The state opening of Parliament

The opening of Parliament at the beginning of the session is the most colourful as well as the most important ceremony of the year. Her Majesty the Queen, attended by a sovereign es­cort of the Household Cavalry drives from Buckingham Palace to the Palace of Westminster. The route is lined by regiments of Footguards wearing black bearskins which have for so long been a symbol of courage and loyal service.

At the foot of the Royal Staircase which is lined by House­hold Cavalry, Her Majesty is received by the great officers of the State.

The Procession headed by the four pursuivants wearing their tabards embroidered with the royal arms passes through the Royal Gallery and between lines of Beefeaters and Gentlemen-at-Arnis in uniforms of scarlet, black and gold. The Queen magnificently dressed in robes of state, crowned, and wearing many of the finest crown jewels, enters the House of Lords. The assembly rises to its feet. The peers are in their scarlet robes, the peeresses in evening dresses; the archbishops and judges in scarlet; the Diplomatic corps blazing with gold and decorations.

Her Majesty occupies the throne and says: "My Lords, pray be seated". At the Queen's request the Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod proceeds to the House of Commons to command the presence of its members at the Bar of the House of Lords.

When the Commons are assembled at the Bar, the Lord Chancellor kneels before the Queen and hands her a copy of the royal speech, which has been prepared by the Cabinet. The speech is a summary of the policy which the Government in­tends to follow and the measures which it proposes to adopt. At the conclusion of the Queen's speech the Commons return to their Chamber. The Queen is escorted to her coach and re­turns to Buckingham Palace.

CHANGING THE GUARD

One of the most impressive and popular displays of royal pageantry is Changing the Guard which takes place at Buck­ingham Palace every day, including Sunday, at 11. 30. The troops who take part are selected from the five regiments of Foot Guards. Their numbers and colours are dependent on whether the Queen is in residence or not. These form the famous Bri­gade of Guards, and they consist of the Grenadiers, the Cold-stream Guards and the Welsh, Irish and Scottish Guards.

Changing the Guard at Buckingham Palace is the ceremo­ny of great interest. Two horse guards wearing scarlet uniforms with tall black fur caps, called the busby, on black horses are guarding the entrance to the Palace. By tradition the duty of mounting the Queen's Guard is undertaken by a Regiment of Foot Guard. The ceremony is attended by a Regiment band.

The history of the Foot Guards goes back to 1656, when Charles II of England, during his exile in Holland, recruited a small body-guard, which was merged in the regiment of guards enrolled at the Restoration in 1600. Later the Guards of the regiment acquired their title of Grenadier Guards and their bearskin headdress — later adopted by the rest of the Guards brigade — by virtue of their defeat of Napoleon's grenadier guards at Waterloo. The Brigade of Guards serves as a personal bodyguard to the Sovereign. When the Queen is in residence at Buckingham Palace, there is a guard of four sentries. Only two are on duty when she is away from London.

The colourful spectacle of Mounting the Guard, at the Horse Guards, in Whitehall, also attracts London sightseers. The guard is provided by a detachment of the Household Cavalry and in­volves units of the Royal Horse Guards and the Life Guards.

TROOPING THE COLOUR

During the month of June a day is set aside as the Queen's official birthday. This is usually the second Saturday in June. On this day the magnificent spectacle of Trooping the Colour takes place on Horse Guards' Parade in Whitehall. The Parade be­gins at 11. 15 a. m. unless rain intervenes, when the ceremony is usually postponed until conditions are suitable.

This is pageantry of rare splendour, with the Queen riding side-saddle on a highly trained horse. The colours of one of the five regiments of Foot Guards are trooped before the Sovereign. As she rides on to Horse Guards' parade, the massed array of the Brigade of Guards, dressed in ceremonial uniforms, wait for her inspection.

For twenty minutes the whole parade stands rigidly to attenion while being inspected by the Queen. Then comes the Trooping ceremony itself, to be followed by the famous March ³ast of the Guards to the music of massed bands, at which the Queen takes the Salute.

The ceremony ends with the Queen returning to Bucking-mm Palace at the head of her Guards.

THE CEREMONY OF THE KEYS

The Ceremony of the Keys at the Tower is another very in­teresting tradition. Every night at 9. 53 p. m. the Chief Warder of the Tower of London lights a candle lantern and makes his way towards the Bloody Tower. In the Archway his Escort joins him and they move off to lock the West Gate and the Towers Then they all return to the Bloody Tower and there they are halted by the challenge of the sentry. "Halt!" he commands. "Who goes there?" The Chief Warder answers. "The keys". The-sentry demands, "Whose keys?" "Queen's Elizabeth's keys," re­plies the Chief Warder. "Advance, Queen Elisabeth's Keys. All is well", commands the sentry. The party then face the main Guard of the Tower who orders to "Present Arms". The Chief Warder doffs his Tudor-style bonnet and cries, "God preserve Queen Elizabeth. " "Amen", answers the Guard and Escort. Then the Chief Warder proceeds to the Queen's House, where the keys are given into the custody of the Resident Governor and Major.

The Ceremony of the Keys dates back 700 years and has tak­en place every night during that period, even during the blitz of London in the last war. The custodians of the Tower, the Yeomen Warders, known as "Beefeaters", wear a state dress uniform con­sisting of funny flat hats, trousers bound at the knee, and the royal monogram on their breast. These tradition­al medieval clothes make the old castle look still more fantastic and theatrical. Nowadays these Yeomen Warders act as guides taking tourists around the Tower and telling them numerous histories and legends associ­ated with this place. Usually they are veterans of the Second World War.

A number of ravens have their home at the Tower. There is a superstition that when the ravens fly away, the Tower will fall down and that will be the sign of the downfall of the British Empire. Because of this superstition the wings of the ravens are regularly clipped.