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The Old Palace of
Westminster was largely destroyed by fire in 1834. The new Palace was purpose built (among other things) to accommodate the ceremonial of a State Opening. Thus in Victoria's reign, the long-established ceremonial of the State Opening was married to its now-familiar architectural
901:
Earlier, a separate carriage procession (escorted by a
Regalia Escort of the Household Cavalry) conveys the crown, the sword of state and the cap of maintenance (in one carriage), and the serjeants at arms with their maces (in another) by the same route to the Palace of Westminster.
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would assemble at the Palace of
Westminster (which was the King's principal residence). They would then go in procession on foot to nearby Westminster Abbey for Mass, prior to returning in procession to the Palace for the Opening of Parliament itself. (During the Mass, the
315:
The latter contingent includes a combination of royal officials and attendants, plus others who are there by virtue of holding honorary positions in the Royal
Household (namely several Government Whips and the professional heads of the Armed Services).
263:'s grand parliamentary interiors. The pattern of events then was much as it is now: the monarch, members of the royal family and members of the Household arrive in a Carriage Procession from Buckingham Palace (preceded by the items of royal
862:, members of the extended royal family who were Peers or Peeresses (including Dowagers) often used to attend the State Opening; they, however, were seated on the benches of the chamber and did not form part of the State Procession.
230:
to the Palace of
Westminster. At about this time, the practice of all Peers taking part in the procession ceased (due in no small part to the increasing size of the Peerage). In 1698, Whitehall Palace burned down; thereafter
854:
Occasionally one or two of the monarch's children have walked in the procession, behind the monarch and consort, and occupied positions on the dais either side of the throne (sometimes accompanied by their spouses).
60:
195:
Church. At around this time, Westminster ceased to be a royal residence, becoming instead the fixed abode of
Parliament itself. In 1536, the procession set off from the new royal residence of
950:(who since 2019 has also held the office of Lord Privy Seal) is usually given the role of carrying the Cap of Maintenance, and therefore walks just ahead of the monarch.
94:
King Henry VIII, preceded by the Sword of State and Cap of
Maintenance, in procession from Westminster Abbey for the State Opening of Parliament, 4 February 1512.
108:
opening
Parliament on 7 November 1485 includes a description of the processions which preceded it. By this time the pattern had become established whereby the
187:
Change was necessitated after the Palace of
Westminster was severely damaged by fire in 1514. In both 1523 and 1529, the Opening of Parliament took place in
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219:
over a century later). On occasion (and especially in times of plague) the King would travel by river from
Whitehall to Westminster, using a State Barge.
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172:, borne by his son. The King himself carries a sceptre and walks beneath a richly-decorated canopy supported by four monks. His train-bearer is the
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140:'s first Opening of Parliament in 1510. The 1512 account includes an illustration of the Procession depicting participants together with their
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On the morning of the State Opening, the King and Queen travel 'in State' from Buckingham Palace to the Palace of Westminster, riding in a
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began regularly to be used for the procession to Westminster (though this was not entirely new - both Elizabeth I (on occasion) and
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199:. Three years later, the King, Peers and attendants were to be seen riding in procession from Whitehall to the Abbey, in their
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136:'s direction) for marshalling the procession, began to keep detailed records of the event, the earliest of which dates from
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121:' who had been elected to represent the Commons would gather in the Parliament Chamber for a roll-call, overseen by the
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to provide space for the carriages, a robing room, and a grand interior processional route to the House of Lords.
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The Imperial State Crown is also carried ahead of the monarch if for any particular reason it is not being worn.
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accompany the procession, reminiscent of earlier times when the regalia was conveyed to the palace by river.
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The King and Queen (immediately preceded by peers carrying the Sword of State and the Cap of Maintenance)
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The State Opening of Parliament is one of the few occasions when a State Procession is to be seen; the
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The Prince and Princess of Wales, if present, would join the procession behind the King and Queen.
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and escorted by a Sovereign's Escort of the Household Cavalry. Other carriages follow (namely the
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For the 1679 State Opening, there was no procession and no service in the Abbey (for fear of a
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109:
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1061:'none but the King’s Children shall sit on either Side of the Cloth of Estate in Parliament'.
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After the State Opening has concluded, the carriage processions return to Buckingham Palace.
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with their attendants); after a time of preparation, the monarch proceeds in State from the
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follow, among whom can be seen the Lord Steward (with his white wand of office).
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to the Palace of Westminster for the State Opening of Parliament, 27 May 2015.
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and on horseback. This precedent was followed in subsequent years: Queen
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52:, but in earlier centuries it followed an outdoor route to and from
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Cannadine, D. 'The Palace of Westminster as Palace of Varieties'
1081:
Cobb H.S. 'The Staging of Ceremonies in the House of Lords' in
176:(carrying his white wand of office), who is 'assisted by' the
98:, detail from 17th century copy, British Library, Add MS 22306
48:. The State Procession is now confined to the interior of the
235:
became the usual point of departure. In the Georgian period,
148:
at the front of the procession, accompanied by Heralds and
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had used carriages to get to the State Opening). Under
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As of 2023, the Procession is constituted as follows:
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rode on occasion or else was carried in a horse-borne
36:
includes a State Procession, a formal display of the
1110:
State Opening of Parliament - history and ceremonial
1083:
The Houses of Parliament: History, Art, Architecture
878:
passes the Foreign & Commonwealth Office in the
125:who would leave the Abbey early for this purpose.)
994:The First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff.
18:State Procession at the UK Opening of Parliament
40:, dignified by a sizeable entourage made up of
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1100:
291:The Procession falls into four main sections:
247:, the Palace of Westminster was remodeled by
8:
215:, a practice that would also be followed by
1048:A Government Whip in the House of Commons.
1039:A Government Whip in the House of Commons.
818:Comptroller, The Lord Chamberlain's Office
287:Present-day Participants in the Procession
616:her train borne by two Pages of Honour.)
132:, who had the responsibility (under the
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1030:A Government Whip in the House of Lords
1021:A Government Whip in the House of Lords
1012:A Government Whip in the House of Lords
930:
324:
156:follow with their maces, just ahead of
718:First and Principal Naval Aide de Camp
7:
1116:. London: House of Commons Library
1059:House of Lords Precedence Act 1539
772:Private Secretary to the Sovereign
738:Captain of the Yeomen of the Guard
25:
850:Other members of the royal family
1175:Ceremonies in the United Kingdom
1155:Parliament of the United Kingdom
1135:Court Circular, 7 November 2023.
840:Field Officer in Brigade Waiting
749:Captain of the Gentlemen at Arms
191:, following a service in nearby
96:Parliament Procession Roll, 1512
84:
75:
1003:The Chief of the General Staff.
814:Equerry in Waiting to The Queen
1160:Monarchy of the United Kingdom
768:Private Secretary to The Queen
392:Norroy and Ulster King of Arms
311:Members of the Royal Household
211:(as had been her sister Queen
160:. The King is preceded by the
1:
496:Lord President of the Council
961:Leader of the House of Lords
948:Leader of the House of Lords
858:Prior to the passing of the
787:Comptroller of the Household
1165:State ritual and ceremonies
985:The Chief of the Air Staff.
919:State Opening of Parliament
880:Diamond Jubilee State Coach
744:Lord or Baroness in Waiting
375:Lady Usher of the Black Rod
305:The Great Officers of State
34:State Opening of Parliament
1191:
794:Treasurer of the Household
695:Chief of the Defence Staff
764:Keeper of the Privy Purse
299:, two Serjeants-at-Arms,
1107:Torrance, David (2023).
604:his train borne by four
1170:Annual events in London
1085:. London: Merrell 2000.
1057:Under the terms of the
860:House of Lords Act 1999
833:Silver Stick in Waiting
399:Clarenceux King of Arms
279:, to the Throne in the
42:Great Officers of State
883:
598:(The King wearing the
512:Lord Great Chamberlain
174:Lord Great Chamberlain
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662:Gold Stick in Waiting
67:Historical background
61:Coronation Procession
50:Palace of Westminster
723:Aide de Camp General
648:A Queen's Companion
610:the Queen wearing a
600:Imperial State Crown
488:Lord High Chancellor
866:Carriage procession
674:Master of the Horse
438:Garter King of Arms
228:Palace of Whitehall
166:Lord High Constable
158:Garter King of Arms
128:In due course, the
44:and members of the
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809:Equerry in Waiting
552:Cap of Maintenance
269:King's Robing Room
162:Cap of Maintenance
110:Peers of the Realm
27:British procession
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642:Queen's Companion
570:(borne by a Peer)
154:Serjeants-at-Arms
142:armorial bearings
54:Westminster Abbey
16:(Redirected from
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421:Serjeant at Arms
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189:Bridewell Palace
178:Lord Chamberlain
150:Gentleman Ushers
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241:Oliver Cromwell
164:, borne by the
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144:. It shows the
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281:House of Lords
271:, through the
249:Sir John Soane
182:Lords Temporal
170:Sword of State
104:An account of
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1118:. Retrieved
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857:
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691:Aide de Camp
668:Lord Steward
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585:Her Majesty
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559:(borne by a
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520:Earl Marshal
472:Lord Speaker
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134:Earl Marshal
127:
123:Lord Steward
103:
95:
63:is another.
58:
31:
29:
892:Glass Coach
888:state coach
811:to The King
336:Pursuivants
329:Pursuivants
255:setting of
224:Popish Plot
205:Elizabeth I
193:Blackfriars
1149:Categories
1120:7 November
1069:References
894:and three
233:St James's
217:Queen Anne
138:Henry VIII
587:The Queen
301:Black Rod
245:George IV
237:carriages
197:Whitehall
119:Burgesses
106:Henry VII
38:Sovereign
976:in 2023.
913:See also
580:The King
168:and the
358:Heralds
351:Heralds
265:regalia
130:heralds
115:Knights
874:Queen
612:diadem
213:Mary I
209:litter
180:. The
152:; the
1114:(PDF)
925:Notes
261:Pugin
257:Barry
201:robes
1122:2023
972:The
946:The
672:The
666:The
561:Peer
550:The
542:The
518:The
510:The
494:The
486:The
470:The
462:The
295:The
275:and
259:and
117:and
32:The
1151::
1099:^
742:A
640:A
614:,
608:;
602:,
283:.
56:.
1124:.
963:.
697:)
693:(
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113:'
20:)
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