnant and did not attend. In each of these years Lords Commissioners were appointed to preside over the opening, with the speech being read by the Presiding Commissioner (namely the Lord Chancellor). The speech was prefaced with the words: "My Lords and Members of the House of Commons, We are commanded to deliver to you His/Her Majesty’s Speech in His/Her Majesty's own words". In 2022, when

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