The Queen and I Open Parliament

In November 1951—nearly 61 years ago—King George VI and his Queen officially opened the new session of Parliament. Having just had his left lung removed less than two months earlier, the sick King was forced to listen as the Lord Chancellor delivered his speech for him. Less than three months later, the King was dead.

That was the last time the official State Opening of Parliament was carried out by both a King and a Queen. In the years since, this important ceremony has been presided over by Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, and her lesser-ranked husband, Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh. 

That all changed today, when this King joined The Queen as she opened Parliament…well, sort of. 

I was in the crowd, rather than riding with her in the Australian State Coach. And I wasn’t actually allowed into either Buckingham or the Palace of Westminster. But I was there in spirit!

I arrived at the St James’s Park tube station at around 9:50 AM. I knew the procession was set to leave the palace circa 11 AM, and I wanted to make sure I had a good spot staked out. As luck would have it, I got stopped briefly on the wrong side of Birdcage Walk while a group of guards marched toward their assigned places further along the procession route.

No matter, as a few minutes later I was allowed to proceed. I crossed St James’s Park quickly, and made my way to the northeastern side of The Mall. From there I moved closer to Buckingham Palace, grabbing a spot near where Constitution Hill meets The Mall.

Photo courtesy of my Oregonian friend.

While waiting for the festivities to begin, I made conversation with the woman next to me—a lovely Oregonian visiting London for the first time, and who didn’t realize the significance of the day until she arrived. 

At approximately 11:30, the first part of the procession began. 

There emerged from the palace gates a black-and-gold coach, escorted by Members of the Royal Household. Within this coach were three of the most important Crown Jewels: the Imperial State Crown, which weighs more than two pounds and is set with 2,969 diamonds, 273 pearls, 17 sapphires, and 11 emeralds; the Sword of State, a large broadsword bearing various symbols of the Royal Line; and the Cap of Maintenance, a further symbol of the Monarchy which—like the Sword—precedes The Queen into Westminster during the ceremony.

The Crown Jewels in their own Coach.

About 25 minutes later, the procession carrying The Queen finally set off! 

Accompanied by Prince Phillip, Queen Elizabeth was taken from Buckingham Palace in the Australian State Coach. Since she was not wearing the Imperial State Crown, she wore her famous George IV State Diadem—which has been used by Kings and Queens alike since 1820—for the short ride to Westminster Palace. 

Also part of this procession was The Queen’s only daughter, Anne, the Princess Royal—though, as with her brother Prince Charles, I didn’t recognize the Princess until I was reviewing pictures later.

Princess Anne (red plume)

With The Queen et alia off to the Palace of Westminster, I set off myself. 

My intention was simply to snap a photo of the Royal Standard being flown over Parliament—a relatively rare occurrence, to be sure—but then, after a bit of inquiry, I realized that I could possibly get another view of The Queen on her return journey.

The Royal Standard Flying Over Parliament

So I found a relatively comfy spot, pulled out my new Game of Thrones book, and whiled away the next 30 minutes or so. Sure enough, I soon thereafter found myself bearing witness to the Australian State Coach riding by for a second time.

The Queen and Prince Philip Returning to Buckingham Palace

All together, it was such a delightful morning! 

When I first came to London, I didn’t realistically expect to see The Queen. Then, when I learned that seeing her was a much easier ordeal than, say, seeing the U.S. President, I counted myself lucky to catch a glimpse of her even once. I never dreamed that I would see The Queen twice in one day—my second and third time seeing her all together—let alone glimpsing her riding in an official procession and wearing the State Diadem. 

Until next time…