All the Quirky British Tradition at the State Opening of Parliament

Every year, without fail, the U.K.’s State Opening of Parliament sparks renewed fascination for its extravagant conventions entangled in royal tradition. The State Opening—which takes place in the House of Lords chamber in the Palace of Westminster—marks the formal opening of the parliamentary year, and sees the British monarch deliver a speech in which they outline the government’s agenda for the new season.

[time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”]

The State Opening is the only regular instance where the three constituent parts of Parliament are all present at once—this consists of the Sovereign, the House of Lords, and the House of Commons. But pomp tends to overshadow politics at the annual event, at least among global spectators.

“The Palace of Westminster zealously guards its traditions, many of which, to an outsider, might seem arcane,” royal historian Richard Fitzwilliams tells TIME. “The ceremonial splendor is part of what makes it so unique.”

While Wednesday’s ceremony will be King Charles III’s third time carrying out this duty, it will be his first State Opening with Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Labour government in power, following 14 years of Conservative rule. In May 2022, the King joined his son Prince William, then the Duke of Cambridge, in a joint effort as Counsellors of State, to stand in for Queen Elizabeth II, who was unable to attend the State Opening due to mobility issues. King Charles returned alone in 2023, for his first State Opening as Britain’s new monarch, following the death of the Queen in September 2022.

Expected to be outlined in the 75-year-old monarch’s speech is around 30 bills touching on renewable energy, transport, crime, workers’ rights and employment protections, among other key matters, the New Statesman reported. “There will be far more interest than there has been in recent years and, probably, more public interest,” Fitzwilliams says. “Labour’s promise, to improve living standards and public services by growth, will come under scrutiny depending on what bills… are proposed and how any spending increases are paid for.”

Some politicians have expressed a desire to scrap the State Opening altogether, with Tony Blair’s 1997 Labour government calling the ceremony “peculiar,” but the palace has managed to hold on to what is viewed as an outdated performance of ritual by some.

Ahead of the formal State Opening, here’s what to know about its quirky traditions.

A ceremonial search takes place in the Westminster cellars

While many of the public facing traditions at the State Opening are marveled at, the steps that take place out of sight are equally unusual. Before the monarch arrives at Parliament, the Yeomen of the Guard and royal bodyguards will search the cellars of the Palace of Westminster for explosives.

The search is connected to the ‘gunpowder plot’ of 1605, a pivotal moment in British history. The plot saw Guy Fawkes—an explosives expert as a result of his military service—lead an unsuccessful scheme by English Catholics to blow up Parliament and assassinate the Protestant King James I.

The U.K. marks the failed event each year on Nov. 5, with fireworks and a bonfire. “Although this is obviously a colorful continuation of a tradition which is celebrated with fireworks by many, security is obviously paramount on such an occasion,” Fitzwilliams asserts.

A Member of Parliament (MP) is taken hostage

For the duration of the State Opening, which mostly unfolds between 11 a.m. and 12.30 p.m., an MP is taken hostage by the army to further ensure the safety of the monarch. The individual is usually the MP serving as Vice Chamberlain of HM Household.

But Fitzwilliams says this is “a formality” and the hostage is free to watch the ceremony on television at the palace. The tradition, he adds, dates back to the 1600s, “when relations between the Crown and Parliament were fractious, leading to Civil War and, in January 1649, the execution of King Charles I.”

King Charles I, who succeeded his father James I in 1625, offended English Protestant society in a number of ways, first by marrying Henrietta Maria, a Catholic, in the debut year of his reign. He also dissolved Parliament whenever he faced opposition, once for an 11 year period between 1629 to 1640. He was defeated in the Civil Wars and tried for treason, and ultimately executed on  Jan. 30, 1649.

While British monarchs no longer face such a threat of public execution, the tradition of temporary hostage taking endures. Last year’s hostage was Jo Churchill, a former MP for Bury St Edmunds and then Vice Chamberlain.

The slamming of a door in Black Rod’s face

The Lady or Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod is a senior officer in the House of Lords, who controls access and order within the house, and plays a key role in ceremonial events. The title refers to an ebony and gold staff that is held by the incumbent officer.

The role is currently held by Sarah Clarke, who was appointed in 2017 and in the following year, became the first woman Black Rod in 650 years of history. Clarke will play a key role in the State Opening of Parliament, and the tradition of having a door slammed in her face is among one of the more unusual aspects of her role.

Black Rod is sent from the House of Lords to the House of Commons to summon MPs for the King’s speech. It is here that they will have the door of the Commons slammed shut in their face. Black Rod, per tradition, has to then use their staff to knock thrice on the door to gain entry to the Commons, where MPs will then follow them to the upper chamber to hear the King’s speech.

The royal family’s official website states that the tradition is to “symbolise the Commons’ independence from the monarchy.”  Inside the House of Lords, members wear ceremonial robes while judges of the High Court of Justice wear wigs.

King Charles III’s specific way of entering Westminster

King Charles and Queen Camilla will travel to the Palace of Westminster in a State coach with the Household Cavalry. The Imperial State Crown and regalia will travel in its own carriage ahead of the royal couple.

Once they arrive at the palace, they will enter through the Sovereign’s Entrance in Victoria Tower and be greeted by the Lord Great Chamberlain, who is in charge of the Palace of Westminster, and the Earl Marshal, who is tasked with organizing the ceremony. They will ascend the Royal Staircase to the Norman Porch, before entering the Robing Room to dress in ceremonial robes and wear the Imperial State Crown.

The King’s speech gets a special mode of transport, too

The Earl Marshal will then lead a Procession with King Charles walking towards the House of Lords Chamber via the Royal Gallery. Here, the monarch will officially open Parliament, addressing members of both the Commons and Lords. But it is the method in which the King’s speech is delivered to him that may raise some eyebrows, with the remarks brought into the chamber in a silk bag by the Lord High Chancellor, who will bend on one knee and present the bag to King Charles.

“The speech consists of the government’s programme and it is one of the monarch’s constitutional duties to read it. He or she has no input in it” Fitzwilliams says. Once the speech has been read out loud, both Houses debate the policies put forward, before settling on an ‘Address in Reply to His Majesty’s Gracious Speech.’

All the Quirky British Tradition at the State Opening of Parliament

All the Quirky British Tradition at the State Opening of Parliament

All the Quirky British Tradition at the State Opening of Parliament

All the Quirky British Tradition at the State Opening of Parliament

All the Quirky British Tradition at the State Opening of Parliament