Talk:State Opening of Parliament

Old discussions
Just thought I'd mention that Queen's Speech is by far more common in everyday parlance than Speech from the Throne. Loganberry 12:08, 9 Dec 2004 (UTC)

In Canada, the term "Speech from the Throne" is still most commonly used. This is done by the Governor General though on almost all occasions.Canadian Mike


 * Is there such a thing as a State Closing of Parliament, does anyone know? Gryffindor  13:42, 11 December 2005 (UTC)
 * No there isn't, but there is the Dissolution of parliament. BTW, would it be worth noting in the article that The Queen didn't open Parliament in 1959 and 1963 as she was pregnant with Prince Andrew and Prince Edward, respectively? Craigy [[Image:Flag of the United Kingdom.svg|15px]] (talk) 20:52, 1 January 2006 (UTC)


 * There is a closing - it is called "prorogation." Happened to catch one on TV (British Columbia's provincial legislature, based on Westminster).  It was very informal, and the Lieutenant-Governor said, on leaving, something like, "tomorrow's speech should be a bit longer." Here's a link to that day's Hansard (scroll to the bottom for the Prorogation Address http://www.leg.bc.ca/hansard/38th2nd/H70213a.htm  Jacques A55 17:29, 30 November 2007 (UTC)

Parliament is only dissolved prior to a General Election. Each Session - (the period between one State Opening and the next) - in a Parliament's life is prorogued and there is a ceremony where the Queen's Speech is read out - always in her absence - in the House of Lords. (Queen Victoria was the last monarch to deliver a Prorogation Speech in person.) Prorogation signifies the end of one parliamentary session (usually after twelve months) and the imminent commencement of the next. This ceremony is televised on the BBC Parliament channel. This year's ceremony took place on Wednesday November 26th. Following this event occurred the police raid in the House of Commons - technically whilst Parliament was not in session!GARRYHIGH (talk) 20:43, 9 December 2008 (UTC)

Lord Speaker's role
Taken from Lord Speaker...

"The Lord Speaker will assume most of the duties that the Lord Chancellor used to have in relation to his Parliamentary role, including ceremonial duties such as the State Opening of Parliament."

Now that there has been a State Opening of Parliament since the first Lord Speaker was elected, what role did she play at the event? I'm pretty sure the Lord Chancellor handed the Queen the Speach. I didn't really see the Lord Speaker at all. David 21:35, 15 November 2006 (UTC)


 * The Lord Speaker didn't do very much at all. I saw her process through the royal gallery to meet the Queen, and she was in the procession to the House of Lords, but the Lord Chancellor did the rest. -- Ibagli ( Talk ) 02:11, 21 March 2007 (UTC)

Absent Sovereign?
"The current Sovereign, Queen Elizabeth II, has opened every session of the Westminster Parliament since her accession except in 1959 and 1963." - So what happened in these years? How did Parliament open? Rednaxela 21:45, 15 November 2006 (UTC)


 * Royal Commissioners probably. David 23:20, 15 November 2006 (UTC)


 * Lord Commissioners, exercising a Royal Commission - just like at prorogation. Tc1415 08:49, 5 April 2007 (UTC)

This article would be improved if it had more detail of these exceptions, the actual names of the people who delivered the speeches, and other speeches that may have been missed by the sovereign for the last several centuries. A chart of exceptions in a simple format (like this one) would work here. NoSeptember 12:09, 30 June 2007 (UTC)
 * Who would now open Parliament in her absents? I assume Prince Charles. Should this possibility be mentioned in the article, or is that 'crystal balling' a little. GoodDay 21:38, 27 August 2007 (UTC)

It is held "In Commission" and the speech is read by the Lord Chancellor. The years HM Elizabeth II was absent was, I believe as she was pregnent. Corporation Dialectica

MPs waiting behind the bar
This year, Jack Straw delivered the speech as the first non-peer Lord Chancellor, breaking the rule that MPs are not allowed beyond the bar when the Lords is in session. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 195.167.155.139 (talk) 15:23, 8 November 2007 (UTC)


 * He is Lord Chancellor though and did his duties at the State Opening very well (even walking backwards - well done sir), so he was following, not breaking the rules! David 00:04, 15 November 2007 (UTC)

Whilst it is held in the Lord's Chamber, the House of Lords is not in session during the State Opening

Not just Queen
This article needs to be redone, to show the UK monarchs can be female or male. For example, we should replace Queen, Her Majesty's government etc, with Monarch, His/Her Majesty's government etc. GoodDay (talk) 19:07, 24 April 2008 (UTC)

In the UK, the general convention is to use the gender of the current monarch, while simply using the initials HM, which can refer to either His or Her Majesty's whatever.. thus for example we have HM Treasury, which is referred to in speech as Her Majesty's Treasury, and will be referred to as His Majesty's when Charles ascends the throne. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 38.112.93.62 (talk) 13:33, 29 April 2008 (UTC)

The above comment was made by me before I created an account. PrinceOfCanada (talk) 18:07, 5 May 2008 (UTC)

Date of State Opening
I have altered (back) the date when the UK Parliament is usually opened - from "November or December" to "late October or November". New Sessions of Parliament generally start in November following the State Opening, but when a General Election is called earlier in the year than this, then a State Opening will always follow once the new Parliament assembles and this Session will run through until November of the FOLLOWING year.

It is usual for the State Opening to be held in late October or November, NOT as late as December as was the case this year. Dates of State Openings of the UK Parliament:

2008 December 3rd        2007 November 6th       2006  November 15th      2005  May 17th 2004 November 24th       2003 November 26th      2002  November 13th      2001  June 20th 2000 December 6th        1999 November 17th      1998  November 24th      1997  May 14th 1996 October 23rd        1995 November 15th      1994  November 16thGARRYHIGH (talk) 00:19, 11 December 2008 (UTC)


 * You could be correct, but your evidence appears to be a little weak. You have given 9 years with openings in November, 2 years for December and only 1 year for October. From the limited sample you have provided the evidence appears to support the November/December description over the October/November description. Do you have something more substantial to support your position?
 * If possible I would prefer to see a reference to a reliable source than to conduct original research on a list of dates. Surely there is a published source available that says "the State Opening of Parliament normally occurs in the months of..." Road Wizard (talk) 01:09, 11 December 2008 (UTC)

I have altered the dates to November or December as this is the information provided on the UK Parliament's own website [UK Parliament] Im.sarcastic (talk) 14:06, 14 October 2009 (UTC)

But suddenly (May 2022) the date has been altered to May, and apparently was last year too, with the Orwellian implication this is and has been the usual date, when every one knows Guy Fawkes was trying to blow up the State Opening in November. 86.187.238.41 (talk) 11:16, 10 May 2022 (UTC)

List of openings
Is a list of the dates of these events available online anywhere? I'm particularly interested in looking up some of the 19th century openings. Drutt (talk) 22:00, 22 May 2010 (UTC)


 * There is a list of recent State Openings (since 1986) in Appendix B of this factsheet, but I cannot find anything else close to what you are asking for. However, it is possible to find the dates of individual State Openings in Hansard from the nineteenth century onwards, starting with that of 22 November 1803, and you can also find the speeches themselves there. Waltham, The Duke of 18:56, 23 May 2010 (UTC)

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Extraterrestrial invitation
It has been said that since 1947 a general invitation to any "extraterrestrial intelligences" wishing to attend either in person or via proxy has been issued. As of yet this invitation has not been been taken up however 2019 may be different due to growing public pressure. Should this event occur it is likely that a single representative would attend, and be seated like any other MP (MXP ?!) though may or may not choose to address the House depending on the situation should the need arise.

2022 Photographs
The House of Lords Flickr account has published twenty photographs of today's event under CC-BY-2.0 and I have transferred them to the Commons (OUR commons, I mean). Robin S. Taylor (talk) 15:51, 10 May 2022 (UTC)

If an opening of Parliament occurs 'before' a monarch's coronation
It should be pointed out, that the monarch doesn't wear the imperial state crown, if an opening of Parliament occurs before the monarch's coronation. Rather, the crown (on a cushion) proceeds the monarch. GoodDay (talk) 08:35, 22 September 2022 (UTC)


 * @GoodDay, any source? Meridiana solare (talk) 15:11, 22 September 2022 (UTC)
 * I believe it's source at the Imperial State Crown page. GoodDay (talk) 15:14, 22 September 2022 (UTC)
 * It's unsourced even there. Meridiana solare (talk) 16:49, 22 September 2022 (UTC)
 * Edward VIII didn't wear the crown, when he opened parliament in 1936, fwiw. GoodDay (talk) 17:40, 22 September 2022 (UTC)

An uncrowned monarch does not wear the crown, but after Prince Albert's death Queen Victoria did not wear the crown again and Edward VII continued this tradition, as did George V until the State Opening in March 1913, when he decided it was time to wear it. He consulted the Cabinet beforehand and the Liberal Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Charles Hobhouse wrote, 'As none of cared what he wears, we agreed to the crown.' (Jane Ridley, George V: Never A Dull Moment, London, Chatto & Windus 2021, Vintage 2023, ISBN 978-0-09-959012-5, p.203.) Khamba Tendal (talk) 17:29, 18 September 2023 (UTC)