2013

:00:34. > :00:38.Westminster, where everything is just about ready for the formal

:00:38. > :00:41.start of a new Parliamentary year, the State Opening of Parliament, an

:00:41. > :00:47.event which mixes grand ceremony with hard politics. In about an

:00:47. > :00:50.hour, the Queen will reveal the Government's programme for the year

:00:50. > :00:55.ahead in the penultimate session of this Parliament before the general

:00:55. > :00:59.election in May 2015. We will be enjoined the impressive colour, the

:00:59. > :01:02.spectacle and considering what the speech tells us about David

:01:02. > :01:08.Cameron's ambition for the collision in the months to come. The

:01:08. > :01:13.traditions and features of the State Opening are reassuringly familiar to

:01:13. > :01:16.us, but there is one notable change this year. We will have not one but

:01:16. > :01:20.two royal carriage procession is making their way to the Sovereign's

:01:20. > :01:24.Entrance of the of Westminster. The Prince of Wales is attending with

:01:24. > :01:28.the Duchess of Cornwall for the first time together, and we expect

:01:28. > :01:32.them to arrive just before 11 o'clock. They will take position at

:01:32. > :01:35.the House of Lords, where we will have the Welsh Guards, the 1st

:01:35. > :01:40.Battalion, and the band of the Welsh Guards to provide the guard of

:01:40. > :01:45.honour and the Royal salute. Inside the Palace of Westminster, in the

:01:45. > :01:49.chamber of the House of Lords, peers are already claiming their seats, as

:01:49. > :01:53.ever, on State Opening day, demand exceeds supply, and this is the only

:01:53. > :01:59.time that all of the peers are to be seen wearing their Parliamentary

:01:59. > :02:03.robes. It is a glorious sea of scarlet and gold and German. We have

:02:03. > :02:07.a short while to wait before the speech, the contents, as we remind

:02:07. > :02:13.you, not her work, they are written by the Government and approved by

:02:13. > :02:16.the Cabinet. Well, later this morning the Prime Minister will be

:02:16. > :02:19.leaving Downing Street for the houses of parliament, and that is

:02:19. > :02:23.when members of the House of Commons will be summoned to the chamber of

:02:23. > :02:27.the Lords to listen to the speech before they start debating its

:02:27. > :02:32.contents. A short while ago in Downing Street, this was the scene,

:02:32. > :02:35.because Nick Clegg, the Lib Dem leader, also made his way, he is on

:02:36. > :02:39.his way to Westminster right now, this will be his third Queen's

:02:40. > :02:45.Speech as Deputy Prime Minister, and it will be interesting to identify

:02:45. > :02:51.the Liberal Democrat imprint on the contents of the speech. Ed Miliband,

:02:51. > :02:57.the Labour leader also just left his home and will be making his way to

:02:57. > :03:02.Parliament. He will run the responding later. The tradition goes

:03:02. > :03:06.back to the 16th century at least, but the ceremony we see today dates

:03:06. > :03:10.from the rebuilding of the Palace of Westminster after the fire of 1834.

:03:10. > :03:20.A short while ago, a rather curious and old-fashioned security check was

:03:20. > :03:40.

:03:40. > :03:44.carried out by the oldest British of the Coldstream Guards, leading

:03:44. > :03:54.the yeomen of the guard on their ceremonial search of the cellars

:03:54. > :04:06.

:04:06. > :04:10.dating back to the time of the march! The Yeomen of the Guard, the

:04:10. > :04:15.oldest of the royal bodyguards, created back in 1485 at the Battle

:04:15. > :04:19.of Bosworth by Henry Tudor. By the way, they were assembling there in

:04:19. > :04:26.the Prince's Chamber, directly above the cellar where Guy Fawkes was

:04:26. > :04:29.caught red handed back in 1605. Now, already this morning there has been

:04:29. > :04:33.plenty of activity as the final details are checked for the State

:04:34. > :04:36.Opening, and one person with a great view of events inside the Palace of

:04:36. > :04:40.Westminster is my colleagues Sian Williams, good morning.

:04:40. > :04:45.I have got a great view of events in Central Lobby, midway between the

:04:45. > :04:49.House of Commons and the House of Lords, filling up, as you can see,

:04:49. > :04:54.with staff and guests. Later I will be speaking to some backbench MPs,

:04:54. > :04:59.to some Lords, and also to the man whose responsibility it is to make

:04:59. > :05:03.sure that today's grand ceremony goes smoothly.

:05:03. > :05:06.Once the speech has been delivered and we know more about the

:05:06. > :05:11.Government's plans, there will be a formal Parliamentary debate on the

:05:11. > :05:15.contents. In some years, the content is ambitious and radical, and there

:05:15. > :05:19.are dozens of bills, but that is not always the case. To look ahead to

:05:19. > :05:23.the day, let's welcome our panel this morning, Michael Fallon for the

:05:23. > :05:27.Conservatives, Caroline Flint for Labour, Jeremy Browne for the

:05:27. > :05:31.Liberal Democrats, and as ever on these days, with a sharp take on

:05:31. > :05:35.what is going on, my colleague Nick Robinson, the BBC's political

:05:35. > :05:40.editor. Nick, we will start with you, tell us what we might expect,

:05:40. > :05:44.is it going to be bold and ambitious or not? I think what will be

:05:44. > :05:49.striking about it is what has been removed before Her Majesty read it.

:05:49. > :05:52.There is a phrase used by the Conservatives' and action strategist

:05:52. > :05:56.about brushing off the barnacles off the boat as it heads to a general

:05:56. > :06:05.election, in other words removing plans for new laws that will upset

:06:05. > :06:07.voters, cause a row and upset the Paul entry party. So no measures on

:06:07. > :06:12.minimum alcohol pricing, plain wrapping for cigarettes, no measures

:06:12. > :06:16.for a so-called super's Charter, intervention on electronic

:06:16. > :06:20.communications. These are things the government wants to get rid of, and

:06:20. > :06:26.what it will try to do is say it is focusing on the important thing is,

:06:26. > :06:28.the economy and immigration. Is that a fair summary? It is going to be a

:06:29. > :06:33.bold and ambitious programme. Some of these things we are still

:06:33. > :06:38.consulting and and are not ready for legislation, but the big stuff is

:06:38. > :06:42.what government is concentrating on, and that is jobs, there will be

:06:42. > :06:44.a national insurance cut to benefit over 1 million businesses, half a

:06:44. > :06:49.million not paying any at all, and that will help them to employ more

:06:49. > :06:53.people. Radical measures on pensions and also on social care. This is a

:06:53. > :06:57.radical government with a big reforming programme ahead of it.

:06:57. > :07:01.David Cameron has promised change, and unfortunately things have got

:07:01. > :07:04.worse and not better. Apart from what you have said, Nick, this

:07:04. > :07:07.ditching policies for electoral reasons, I think what we will be

:07:07. > :07:12.looking at is whether we are going to see significant measures to boost

:07:12. > :07:16.jobs, but also deal with the cost of living. Lots of people, their wages

:07:16. > :07:19.have been depressed, they are paying more for bills, and we will be

:07:19. > :07:25.looking strongly at that. We have said there are people we could do in

:07:25. > :07:27.the private rented sector, energy, as well as jobs, too, and the truth

:07:28. > :07:32.is unemployment is higher today than when David Cameron became Prime

:07:32. > :07:37.Minister. When people see the list of bills and we have it a little

:07:37. > :07:41.later, will they be able to identify things that your party has been

:07:41. > :07:47.explicitly responsible for? Well, it is a cold year and, though he sift,

:07:47. > :07:52.coalition government, and people should I gorge that it has been

:07:52. > :07:57.created by both parties. -- coherent, cohesive. It is an overall

:07:57. > :08:00.package. I agree with Nick that the principal focus is on how we try to

:08:00. > :08:04.revitalise our economy, how we get the country back on its feet again

:08:04. > :08:07.and how we get to grips with the colossal deficit. And the Queen's

:08:07. > :08:11.Speech, excuse me, will have measures to stimulator economic

:08:11. > :08:16.growth, a small businesses, but crucially it makes quite a lot of

:08:16. > :08:18.big, bold, long-term decisions on things like care for the elderly, on

:08:18. > :08:23.things like pensions, which the previous governance, to my view,

:08:23. > :08:30.duct, and we have an ageing population, a lot of people watching

:08:30. > :08:30.this are concerned about how to care for elderly relatives. So the bill

:08:30. > :08:34.does have a lot of those measures, not just to deal with the deficit

:08:34. > :08:38.but to try to create a fairer, more harmonious society many decades into

:08:38. > :08:41.the future. We will have more contributions in a while. I want to

:08:41. > :08:49.take a look inside the chamber of the House of Lords, it is a splendid

:08:49. > :08:52.scene, opened by Queen Victoria back in 1847, dominated, of course, by

:08:52. > :08:57.that canopy at the end and the gilded work on it which is really a

:08:57. > :09:02.splendid site, and the power of runs, we will have something more to

:09:02. > :09:05.say about that a little later. -- the pair of thrones. Lots of

:09:05. > :09:10.familiar faces gathering, the former commissioner of the Metropolitan

:09:10. > :09:15.Police, Lord Blair, who joined the House of Lords just a few years

:09:15. > :09:20.ago. Also here, a man who until fairly recently was Britain's top

:09:20. > :09:24.civil servants, Lord O'Donnell, just on the right. That is Lord Levene, a

:09:24. > :09:28.former lord Madeline and, chatting to him before the State Opening of

:09:28. > :09:33.Parliament. -- former Lord Mayor of London. We will be having a look at

:09:33. > :09:36.who else is there in a little while. The State Opening, for many, is the

:09:36. > :09:41.high point of the year for pageantry and precision and impressive

:09:41. > :09:44.ceremony. One of the most familiar customs and one of the most

:09:44. > :09:52.symbolically important involves the official known as Black Rod, and I

:09:52. > :09:56.have been to meet him. This is where the real power lies, the

:09:56. > :09:59.government's dispatch box in the House of Commons, where the Prime

:09:59. > :10:04.Minister answers questions every week. On State Opening day, the

:10:04. > :10:07.members of the House of Commons are summoned to the House of Lords to

:10:07. > :10:12.listen to the Queen's Speech, and the man doing the summoning is an

:10:12. > :10:22.officer known as Black Rod. He is a key player in the ceremony and the

:10:22. > :10:25.drama of the day. My Lords, pray be seated. Everybody associates Black

:10:25. > :10:30.Rod with knocking on the door of the House of Commons at the State

:10:30. > :10:35.Opening of Parliament. And thinks that my job is part-time and

:10:35. > :10:41.ceremonial, but in fact I spend the majority of my time delivering

:10:41. > :10:45.security for the House of Lords, that is my major responsibility.

:10:45. > :10:51.This is the famous walk down from the Central Lobby here to the House

:10:51. > :10:54.of Commons. When you make this journey, what does it mean? This is

:10:54. > :10:59.an important bit of symbolism, important for the constitution of

:10:59. > :11:02.the country. It is the only time in the year when the three

:11:02. > :11:06.constitutional components of the legislature come together, and I am

:11:06. > :11:09.dispatched on order of the Queen to summon the Members of Parliament to

:11:09. > :11:13.come to the bar of the House of Lords to listen to the Queen's

:11:13. > :11:18.Speech. We are in the Members' Lobby of the House of Commons. When you

:11:18. > :11:22.approach these doors, they will be slammed in your face - why? The real

:11:22. > :11:28.reason is in the reign of Charles I, the Black Rod of the day attempted

:11:28. > :11:32.to arrest five MPs, and the commons took exception to that, as an

:11:32. > :11:36.exercise, exercising their independence of the Crown. You have

:11:36. > :11:40.some evidence of what happens on the day. And indeed there is damage to

:11:40. > :11:44.the end of the rod here and it had to be repaired a couple of years ago

:11:44. > :11:49.by the previous Black Rod. And you need to get good aim. When you go

:11:49. > :11:54.into the chamber to summon the MPs, what are your thoughts? Two thought,

:11:54. > :11:58.I think. One is that one has got to get one 's lines right, it is very

:11:58. > :12:01.important that these traditions and ceremonies are done properly and

:12:01. > :12:06.professionally. I suppose another thought is that Dennis Skinner MP is

:12:06. > :12:08.usually there, he usually has something to say, and one has got to

:12:08. > :12:18.keep one's focus and make sure one is not distracted. Jubilee year,

:12:18. > :12:25.

:12:25. > :12:29.there, but as he was clearly saying, most of his work is not this

:12:29. > :12:32.ceremonial business but in fact to do with the serious business of

:12:32. > :12:35.security in the House of Lords. Let's go back into the chamber and

:12:35. > :12:43.spot who else is eagerly awaiting the Queen's arrival this morning.

:12:43. > :12:47.There we have Lord Fellowes from the world of the arts. And from the

:12:47. > :12:52.world of business, we have plenty of people, including Martha Lane-Fox,

:12:52. > :12:56.the internet entrepreneur. Back to the world of entertainment with Flo

:12:56. > :13:01.will avenge a man, and then we have the former chairman of the

:13:01. > :13:04.Conservative Party, still a minister, Baroness Warsi. And here

:13:04. > :13:11.in his first State Opening of Parliament as Archbishop of

:13:11. > :13:21.Canterbury, Justin Welby. And then also there we have the former

:13:21. > :13:21.

:13:21. > :13:26.Speaker of the House of Commons, while, let's go over to Buckingham

:13:26. > :13:32.Palace, the first of our carriage processions. And as I say, it is a

:13:32. > :13:36.new departure this year, because for the first time in 17 years, the

:13:36. > :13:46.Prince of Wales is attending the State Opening of Parliament, not

:13:46. > :13:49.

:13:49. > :13:56.attending alone either, attending Palace in the glass coach. The

:13:56. > :14:00.Prince of Wales, who last attended the State Opening back in 1996, and

:14:00. > :14:09.has attended on 16 occasions before that. There is a lot of talk today

:14:09. > :14:13.about the symbolism and the significance of this visit. And they

:14:13. > :14:19.have a 12 minute journey ahead of them to get over to the Palace of

:14:19. > :14:22.Westminster, and we will say a little bit more about his presence

:14:22. > :14:27.today and their appearance in the Lords itself, because there is a

:14:27. > :14:32.clue for you, if you look at the far end, all eyes drawn towards the

:14:32. > :14:37.thrones, this is the great design, the great canopy and the pair of

:14:37. > :14:42.thrones underneath the canopy. The Queen's thrown on the left, the jig

:14:42. > :14:46.of Edinburgh on the right. That is very familiar. What is unfamiliar is

:14:46. > :14:51.this new arrangement, let's look over to the left, because we have a

:14:51. > :14:54.pair of ceremonial chairs, chairs of state, and they are for the Prince

:14:54. > :14:58.of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall, very close proximity to

:14:58. > :15:02.the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh. And all of these things

:15:02. > :15:08.should be examined for their subtle differences. A look at the three

:15:08. > :15:13.white feathers, that is the very insignia of the Prince of Wales, the

:15:13. > :15:17.fleur-de-lis encircling it. And let's look for some of the subtle

:15:17. > :15:21.signals of state as we have in this chamber, let's have a look at the

:15:21. > :15:26.thrones first of all. Because Her Majesty's thrown is fractionally

:15:26. > :15:31.higher than the Duke of Edinburgh, that is always interesting to note,

:15:31. > :15:35.just telling you who is boss. And then if you look across to the left,

:15:35. > :15:40.you see that this symbol of status is repeated. If you look at the

:15:40. > :15:45.Prince of Wales's chair, fractionally higher, I think, the

:15:45. > :15:49.difference is not quite as acute as the other one, but slightly less,

:15:49. > :15:59.the Duchess of Cornwall is slightly lower. So these little signals are

:15:59. > :16:04.

:16:04. > :16:09.of the Household Cavalry. Otherwise known as the staircase party. This

:16:09. > :16:14.is one of the early stages of the ceremonial on opening day. Lots of

:16:14. > :16:20.the troopers on duty today are very young, some of them undertaking

:16:20. > :16:25.their first segment of ceremonial duty and a very high profile job for

:16:25. > :16:29.them on the morning of the State Opening. But they will be lining the

:16:29. > :16:34.staircase ready, first of all, for the Prince of Wales' arrival and

:16:34. > :16:39.then the Queen 's arrival. There will be a third sequence as well,

:16:39. > :16:43.where we will see the Imperial State Crown and the insignia also being

:16:43. > :16:48.brought up the staircase. So we will be back there in a short while. Now,

:16:48. > :16:53.somebody with a great view of today's events right at the heart of

:16:53. > :16:59.the Palace of Westminster is my colleague, Sian Williams. Yes. In

:16:59. > :17:06.about an hour's time MPs. Streaming from the Commons over there. There

:17:06. > :17:10.are about 450, 500 of them according to the doorkeeper. There isn't much

:17:10. > :17:19.room in there so it will be a bit of a push to get them all in and they

:17:19. > :17:24.probably won't get in! Many who have worked out their strategy for seeing

:17:24. > :17:29.the Queen speech are already with me this morning. If we could just stop

:17:29. > :17:33.with you, Penny. What message or theme will be coming from the Queen

:17:33. > :17:39.speech as far as the Conservatives are concerned? I would like us to be

:17:39. > :17:43.tackling those issues that have been around for too long. We need to

:17:43. > :17:48.reform our care system so people aren't having to sell their homes.

:17:48. > :17:52.We want to dress the anomalies in the pension system which affect

:17:52. > :17:55.those like carers and those with broken work records. And I would

:17:55. > :18:03.really like us to reform defence procurement and bake met -- make

:18:03. > :18:08.better use of the budget we have got. Heidi, if it were a Labour

:18:08. > :18:13.government, what would be in this speech? I think the key thing that

:18:13. > :18:23.matters to people is jobs, and I think we would want to see action on

:18:23. > :18:25.

:18:25. > :18:30.introducing a compulsory jobs young people, that is one thing my

:18:30. > :18:35.constituents speak to me about. We would also like to see a reversal of

:18:35. > :18:41.the 50p tax rate decision and introduced that for owners of over

:18:41. > :18:45.�150,000. Equally, action to tackle some of the bad press to this in the

:18:45. > :18:50.big energy companies where bills are going up and the wholesale price of

:18:50. > :18:53.fuel might be going down but it isn't being passed onto consumers in

:18:53. > :18:58.their energy bills. So those are things you do not think going to be

:18:58. > :19:08.in the speech today and you would like see. Is there a feeling with

:19:08. > :19:10.

:19:10. > :19:15.the Liberal Democrats that we are seeing a room -- a movement to the

:19:15. > :19:20.right with immigration? We want to see a fairer economy and also a

:19:20. > :19:26.fairer society, so, for example, the energy bill which will support

:19:26. > :19:34.150,000 jobs. Also fixes to pensions, which Steve Webb has been

:19:34. > :19:38.working on. And about care, making sure people don't have to sell their

:19:38. > :19:44.homes. We have already had announcements in business we will

:19:44. > :19:48.get national insurance rebates for people paying up to �2000. We have

:19:49. > :19:52.order lifted millions, as well, out of income tax. Good luck to all of

:19:53. > :19:59.you getting into the House of Lords. I hope you get a great view. I will

:19:59. > :20:03.be speaking to some Lord's. I was speaking to one Lord who has been

:20:03. > :20:06.here for 18 years and he said the hairs still stand up on the back of

:20:06. > :20:13.his neck when he years the salute saying the Queen has arrived. See

:20:13. > :20:18.you later. We are in the Royal Gallery and this

:20:18. > :20:21.is where the procession in state will take place a little later on,

:20:21. > :20:28.where the Queen will process from the Robing room through to the House

:20:28. > :20:34.of Lords. There we see the Yeomen of the Guard lining the Royal Gallery,

:20:34. > :20:37.awaiting the Queen 's arrival in a short while. In their very

:20:37. > :20:40.distinctive red student uniforms. Sometimes confused with the yeoman

:20:40. > :20:45.warders of the Tower of London, but if you look at the cross belt, that

:20:45. > :20:51.is the clue to identify the fact that these are not yeoman warders.

:20:51. > :20:55.They are very proud of that identity. They are yeomen of the

:20:55. > :21:00.god. Plenty of ceremony and colour to come. And very soon, the Queen

:21:00. > :21:05.will be leaving the Palace. I did want to pick up one thing I

:21:05. > :21:10.mentioned earlier, to do with the form of today and the fact that, as

:21:10. > :21:13.I say, for the first time in 17 years, the Princess of Wales 's here

:21:13. > :21:18.and the Duchess of Cornwall for the first time. Their place in the

:21:18. > :21:23.chamber is very prominent, close to the throne, and lots has been read

:21:23. > :21:27.into that. There is a word that has been used again and again and used

:21:27. > :21:31.in Buckingham Palace, and that is evolution. They always talk about

:21:31. > :21:35.the power of the British monarchy evolving. Over the years, over the

:21:35. > :21:39.centuries. And it seems to me the huge symbolism of Charles and

:21:39. > :21:44.Camilla coming in their own carriage, being seen alongside Her

:21:44. > :21:48.Majesty and the Duke of Edinburgh is, if you like, precisely that. It

:21:48. > :21:52.is evolution and saying to the country crudely "here is what comes

:21:52. > :21:58.next. We don't know when all the circumstances and it may not be for

:21:58. > :22:03.a very long time and most people hope it won't be. " But it is saying

:22:03. > :22:06.to the country, get used to the idea. And I don't mean this as a

:22:06. > :22:10.facetious comparison, but when a large part of the country is

:22:10. > :22:18.absorbed by the retirement of the greatest football manager, that

:22:18. > :22:23.instant change... ! But it is striking that in a sense, this most

:22:23. > :22:27.effective of institutions in our country never does things that way.

:22:27. > :22:31.It is about saying, exclaimed, no, you will get used to the idea of

:22:31. > :22:36.change and change that would have been unthinkable just five years

:22:36. > :22:40.ago. Woman to the controversy created by Camillarelationship with

:22:40. > :22:46.Prince Charles. -- remember the controversy. The country is now

:22:46. > :22:50.ready for this so they are doing it. Michael Fallon, it is being

:22:50. > :22:55.described by the Palace as a gradual process. It is taking sensible

:22:55. > :23:00.measures, if you like, and before you answer, let me point out that we

:23:00. > :23:04.have the first of the regalia processions with us, because this is

:23:04. > :23:08.where the Imperial State Crown gets its own escort, its own procession,

:23:08. > :23:14.because of course, it is the supreme symbol of the Monica's authority and

:23:14. > :23:19.sovereignty. And this will be carefully brought out by the crown

:23:19. > :23:23.jewel, Michael Swift. And it will be handed to the barge master, which is

:23:23. > :23:26.one of the most ancient appointments in the Royal household dating back

:23:26. > :23:31.from the time when monarchs used to use the Thames to travel as their

:23:31. > :23:37.main thoroughfare, really, and in fact, the Crown Jewels will also be

:23:37. > :23:40.brought by river. So the barge master still retaining the title and

:23:40. > :23:47.24 watermen also employed by the Royal household as part of the barge

:23:47. > :23:53.master's team. And here we have the control of the Lord Chamberlain's

:23:53. > :24:00.office. Andrew Ford. He is the man who looks after lots of the

:24:00. > :24:06.ceremonial and big events that the Palace organises from year to year.

:24:06. > :24:11.He is the man, really, who is the mastermind behind lots of these big

:24:11. > :24:21.ceremonies and big days of pageantry. And it is his duty to

:24:21. > :24:41.

:24:41. > :24:45.take the Imperial State Crown into the strains of some Welsh melodies

:24:45. > :24:54.being played by the band of the Welsh Guards, directed by Stephen

:24:54. > :24:58.Barnwell, the director of music. As Andrew Ford carefully takes the

:24:58. > :25:02.Imperial State Crown into a little room on the left first of all, where

:25:02. > :25:06.they will change the cushion on which it rests. And put it on a

:25:06. > :25:11.proper display cushion, because it will be put on display in a short

:25:11. > :25:18.while in the Royal Gallery. And we will have more to say in a while

:25:18. > :25:22.about the two other important elements of regalia. Michael Fallon

:25:22. > :25:28.is still with me, and thank you for bearing with me. We were talking

:25:28. > :25:32.about the importance of today in terms of the changes signified.

:25:32. > :25:36.think she will be most used to be compared with Sir Alex Ferguson! I

:25:36. > :25:46.am not sure that is quite the comparison she had in mind! And it

:25:46. > :25:48.is not new. He has a -- attended state occasions before. State

:25:48. > :25:55.openings. He'll ready conduct in their stitches and stand-in for the

:25:55. > :26:01.Queen on a number of occasions. I think we will see more of that. It

:26:01. > :26:05.is a gradual reminder that there is a transition in the offing. It is a

:26:05. > :26:08.wonder in the way because you think the Queen is 87 and I think the Duke

:26:08. > :26:16.of Edinburgh will be 92 in June, so for most people watching, they would

:26:16. > :26:22.consider it to be a fairly sensible plan of action at this stage?

:26:22. > :26:27.think Nick is right in what he says about evolution. If anybody changed

:26:27. > :26:35.that it was her grandfather, George V, and again it is that evolution

:26:35. > :26:39.rather than a break, as we have seen with the Dutch monarchy, in terms of

:26:39. > :26:45.what we have seen here. I don't think they are ready to say hello to

:26:45. > :26:49.somebody else and good right to her yet. We saw that with the Jubilee.

:26:49. > :26:59.think the Prince of Wales is about to arrive so let's go to Parliament

:26:59. > :27:11.

:27:11. > :27:15.Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall. Back at Buckingham Palace, we have

:27:15. > :27:20.the second of the carriage processions, because this is the

:27:20. > :27:26.Irish State coach, a coach used by the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh,

:27:26. > :27:30.as they make their way on state opening-day. It is the 60th occasion

:27:30. > :27:38.on which Her Majesty has attended the State Opening. A remarkable

:27:38. > :27:45.statistic. The Irish State coach, which was made back in 1851, I

:27:45. > :27:52.think, in Dublin. And Queen Victoria took a fancy to it so she bought it

:27:52. > :27:54.for �700, or possibly 700 guineas. It was badly destroyed in fire back

:27:54. > :28:00.in 1911 and was completely remodelled and again refurbished in

:28:00. > :28:05.the 1980s. And it is rumoured that it is the Queen 's favourite

:28:05. > :28:09.carriage but we can't confirm that! These preferences are never

:28:09. > :28:12.explicitly stated. And here we are at the foot of the Victoria Tower,

:28:12. > :28:22.the Palace of Westminster, for the arrival of the Prince of Wales and

:28:22. > :28:45.

:28:45. > :28:50.inside the Palace of Westminster, followed by the Prince of Wales. It

:28:50. > :28:53.is the first time for the Duchess to attend the State Opening. And there

:28:53. > :29:02.is our first glimpse today of The Earl Marshal, the Duke of Norfolk,

:29:02. > :29:07.one of the great offices of state. The one who organises coronations

:29:07. > :29:15.and great ceremonies and supervises the College of Arms. And it is his

:29:15. > :29:19.duty to greet the Royal party. He will take them up the Norman

:29:19. > :29:24.staircase, the sovereign staircase, as it is called. Up to the Robing

:29:24. > :29:28.room. We never see inside the Robing room. That is always kept firmly

:29:28. > :29:37.shut. And that is where the Royal party will prepare before the Royal

:29:37. > :29:42.Procession commences. The Earl Marshal is a hereditary position. He

:29:42. > :29:46.is the 18th Duke of Norfolk. And his role in these events, be

:29:46. > :29:50.understated, really. So turning right on their way into the Royal

:29:50. > :29:56.Gallery, and a quick nod there from the Lord Great Chamberlain, who is

:29:56. > :30:00.the other key player in the ceremonial today. He is the man in

:30:00. > :30:08.charge of the Royal sections of the Palace of Westminster. So the doors

:30:08. > :30:13.to the Robing room firmly closed. Meanwhile, in the Royal Gallery, we

:30:13. > :30:18.have the arrival of the heralds. They are the men who keep records of

:30:18. > :30:28.how rowdy arms in England and Wales and Northern Ireland. And they are

:30:28. > :30:32.

:30:32. > :30:41.led by the God of the principal key resplendent in their medieval

:30:41. > :30:45.uniforms, the Tabard and changed for centuries. The heralds will make

:30:46. > :30:55.their way to the Norman Porch, ready for the arrival of Her Majesty in a

:30:56. > :31:05.

:31:05. > :31:09.Royal Gallery in a short while, because we also have some of the key

:31:09. > :31:14.political players involved, and we will have a look at them in a short

:31:14. > :31:18.while as they come through. What happens here is that lots of people

:31:18. > :31:21.congregate at the top of the stairs, basically, there is a kind of

:31:21. > :31:29.welcoming party, if you like, for Her Majesty and the Duke of

:31:29. > :31:33.Edinburgh. You'll also the Lord Privy Seal, the Lord Chancellor, the

:31:34. > :31:37.Speaker of the Commons, already for that welcome. Jeremy, I did not ask

:31:37. > :31:42.you about your views on this process of transition that we are seeing, is

:31:42. > :31:47.it at the right pace? I agree with the points that have been made. The

:31:47. > :31:55.Queen has been on the throne for such a long period of time, that you

:31:55. > :32:00.have to remember that to evolve, in a way that people can get used to

:32:00. > :32:06.the idea of transition in time and also in practical ways. As the

:32:06. > :32:10.monarch reaches her late 80s, there are perhaps constrains, and so on

:32:10. > :32:16.and so forth. So for Prince Charles, who was insult reaching an age where

:32:16. > :32:22.people might be considering retiring, for him to take more of a

:32:22. > :32:25.role seems sensible. What we are seeing is the Lord Great Chamberlain

:32:25. > :32:33.taking the Imperial State Crown into the Robing Room ready for the

:32:33. > :32:38.Queen's arrival. Only one occasion on which the Crown was not one,

:32:38. > :32:41.because I think in 1952, when the Queen had already exceeded to the

:32:41. > :32:48.throne, she had not been formally crowned. She possessed behind the

:32:48. > :32:53.Crown. Since then, but rumour has it that she wears it for a few hours in

:32:53. > :32:58.the week before the State Opening to get used to the balance of the

:32:58. > :33:05.weight. It is quite a nice, homely thought! It is apparently very

:33:05. > :33:09.heavy. It has got 3000 stones on it. I am assuming they are all proper

:33:09. > :33:14.stones, so they are very heavy. Why don't we take a look inside the

:33:14. > :33:19.chamber of the House of Lords and see who else is there? It is

:33:19. > :33:21.absolutely packed, and it is a great site on State Opening day. We have

:33:21. > :33:27.such a cross-section of people representing all walks of life in

:33:27. > :33:35.the United Kingdom. Ruth Rendell, the bestselling author, Baroness

:33:35. > :33:37.Rendell. And then if we have a look at one of the other rows, there we

:33:37. > :33:44.have Joan Bakewell, Baroness Bakewell, the broadcaster and

:33:45. > :33:54.author. I think that is Baroness Shackleton, Fiona Shackleton, the

:33:55. > :34:01.

:34:01. > :34:08.between Floella Benjamin and Baroness Warsi. Lots of diplomats

:34:08. > :34:13.and ambassadors also presents today. And if we go back next door,

:34:13. > :34:17.next door to the chamber we have the Royal Gallery, and they are ready

:34:17. > :34:21.for one of the next processions, because he we have Andrew Lansley,

:34:21. > :34:25.the leader of the House of Commons, but here today really in his

:34:25. > :34:29.capacity as Lord Privy Seal, one of the ancient offices. The Lord Privy

:34:29. > :34:33.Seal, who was the person who is safeguarded the royal seal in days

:34:33. > :34:38.gone by. So Andrew Lansley, the former Health Secretary, will join

:34:38. > :34:43.the party at the top of the stairs. Let's just have a quick look at who

:34:43. > :34:48.else is there, friendly greetings, and that is Black Rod. We told the

:34:48. > :34:53.Black Rod story a little earlier on, and they will be joined soon by the

:34:53. > :34:58.Lord Speaker and the Speaker of the Commons and the Lord Chancellor. A

:34:58. > :35:01.quick thought at this stage, then, and bear with me if we go back to

:35:01. > :35:07.the ceremony, because it is very important, a quick thought, how will

:35:07. > :35:13.we judge, Caroline, first of all, how will we judge whether, in your

:35:13. > :35:16.view, trying not to be too partisan about this, OK, which is a

:35:16. > :35:20.challenge! How will we judge whether this Queen's Speech as steel, that

:35:20. > :35:24.it tells us that this government is seriously in business and has a

:35:24. > :35:27.serious programme? Is it just to do with the number of bills? It is not

:35:27. > :35:33.just about the number of bills, because any government could pack

:35:33. > :35:38.things in to make it look like they are very busy. New Labour had 45.We

:35:38. > :35:42.had a lot in our time, some better than others, I am willing to concede

:35:42. > :35:46.that. I think there are some issues that we have already heard about,

:35:46. > :35:52.social care is vitally important. I would take issue with Jeremy David -

:35:52. > :35:57.we increased funding by 50%, we gave right to flexible time working, but

:35:57. > :36:01.we know that more needs to be done. I go back to what my colleague,

:36:01. > :36:05.Heidi Alexander, said, we are facing difficult times, three years in

:36:05. > :36:08.things have not got better. Unemployment is still too high,

:36:08. > :36:11.particularly amongst the young and long-term unemployed. People are

:36:11. > :36:15.finding the cost of living difficult, and when it comes to

:36:15. > :36:18.pensions, hidden charges on energy bills, their profits are going up

:36:18. > :36:22.but they do not think it is fair. I think people will be looking to

:36:22. > :36:27.whether the government is listening to those real-time concerns that

:36:27. > :36:32.people are worried about. Baroness D'Souza, the Lord Speaker, she took

:36:32. > :36:38.over in 2011, July, succeeding Baroness Hayman. Essentially, this

:36:38. > :36:44.role was created during the Labour years, and it really did radically

:36:44. > :36:48.change the role of Lord Chancellor, because the creation of the Ministry

:36:48. > :36:53.of Justice and this role as Lord Speaker really took away lots of the

:36:53. > :36:57.powers the Lord Chancellor, which became a diminished post, really.

:36:57. > :37:01.Baroness D'Souza, the main duty of the Lord Speaker is to preside at

:37:01. > :37:05.sessions of the House of Lords, and to represent the House of Lords on

:37:05. > :37:09.great ceremonial occasions. We saw that last year, for example, when

:37:09. > :37:15.President Obama was here, during the address is presented to the Queen at

:37:15. > :37:20.the time and of the Jubilee -- of the Diamond Jubilee. Aaron is to

:37:20. > :37:27.Suso will soon be joined by the Lord Chancellor. -- Baroness D'Souza.

:37:27. > :37:32.This is Chris Grayling, and I'm told that he is the first non-lawyer in

:37:32. > :37:36.this post since, I think, the Earl of Shaftesbury in 1672. I am sure

:37:36. > :37:40.someone will correct me if that is wrong, but I think that is right,

:37:40. > :37:47.and it underlines for us, again, what a revolution there has been in

:37:47. > :37:51.terms of some of these ancient posts and ancient offices, because Lord

:37:51. > :37:56.Chancellors are no longer responsible for the judiciary. Chris

:37:56. > :38:00.Grayling is the Secretary of State for justice. In this ceremonial

:38:00. > :38:04.role, the purse bearer who preceded him actually has the Queen's Speech

:38:04. > :38:08.in the purse. Chris Grayling is meant to have a peep inside just to

:38:08. > :38:16.make sure it is there, is he going to do it? Maybe he has done it

:38:16. > :38:23.already. Normally there is a very ostentatious peep. Oh, well, yes,

:38:23. > :38:27.have a look! Yes! There we are, just a quick check. Sort of... So Chris

:38:27. > :38:30.Grayling as the speech, and that actually is the very copy of the

:38:30. > :38:35.speech that will be presented to the Queen, that is what the Queen will

:38:35. > :38:40.actually read from. So a chat between Chris Grayling and the Duke

:38:40. > :38:48.of Norfolk. And a great sight for us, flanking Saint James 's Park

:38:48. > :38:53.there, and along Whitehall, this is the sovereign's escort, passed the

:38:53. > :38:57.Cenotaph, past Downing Street, on towards Parliament Square as the

:38:57. > :39:04.Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh make their way for the State Opening of

:39:04. > :39:09.2013. That is a lovely sight. It has been a little rainy in London this

:39:09. > :39:12.morning, but it has dried up now, thankfully. Yesterday was glorious,

:39:12. > :39:17.but it has dried, and we will have a very good views here in the studio,

:39:17. > :39:21.we can see the crowd behind us, but we will have a very good view of the

:39:21. > :39:26.base of the Victoria Tower there. And we will see that carriage

:39:26. > :39:29.arrived in a short while, always a very impressive moment, because not

:39:29. > :39:35.just the clatter of horses hooves but also the band as well, which

:39:35. > :39:40.will strike up the royal salute just as the Queen passes not here, but St

:39:40. > :39:43.Stephen's entrance, which is just about 100 yards behind us. That is

:39:43. > :39:47.all to come. Let's have a little look inside the Royal Gallery again,

:39:47. > :39:51.just to check that none of the other possessions is happening. We have

:39:51. > :39:56.had most of them already, the Lord Chancellor now has taken his place

:39:56. > :40:01.there. Very soon, the Queen will arrive at the Palace of Westminster.

:40:01. > :40:06.We want to be there for that. If we look inside, that is known as the

:40:06. > :40:10.Prince's chamber, the room we are looking into there. That is the far

:40:10. > :40:14.end, the far end, there we are, that is the Prince's chamber, the far end

:40:14. > :40:24.of the Royal Gallery, the opposite end to the Robing Room, so it gives

:40:24. > :40:27.

:40:27. > :40:37.you a sense of the geography of the of the royal bodyguards getting

:40:37. > :40:46.

:40:46. > :40:51.is the leader of the Government in the House of Lords. And what is

:40:51. > :40:55.happening now is that we have two very key participants in the

:40:55. > :41:02.procession in state, because they will go and retrieve the Cap of

:41:02. > :41:07.Maintenance and the Sword of State, and they will be carrying those

:41:07. > :41:17.important elements of the Royal insignia in the procession itself.

:41:17. > :41:19.

:41:19. > :41:26.Let's have a look outside the Palace the blues and Royals and the

:41:26. > :41:29.lifeguards, the Household Cavalry making their way past the Palace of

:41:29. > :41:39.Westminster. Very soon the band of the Welsh Guards will sound the

:41:39. > :42:18.

:42:18. > :42:23.the Palace of Westminster, preceded by the first and second divisions of

:42:23. > :42:30.the sovereign's escort, the Blues and royals, and following them, the

:42:30. > :42:35.Lifeguards, commanded by Major Mick Stuart of the Lifeguards. All the

:42:35. > :42:43.troops on duty today are under the command of George Norton, Major

:42:43. > :42:53.General George Norton, the commanding officer of the London

:42:53. > :43:01.

:43:01. > :43:11.the foot of the Victoria Tower. When the Queen sets foot inside the

:43:11. > :43:42.

:43:42. > :43:49.salute, the Queen and Duke arrived. The Union flag is lowered, the Royal

:43:49. > :43:57.standard is flown above the Palace of Westminster, the Victoria Tower.

:43:57. > :44:02.The heralds now, who have prepared for this procession earlier, now

:44:02. > :44:09.retracing their steps, and they are leading the way for the Queen and

:44:09. > :44:12.Duke of Edinburgh. And the dismounted detachment of the

:44:12. > :44:20.Household Cavalry, who have been waiting patiently for the last hour

:44:20. > :44:25.or so, are still in place for all of these processions. We have Baroness

:44:25. > :44:33.D'Souza, Andrew Lansley, the Lord Speaker, the Lord Privy Seal, the

:44:33. > :44:41.Lord Chancellor, Chris Grayling, the Duke of Norfolk, the men who are in

:44:41. > :44:46.charge of this event. The Queen and the Duke, very, very familiar route

:44:46. > :44:48.for both of them, making their way into the Robing Room, where they

:44:48. > :44:52.will come face-to-face with Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall,

:44:52. > :44:56.who have been there for the past 50 minutes or so. And then there will

:44:56. > :45:06.be a short wait while the Queen prepares for the procession instate

:45:06. > :45:24.

:45:24. > :45:32.Westminster. David Leakey, the Black Rod. On his way to Central Lobby,

:45:32. > :45:36.where he will await the signal to summon the MPs. Everyone in the

:45:36. > :45:40.Royal Gallery facing the doors of the Robing room, because they are

:45:40. > :45:46.awaiting the signal that the Queen is ready, and when she is ready,

:45:46. > :45:56.there will be a royal salute sounded by two trumpeters and the procession

:45:56. > :46:03.

:46:03. > :46:10.Westminster, it looks very quiet to there, doesn't it? That is in

:46:10. > :46:14.Central Lobby. There is the inspector who is waiting to tell

:46:14. > :46:18.everyone to move their hats and prepare for the arrival of the

:46:18. > :46:24.Speaker, because the Speaker's procession will make its way along

:46:24. > :46:27.the library corridor and down towards Central Lobby, and then

:46:27. > :46:31.along a short section of corridor into the Members' Lobby of the House

:46:31. > :46:36.of Commons, where there should be quite a few MPs gathered, and then

:46:36. > :46:38.into the chamber of the Commons itself, and then they will have to

:46:38. > :46:43.or three minutes of prayers, which is the traditional start to the

:46:43. > :46:49.prayer, and then they will await for the Black Rod to arrive on the door

:46:49. > :46:54.and they will think very hard about letting him in! In a demonstration

:46:54. > :46:59.of superiority and authority, as David Leakey was explaining to us a

:46:59. > :47:09.short while ago. So that procession will not be too long before it takes

:47:09. > :47:10.

:47:10. > :47:14.place. The ceremonial - lots of people think, oh, a bit of this and

:47:14. > :47:19.a bit of that. Actually, despite all of the hard politics we have been

:47:19. > :47:26.talking about, it is an important part of the success of the day,

:47:26. > :47:29.isn't it, Nick? Partly because people don't know, yes. They don't

:47:29. > :47:35.know the symbolism of that door being shot in the face of the Black

:47:35. > :47:39.Rod. They tend to concentrate on the funny name and, why does he not on

:47:39. > :47:43.the door? Forgetting it is the elected representatives of the

:47:43. > :47:50.people being able to say to the monarch, no, it is up to us. We

:47:50. > :47:53.cannot easily be summoned, and, as happened years ago, have the

:47:53. > :47:59.monarch's representatives come to arrest anybody who happens to say

:47:59. > :48:03.the wrong thing. So a powerful symbol of democracy. That powerful

:48:03. > :48:08.symbol, even in a devolved United Kingdom, where we have seen the

:48:08. > :48:13.pattern changed so radically over the last few years, is an essential

:48:13. > :48:16.element? Yes, it is an essential element and it is one of the

:48:16. > :48:24.functions of a ceremonial event like this. I also think that if you look

:48:24. > :48:28.at the House of Lords, you see the court as it used to be, a picture of

:48:28. > :48:32.medieval England. The bishops, the Lords, and then finally the

:48:32. > :48:40.commoners all clustered around the monarch. It is an extraordinary

:48:40. > :48:47.education of what medieval England must have been like. -- evocation.

:48:47. > :48:51.How do you square the modernising instinct with what we see today?

:48:51. > :48:56.Well, it represents the history of our democracy and how that has

:48:56. > :49:06.changed over the years as well. For me, even though the Palace, as you

:49:06. > :49:08.

:49:08. > :49:11.rightly said, was burnt down, the aim is to keep the pomp and glamour

:49:11. > :49:14.and everywhere around the House of Lords there are reminders of the

:49:14. > :49:18.struggles people had to get democracy and get the vote for

:49:18. > :49:22.everybody. You have the symbols of the suffragettes and everything like

:49:22. > :49:26.that. It is a working place but also a reminder of our history and where

:49:26. > :49:30.we have got to today and we can take pride in our past and also the

:49:30. > :49:36.changes in our past that have brought us to today. I will also

:49:36. > :49:41.pose that question to you because I have known quite a few Lib Dems who

:49:41. > :49:51.don't have time for the sort of thing we have today. I do think it

:49:51. > :49:51.

:49:51. > :49:58.has powerful symbolic resonance, the pageantry. Constituents who walk

:49:58. > :50:07.around these corridors always fascinated by, does the Queen do

:50:07. > :50:11.this? And I always say, we are answerable to you, not the monarch.

:50:11. > :50:15.And it dramatises that four people. And as I say, hundreds and hundreds

:50:15. > :50:20.of my constituents whom I have shown round have been very interested to

:50:20. > :50:24.see behind-the-scenes of what is a working democracy as well as the

:50:24. > :50:28.great showpiece state occasion of this morning. The funny thing is,

:50:28. > :50:31.there was a great fuss made about the enormous change made to this

:50:31. > :50:38.ceremony that the Lord Chancellor would no longer walk backwards down

:50:38. > :50:48.some stairs! His duty is to give the speech to Her Majesty to read and

:50:48. > :50:53.

:50:54. > :51:03.the Lord Chancellor, we were told, will walk forward down the stairs.

:51:04. > :51:07.

:51:07. > :51:13.It won't necessarily carry on this way forever. It will be interesting

:51:13. > :51:17.to see what Chris Grayling does today. That role, let's face it, is

:51:17. > :51:20.still important on State Opening day because if the Queen were unable to

:51:20. > :51:27.deliver the speech to read the address, it is the Lord

:51:27. > :51:32.Chancellor's role to do that. is a symbol also of the undoing of

:51:32. > :51:41.the last parts of the British constitution. I run in the days

:51:41. > :51:45.after that big change, it hadn't been thought through. -- I remember.

:51:46. > :51:53.They couldn't quite get rid of the Lord Chancellor from the 500 laws

:51:53. > :51:58.involving him! So he remained. very much a presence today. Let's

:51:58. > :52:01.have a look at the Royal Gallery, because this is where they are

:52:01. > :52:06.preparing. Everybody facing the doors to the Robing room and

:52:06. > :52:11.everybody awaiting the signal. So they are waiting patiently.

:52:11. > :52:16.Meanwhile, at the other end of the Palace of Westminster, that

:52:16. > :52:18.procession by the Speaker, I am told, is just about to happen. This

:52:19. > :52:27.is where the inspector in the Central Lobby will give the order

:52:27. > :52:33.for people to remove their hats. Not many hats in evidence, I have to

:52:33. > :52:38.say. But just in case they are, that is the job. And it is a familiar

:52:38. > :52:43.sight for all of us who have worked and experienced life in the Palace

:52:43. > :52:46.of Westminster over the years. Hats off Strangers is one of the great

:52:46. > :52:51.showpiece events, if you like, of the day-to-day business of the

:52:51. > :52:54.Palace of Westminster. And Jeremy says he has shown thousands of his

:52:54. > :52:58.constituents around and I know Caroline and Michael will have done

:52:58. > :53:08.the same. All of this is part of the display but it is part of the

:53:08. > :53:45.

:53:45. > :53:51.modest Hats off Strangers! But the shouting of "speaker" was a full on

:53:51. > :53:57.bit of shouting! The Speaker of the House of Commons making his way

:53:57. > :54:00.through Central Lobby on the State Opening day, followed by members of

:54:00. > :54:07.his staff, including the chaplain. They will go right through into the

:54:07. > :54:12.chamber of the Commons, which will be full by now. Through the Members'

:54:12. > :54:17.Lobby, which is where members congregate and chat to journalists

:54:17. > :54:23.and colleagues. The Speaker acknowledging some of those who have

:54:23. > :54:26.gathered in the Members' Lobby. And we are not allowed to stay in the

:54:26. > :54:30.chamber of the Commons for more than a couple of seconds here because

:54:30. > :54:34.that is where they have their daily prayers before the session gets

:54:34. > :54:41.underway. But we can see the Speaker coming in anyway. Followed by the

:54:41. > :54:46.Mace. The powerful weapon of war in days gone by and sometimes used as a

:54:46. > :54:50.weapon by a couple of MPs in the past! But it is the symbol of the

:54:50. > :54:58.sovereign's authority, and without that in place, the Commons can't be

:54:58. > :55:08.in session. Let's go that to the Royal Gallery for the procession in

:55:08. > :55:23.

:55:23. > :55:30.Edinburgh, followed by the pages of honour. They have been chosen for

:55:30. > :55:34.this honour today. Followed by the ladies in waiting. And there we

:55:34. > :55:38.have, for the first time in 17 years, the Prince of Wales attending

:55:38. > :55:48.the State Opening, and for the first time ever, the Duchess of Cornwall

:55:48. > :55:57.

:55:57. > :56:07.attending the State Opening of Admiral the Lord Boyce. The Cap of

:56:07. > :56:16.

:56:16. > :56:25.Maintenance carried by The Lord Chamber, which is the anteroom, if

:56:25. > :56:31.you like, just before they enter the Chamber of the House of Lords. The

:56:31. > :56:37.vice to four of the Defence Staff, the chief of forces, Air Chief

:56:37. > :56:44.Marshal Sir Stephen Dalton, the Chief of the Naval Staff, Commander

:56:45. > :56:52.of the Land Forces, Adrian Bradshaw. Into the Chamber of the House of

:56:52. > :56:58.Lords. The Queen and the Duke will take their places on the pair of

:56:58. > :57:08.thrones. The Queen will then invite everyone to be seated. And then she

:57:08. > :57:34.

:57:34. > :57:38.will give the signal for Black Rod received the signal. A great view

:57:38. > :57:48.there, right along from the Central Lobby, right down to the throne of

:57:48. > :57:51.the House of Lords. As Black Rod makes his way down this short

:57:51. > :57:59.stretch of corridor into the Members' Lobby of the House of

:57:59. > :58:05.Commons, and this is where he was describing to me earlier on what the

:58:05. > :58:10.precise nature of the duty was and what it symbolised. And explaining

:58:10. > :58:17.his combination of duties, too. The fact that he takes great pride, of

:58:17. > :58:22.course, in his role in the ceremonial, because as Nick was

:58:22. > :58:28.explaining, this is a great display of the Verity and sovereignty of the

:58:29. > :58:34.Commons. But also of course, in his daily work. -- the authority. That

:58:34. > :58:39.is to look after security in his part of the Palace of Westminster,

:58:39. > :58:44.which is the House of Lords. A little delay because I am told we

:58:44. > :58:50.may be slightly ahead of schedule. This is very unusual, I have to say,

:58:50. > :58:53.because Black Rod normally makes his way straight down to the House of

:58:53. > :58:56.Commons, but I suspect it is because prayers haven't finished or they

:58:56. > :59:00.have had a bit longer than they should have done in the House of

:59:00. > :59:10.Commons, but lack Rod will not appreciate the weight. But there we

:59:10. > :59:14.

:59:14. > :59:18.are. He is on his way. -- Black Rod. So he's on his way. Ready to be

:59:18. > :59:28.confronted with closed doors at the House of Commons, and he will knock

:59:28. > :59:28.

:59:28. > :00:15.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 47 seconds

:00:15. > :00:25.honourable House to attend Her Majesty immediately in the House of

:00:25. > :00:35.

:00:35. > :00:38.privatised! The usual contribution from Dennis Skinner, though for a

:00:38. > :00:45.few seconds I thought we wouldn't get one. He normally contributes

:00:46. > :00:54.more quickly. But a sharp political observation from the Labour

:00:54. > :00:59.backbencher. This is the moment where members of the House of

:00:59. > :01:04.Commons now make their way to the House of Lords. There they will hear

:01:04. > :01:08.the Queen's Speech. There is the Speaker and lack Rod having a word

:01:08. > :01:14.with him, possibly about the little delay. I would love to be a lip

:01:15. > :01:20.reader. And there we have the Prime Minister and Ed Miliband in animated

:01:20. > :01:25.chat. Harriet Harman for Labour, of course. George Osborne, the

:01:25. > :01:32.Chancellor, if Yvette Cooper, Philip Hammond, Iain Duncan Smith, led by

:01:32. > :01:42.the speakers chaplain. Nick Clegg, the Deputy Prime Minister, chatting

:01:42. > :01:46.

:01:46. > :01:50.they know the cameras are on them, and we have had a hint of frost in

:01:50. > :01:53.the past with some leaders, but they are having a very friendly

:01:53. > :01:59.conversation. Friendly, animated, for the cameras, of course.

:01:59. > :02:02.Actually, I have not read any suggestion they do not get on

:02:02. > :02:07.perfectly well as political enemies, one wants to replace the other, but

:02:07. > :02:10.you sometimes hear behind the scenes, thinking of Gordon Brown and

:02:10. > :02:14.leaders who really disliked each other. There is no evidence of that,

:02:14. > :02:19.you can see it there, they are quite capable of having a good gossip and

:02:19. > :02:24.a chat. Don't imagine that all of these MPs are going to fit into the

:02:24. > :02:27.House of Lords, because they are not. I wonder where they think they

:02:27. > :02:34.are going. There is not a lot of room. Charles Kennedy with Simon

:02:34. > :02:39.Hughes. There is not a lot of room at the bar of the House of Lords.

:02:39. > :02:41.Possibly no more than 30 of 40 MPs can fit in, so one should fit in the

:02:41. > :02:48.Prime Minister, the opposition leader, the Cabinet ministers, but

:02:48. > :02:54.there is not a great lot of room for 500 or six MPs. In the House of

:02:54. > :02:57.Lords, we now Black Rod and the Speaker, the clerk of the house,

:02:57. > :03:02.closely followed by the Prime Minister, the Deputy Prime Minister,

:03:02. > :03:08.the Labour leader, deputy leader. The deputy leader of the Liberal

:03:08. > :03:14.Democrats, too, William Hague, the Foreign Secretary, Eric Pickles, the

:03:14. > :03:21.Communities secretary, he had a very busy day last week with the local

:03:21. > :03:26.elections. And they will wait now until most of them are in. The Earl

:03:26. > :03:36.Marshal has told the Lord Chancellor to offer the speech to Her Majesty.

:03:36. > :04:05.

:04:05. > :04:11.Commons, my government's legislative programme will continue to focus on

:04:11. > :04:17.building a stronger economy so that the United Kingdom can compete and

:04:17. > :04:25.succeed in the world. It will also work to promote a fairer society

:04:25. > :04:29.that rewards people who work hard. My government's first priority is to

:04:29. > :04:34.strengthen Britain's economic competitiveness. To this end, it

:04:34. > :04:40.will support the growth of the private sector and the creation of

:04:40. > :04:46.more jobs and opportunities. My ministers will continue to

:04:46. > :04:52.prioritise measures that reduce the deficit, ensuring interest rates are

:04:52. > :04:55.kept low for homeowners and businesses. My government is

:04:55. > :05:01.committed to building an economy where people who work hard are

:05:01. > :05:07.properly rewarded. It will therefore continue to reform the benefits

:05:07. > :05:13.system, helping people move from welfare to work. Measures will be

:05:13. > :05:17.brought forward to introduce a new employment at Loudon's to support

:05:17. > :05:23.jobs and help small businesses. -- employment at Lowndes. A bill will

:05:23. > :05:27.be introduced to reduce the burden of excessive regulation on

:05:27. > :05:33.businesses. A further bill will make it easier for businesses to protect

:05:33. > :05:37.their intellectual property. A draft bill will be published establishing

:05:37. > :05:45.a simple set of consumer rights to promote competitive markets and

:05:45. > :05:52.growth. My government will introduce a bill that closes the audit

:05:52. > :05:59.commission. My government will continue to invest in infrastructure

:05:59. > :06:03.to deliver jobs and growth for the economy. Legislation will be

:06:03. > :06:08.introduced to enable the building of the high-speed two railway line,

:06:09. > :06:15.providing further opportunities for economic growth in many of

:06:15. > :06:23.Britain's cities. My government will continue with legislation to update

:06:23. > :06:27.energy infrastructure and to improve the water industry. My government is

:06:27. > :06:36.committed to a fairer society where aspiration and responsibility are

:06:36. > :06:39.rewarded. To make sure that every child has the best start in life,

:06:39. > :06:45.regardless of background, further measures will be taken to improve

:06:45. > :06:49.the quality of education for young people. Plans will be developed to

:06:49. > :06:54.help working parents with childcare, increasing its

:06:54. > :07:00.availability and helping with its cost. My government will also take

:07:00. > :07:07.forward plans for renewing the national curriculum, a world-class

:07:07. > :07:11.exams system, and greater flexibility in pay for teachers. My

:07:11. > :07:17.government will also take steps to ensure that it becomes difficult for

:07:17. > :07:23.those leaving school to start a traineeship or an apprenticeship or

:07:23. > :07:28.to go to university. New arrangements will be put in place to

:07:28. > :07:33.help more people own their own home, with government support

:07:33. > :07:40.provided for mortgages and deposits. My government is committed to

:07:40. > :07:47.supporting people who have saved for their retirement. Legislation will

:07:47. > :07:50.be introduced to reform the way long-term care is paid for, to

:07:50. > :07:57.ensure the elderly do not have to sell their homes to meet their care

:07:57. > :08:02.bills. My government will bring forward legislation to create a

:08:02. > :08:07.simpler state pension system that encourages saving and provide more

:08:07. > :08:14.help to those who have spent years caring for children. Legislation

:08:14. > :08:20.will be introduced to ensure sufferers of a certain asbestos

:08:20. > :08:25.related cancer receive payments where no libel employer or insurer

:08:25. > :08:30.can be traced. -- liable. My government will bring forward a bill

:08:30. > :08:36.that further reforms Britain's immigration system. The bill will

:08:36. > :08:43.ensure that this country attracts people who will contribute and

:08:43. > :08:49.deters those who will not. My government will continue to reduce

:08:49. > :08:53.crime and protect national security. Legislation will be introduced to

:08:53. > :09:02.reform the way in which offenders are your billet aided in England and

:09:02. > :09:05.Wales. Legislation will be brought forward to introduce new powers to

:09:05. > :09:13.tackle anti-social behaviour, cut crime and further reform the

:09:13. > :09:16.police. In relation to the problem of matching internet protocol

:09:16. > :09:21.addresses, my government will bring forward proposals to enable the

:09:22. > :09:28.protection of the public and the investigation of crime in

:09:28. > :09:32.cyberspace. Measures will be brought forward to improve the way this

:09:32. > :09:39.country procures defence equipment, as well as strengthening the reserve

:09:39. > :09:45.also is. My ministers will continue to work in co-operation with the

:09:46. > :09:51.devolved that ministrations -- administrations. A bill will be

:09:51. > :09:55.introduced to give effect to a number of institutional improvements

:09:55. > :09:56.in Northern Ireland. Draft legislation will be published

:09:57. > :10:03.concerning the electoral arrangements for the National

:10:03. > :10:08.Assembly for Wales. My government will continue to make the case for

:10:08. > :10:18.Scotland to remain part of the United Kingdom. Members of the House

:10:18. > :10:24.of Commons, estimates for the public services will be laid before you. My

:10:24. > :10:29.lords and members of the House of Commons, my government will work to

:10:29. > :10:33.prevent conflict and reduce terrorism. It will support countries

:10:33. > :10:40.in transition in the Middle East and North Africa, and the opening of a

:10:40. > :10:48.peace process in Afghanistan. My government will work to prevent

:10:48. > :10:51.sexual violence in conflict worldwide. My government will ensure

:10:51. > :10:57.the security, good governance and development of the overseas

:10:57. > :11:04.territories, including by protecting the Falkland Islands and

:11:04. > :11:07.Gibraltarians' right to determine their political futures. In assuming

:11:07. > :11:15.the presidency of the G8, my government will promote economic

:11:15. > :11:21.growth, support free trade, tackle tax evasion, encourage greater

:11:21. > :11:28.transparency and accountability, while continuing to make progress in

:11:28. > :11:33.tackling climate change. Other measures will be laid before you. My

:11:33. > :11:43.lords and members of the House of Commons, I pray that the blessing of

:11:43. > :11:58.

:11:58. > :12:08.Almighty God may rest upon your delivered. The Lord Chancellor,

:12:08. > :12:08.

:12:09. > :12:12.Chris Grayling, has received it, back into the purse, ready to help,

:12:12. > :12:22.the pages of honour, as the Queen and the jute prepared to leave the

:12:22. > :12:52.

:12:52. > :12:55.chamber of the House of Lords. -- Gentleman at Arms, through the

:12:55. > :13:03.Princess chamber, back into the Royal Gallery, back to the Robing

:13:03. > :13:10.Room, ready for the departure. -- the Prince's chamber. Black Rod

:13:10. > :13:17.giving the signal that MPs can now return to the House of Commons ready

:13:17. > :13:26.for their debate later on. Back in the Royal Gallery, the Herald's

:13:26. > :13:31.leading the way. -- the Heralds. The Sword of State, dating back to the

:13:31. > :13:37.17th century, one of the symbols of the sovereign's authority. The

:13:37. > :13:47.Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall, who listened carefully to

:13:47. > :13:56.

:13:56. > :13:59.on bottom left of frame, another of the symbols of royal authority,

:13:59. > :14:05.dating back to the days when the Pope used to offer a cap of this

:14:05. > :14:15.kind to his favoured monarchs. A relic of those days, still a symbol

:14:15. > :14:29.

:14:29. > :14:37.in the Robing room, the doors will close and then it won't be long

:14:37. > :14:41.before the Queen and Duke of ready to leave the of Westminster. -- the

:14:41. > :14:51.Palace of Westminster. The distinctive white blooms of the

:14:51. > :14:52.

:14:52. > :15:00.Gentlemen at Arms. Formed by Henry VIII as his personal bodyguards. The

:15:00. > :15:05.Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition. Almost back in the House

:15:05. > :15:08.of Commons. Always a great contrast, isn't it, when you see the rich red

:15:08. > :15:18.and gold of the Lords and then back we come to the Commons, and it is

:15:18. > :15:32.

:15:32. > :15:37.House of Commons. The Mace back in place. The Speaker will soon be in

:15:37. > :15:42.his chair and there we have the Prime Minister and the Labour Leader

:15:42. > :15:46.just wandering around the dispatch box, wondering what to do! There is

:15:46. > :15:50.a big debate coming up, and of course it is a good moment at this

:15:50. > :15:56.time, Nick, I suppose for us to talk about the content a bit more,

:15:56. > :16:00.because that is really the substance of the day. We have enjoyed the

:16:00. > :16:04.pageantry but the substance is what the Government intends to do with

:16:04. > :16:14.its powers. 15 bills, two in draft form. What would you pick out as the

:16:14. > :16:16.

:16:16. > :16:19.main items? It is dealing with a legacy about the impact of mass

:16:19. > :16:25.immigration and it wants to be seen to deal with it. I am sure the

:16:25. > :16:29.politics will focus on that and the economy, too, but what I think is

:16:29. > :16:35.striking on days like this are the things that don't make it, those

:16:35. > :16:40.things in the political battle ground that don't make it onto the

:16:40. > :16:43.bill. Social care reform, childcare reform. These are things that would

:16:43. > :16:53.make a real difference to people and might not be the turf on which

:16:53. > :16:58.elections are fought. As we look ahead to ten, 12 months, what will

:16:58. > :17:04.dominate political debate on things like this, or will it be things like

:17:04. > :17:09.this, not least the European debate? It will be the economy because the

:17:09. > :17:13.argument in politics will still be, are Labour right to say they have

:17:13. > :17:17.cut too far and too fast and the economy isn't growing, or is the

:17:17. > :17:22.Government able to say, no, it is slower than we thought but it is

:17:22. > :17:29.beginning to work. And in a sense, a day like this cannot capture that.

:17:29. > :17:34.The Government does have things it things could make big changes.

:17:34. > :17:41.Things like High Speed Two. It is something we will look back on in 30

:17:41. > :17:49.years for good or ill. But I think government ministers will think that

:17:49. > :17:59.new bills -- don't necessarily think that new bills or new laws get

:17:59. > :18:05.things moving. So for viewers watching, Michael Fallon, thinking,

:18:05. > :18:10.OK, is there a dominant theme from this Queen's Speech? What you see

:18:10. > :18:20.for voters? Is it a series of measures none of which comes out as

:18:20. > :18:21.

:18:21. > :18:31.the primary one or is it things like immigration? Well, things are being

:18:31. > :18:33.

:18:33. > :18:36.tackled now like pensions and child easier to employ people, whereby it

:18:36. > :18:42.will be cheaper for shops and businesses to employ people. And

:18:42. > :18:50.also measures to help consumers. Measures to help consumer redress,

:18:50. > :18:58.those wild vulnerable and on the cheaper energy tariffs. -- those who

:18:58. > :19:01.are. The Government still has plenty of energy and reforms that it wants

:19:01. > :19:09.to carry through to make sure the country is fit for the challenges

:19:09. > :19:13.ahead of us. We are two years to a general election and this country is

:19:13. > :19:17.still facing huge problems in terms of jobs. Even those in work are not

:19:17. > :19:21.getting the hours they want and wages are depressed, so if we talk

:19:21. > :19:26.about consumer rights, let's talk about rail fares and the fact people

:19:26. > :19:30.are facing increasing rail charges. And let's look at energy, which has

:19:30. > :19:36.gone up �300 in the last few years. And there is nothing in this Queen's

:19:36. > :19:44.Speech about reforming the energy market and even tougher powers...

:19:44. > :19:48.was said in the Queen's Speech. we have a few companies dominating

:19:48. > :19:52.the energy sector and then that impact on consumers. It will be

:19:52. > :19:56.interesting to see what the Government is saying on that at many

:19:56. > :20:00.of the hidden charges are on somebody's pension. Somebody can

:20:00. > :20:03.retire and then find that half of the money is swallowed up by

:20:03. > :20:06.charges. These are real issues people are grappling with in terms

:20:06. > :20:11.of their day-to-day living and planning for their future, and there

:20:11. > :20:17.is nothing in this Queen's Speech about that. I think it is

:20:17. > :20:21.interesting that she started by talking about the economy. The main

:20:21. > :20:24.aim was to get to grips with the deficit and get the economy back on

:20:24. > :20:27.its feet again and that rationale today is as strong as it was back

:20:27. > :20:31.then and it will be strong right through the length of the

:20:31. > :20:35.Parliament. You don't need to create new laws to try to get the economy

:20:35. > :20:41.back into balance. You just need to stop spending lastly more than you

:20:41. > :20:45.are getting in, which is what the last Labour government was doing.

:20:45. > :20:48.But nothing is there. We are borrowing a third less,

:20:48. > :20:53.significantly less, than the last government but we are still

:20:53. > :20:57.borrowing more than we would wish to. You can, nevertheless, help the

:20:57. > :21:01.economy with some of the measures in the Queen's Speech on deregulation,

:21:01. > :21:05.intellectual property, for example, and the other point is it is not

:21:06. > :21:09.just about the economy. That is the central objective but at the same

:21:09. > :21:13.time, we have to have a longer term view about the type of country we

:21:13. > :21:16.want to live in, and those are the points they were making about

:21:16. > :21:21.long-term care, the problems people and families have when they have an

:21:21. > :21:25.elderly relative who has to sell their home, pension reform. Those

:21:25. > :21:35.sorts of things are about creating a fairer and more decent society, as

:21:35. > :21:37.well as fixing the colony. Pension reform is vital. Fewer people are

:21:37. > :21:44.being discharged from hospital because the care isn't there for

:21:44. > :21:48.them and that is why I have said we have to get greater cooperation

:21:48. > :21:54.between care in hospitals and care outside. There is nothing in there

:21:54. > :22:01.for young people either in terms of jobs. It was just not there in the

:22:01. > :22:06.Queen's Speech. The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh preparing to leave

:22:06. > :22:14.the palace and just having a quick word with Chris Grayling. And then

:22:14. > :22:24.Baroness D'Souza. You can see the official there, ready with his white

:22:24. > :22:27.

:22:27. > :22:31.wand of office. And he is in charge of the Robing room, the central

:22:31. > :22:39.gallery, the Royal Gallery, and parts of the Palace of Westminster

:22:39. > :22:49.itself. The Duke of Norfolk. As they move down towards the Sovereign's

:22:49. > :22:56.

:22:56. > :23:00.because it was meant to be decorated with portraits of Norman monarchs,

:23:00. > :23:10.but that never happened. But it is still known as the Norman Porch for

:23:10. > :23:11.

:23:11. > :23:21.that reason. The heralds are now lining the route. And The Earl

:23:21. > :23:21.

:23:21. > :24:14.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 47 seconds

:24:14. > :24:17.Marshal. He thanked Her Majesty and Telling the world that the Queen and

:24:17. > :24:22.the Duke of Edinburgh are ready to leave the Palace of Westminster

:24:22. > :24:32.after this State Opening of Parliament. The 60th State Opening

:24:32. > :24:44.

:24:44. > :24:54.that the Queen has attended. Leaving sunshine in the skies above

:24:54. > :25:18.

:25:18. > :25:28.standing by. Under the direction of Stephen Barnwell going under the St

:25:28. > :26:00.

:26:00. > :26:08.Stephens entrance. The Guard of Honour, founded by the

:26:08. > :26:13.1st Battalion of the Welsh Guards. The sovereign's escort passes by

:26:13. > :26:17.Westminster Abbey on the left-hand side and then sent Margarets

:26:17. > :26:22.Church, back along this very famous processional route. Along Horse

:26:22. > :26:30.Guards Parade and then along the MoU back to Buckingham Palace. Back

:26:30. > :26:35.inside the Palace of Westminster, ready for their second departure

:26:35. > :26:40.duties, the Duke of Norfolk now saying goodbye to the Prince of

:26:40. > :26:50.Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall. After a visit which has been

:26:50. > :27:06.

:27:06. > :27:16.underlined for its significance choreographed usually. Just waiting

:27:16. > :27:26.

:27:26. > :27:33.Prince would be representing the Queen at the Commonwealth summit in

:27:33. > :27:39.shrill anchor in November, it is all being talked about in the context of

:27:39. > :27:48.sharing the Queen 's burden of responsibility. -- Sri Lanka. The

:27:48. > :27:51.fact it is their first time attending together today also being

:27:51. > :27:57.seen as a statement that the burden is being shared and the Prince is

:27:57. > :28:07.taking an even more prominent role in these duties at the age of 64.

:28:07. > :28:17.Safely inside the glass coach. Now ready for the 12 minute journey back

:28:17. > :28:19.

:28:19. > :28:24.to Buckingham Palace. The last coach was traditionally a bridal coach, as

:28:24. > :28:31.we know, in some of the royal weddings. It was last used at the

:28:31. > :28:40.Queen's Birthday Parade last year. And it brought the Queen and the

:28:40. > :28:49.Duke of Edinburgh to the trooping of the colour. So, they emerge. Into

:28:49. > :28:56.aid at a bit of sunshine, as I said. From the Victoria Tower, the tower

:28:56. > :29:01.which houses many, many thousands of acts of legislation. Scrolls and

:29:01. > :29:06.parchment and all kinds of priceless documents. That is where the store

:29:06. > :29:16.is. And the band of the Welsh Guards preparing to announce another Royal

:29:16. > :29:36.

:29:36. > :29:42.salute for the Prince of Wales. streets, because everything is

:29:42. > :29:50.cleared on state opening-day, and the roads along Millbank, down to

:29:50. > :30:00.Lambeth Bridge, from Parliament Square, all of it locked off,

:30:00. > :30:00.

:30:00. > :30:10.really, security at a maximum. A great view there, just to appreciate

:30:10. > :30:17.

:30:17. > :30:21.some of the splendid architecture of above the Victoria Tower. At midday,

:30:21. > :30:27.the Queen having left, the Royal standard has been lowered. And the

:30:27. > :30:31.third formal departure, because as I explained earlier, the Imperial

:30:31. > :30:38.State Crown and the other items of regalia, the Cap of Maintenance, the

:30:38. > :30:42.Sword of State, they have their own procession just to underline their

:30:43. > :30:52.importance in today's events and to underline their symbolic power,

:30:53. > :31:05.

:31:05. > :31:15.because they represent the Gentleman at Arms fluttering in the

:31:15. > :31:19.breeze, as Andrew Ford, controller of the Lord Chamberlain's office,

:31:19. > :31:22.prepares to take charge of the crown once again and to take it back

:31:22. > :31:32.safely once again to Buckingham Palace before it is returned to the

:31:32. > :31:50.

:31:51. > :31:56.back in the procession. If we catch a glimpse of them on the way back,

:31:56. > :32:00.the heads of the maces will be positioned in a certain way to pop

:32:00. > :32:05.out of the carriage, a reminder of these possessions in days gone by.

:32:05. > :32:09.They were there to project the monarch's power, they are there as

:32:09. > :32:19.symbols of the monarch's power, so that is why they are really properly

:32:19. > :32:42.

:32:42. > :32:48.on its way very soon. This is Queen Alexandra's State Coach, by the way.

:32:48. > :32:58.And it dates from 1865. It was converted into a State Coach for the

:32:58. > :33:14.

:33:14. > :33:19.use of the Princess of Wales, who liberally by the Victoria Tower, so

:33:19. > :33:29.that the carriages can get enough grip as they turn that corner to the

:33:29. > :33:46.

:33:46. > :33:50.its way back to Buckingham Palace, and it is time, now that those

:33:50. > :33:55.departures have been formalised, why don't we just pop into Central Lobby

:33:55. > :34:00.and join Sian? Thank you, Huw. The MPs have gone

:34:00. > :34:03.back to their offices, the debates we have been talking about take

:34:03. > :34:08.place this afternoon, and the Lords, too, I am joined by two, Oona

:34:09. > :34:13.King, Baroness King, and Lord Berkeley. I cannot help noticing

:34:13. > :34:18.that you are in all your finery today, but not you, Michael.

:34:18. > :34:24.slipped up! You are supposed to sign a form to book some robes, and I

:34:24. > :34:29.left it too late. Did they let you in the chamber? I watched from

:34:29. > :34:34.outside, on television, thanks to the BBC. Because it is your first

:34:34. > :34:38.Queen's Speech, appointed in March. I will come another time, but I must

:34:38. > :34:43.say I was overwhelmed by the occasion, and it is an overwhelming

:34:43. > :34:47.place to join, wonderful. Give us a sense of what it was like, you have

:34:47. > :34:51.seen the Queen's Speech from both sides, as an MP and now as a Lord.

:34:51. > :34:56.have, although I have to say this is the first time I actually hired the

:34:56. > :35:01.robes. I have not been allowed in either, Lords do suffer social

:35:01. > :35:07.exclusion on occasion! There is only seating for 200, and there are more

:35:07. > :35:11.than 700. That is right, not all active, but those that are take

:35:11. > :35:15.great pleasure in being able to see the Queen turn up and say what the

:35:15. > :35:18.Government is going to do. At the end of the day, the power is in the

:35:18. > :35:22.House of Commons, these robes actually mask a lack of power.

:35:22. > :35:27.However, what we have is an extraordinary display of pageantry,

:35:27. > :35:33.tiaras galore, horses and carriages, and the Queen. We have got the man

:35:33. > :35:37.on the order paper, the gold stake in waiting, he carries a gold stick

:35:37. > :35:41.around, and this is what Britain does really well, people want to

:35:41. > :35:45.know how it is going to affect their daily lives, and when you take the

:35:45. > :35:50.robes off and look at what is in the Queen's Speech, there might be a bit

:35:50. > :35:52.of smiling going on. All the politics will be looked at and

:35:53. > :35:57.analysed over the next days and weeks, you are a crossbencher,

:35:57. > :36:03.Michael, so I suppose you look at it from a very different angle, looking

:36:03. > :36:06.at refining legislation, which is the job of the Lords. The luxury of

:36:06. > :36:10.being on the crossbenchers is that you can be swayed by the power of

:36:10. > :36:14.argument, you do not have whips watching you one way or the other.

:36:14. > :36:19.Hopefully that gives you a certain distance, you can look at things

:36:19. > :36:23.objectively. I have to make a maiden speech soon, so I was listening for

:36:23. > :36:28.opportunities which would give me a kind of launching pad. It is extra

:36:29. > :36:32.week, isn't it? It is indeed! I am sure it will be about the arts,

:36:32. > :36:35.because I am a broadcaster, and I feel I was appointed to

:36:35. > :36:38.represent... That is the good thing about the appointments commission,

:36:38. > :36:43.they look for holes in their coverage, and I think they wanted

:36:43. > :36:48.more expertise in the realm of art and broadcasting. Good luck for next

:36:48. > :36:52.it, try to rent the robe in time if you can! You can have this one, I

:36:53. > :36:56.will share it. It is looking a bit hot in there! Thank you very much,

:36:56. > :37:00.join us later, we will be talking to a man you have been mentioning quite

:37:00. > :37:05.a lot, the Duke of Norfolk, the Earl Marshal will be here to tell us

:37:05. > :37:08.about the ceremony. As we have just heard, a new

:37:08. > :37:14.experience. Involved in the ceremony, but for Her Majesty the

:37:14. > :37:17.Queen, it is an event that she is extremely familiar with, and in this

:37:17. > :37:27.coronation anniversary year, we look back at the time is the Queen has

:37:27. > :37:28.

:37:28. > :37:33.November 1952 was the first official duty that Elisabeth performed as

:37:33. > :37:37.monarch. And the occasion attracted significant interest. Despite the

:37:37. > :37:44.wintry weather, large crowds lined the streets, many of them children

:37:44. > :37:47.on a half term holiday, eager to see the young Queen. Once the recession

:37:47. > :37:52.had returned to Buckingham Palace, the Queen and Prince Philip appeared

:37:52. > :37:58.on the balcony with the young Prince and Princess, granting the public

:37:58. > :38:08.one of the first glimpses of the new Queen and her family together. And

:38:08. > :38:11.

:38:11. > :38:15.then, in 1958, the public were able ceremony is being watched not only

:38:15. > :38:22.by those who are present in this chamber but by many millions of my

:38:22. > :38:26.subjects. The occasion is often a family event for the Queen,

:38:26. > :38:32.regularly accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh and, right up to the

:38:32. > :38:35.present day, by other members of the family as well. The ceremony focuses

:38:36. > :38:39.attention on the Queen's role as head of state. My government will

:38:40. > :38:46.seek to play a full and constructive part in preserving peace and

:38:46. > :38:49.justice. During the 60 years of the Queen's rain, there have been many

:38:49. > :38:53.changes on the Commons frontbenchers, but throughout them

:38:53. > :38:58.all, Her Majesty has been commended by most parties for her sense of

:38:58. > :39:03.dedication and duty. The event is an occasion to witness the Queen at her

:39:03. > :39:05.most stately and regal, but for the monarch, it is the most important

:39:05. > :39:11.occasion to focus on her constitutional role in an

:39:11. > :39:21.ever-changing United Kingdom. thus, in Elizabeth, by the grace of

:39:21. > :39:25.

:39:25. > :39:29.God Queen, harvested Majesty and had a very large responsibility, to

:39:29. > :39:34.make sure that today's goes well, the Duke of Norfolk, the Earl

:39:34. > :39:40.Marshal, and the job has been in your family for how many centuries?

:39:40. > :39:44.For 500 years, since Richard III, 1483, find on. We were in the tower

:39:44. > :39:50.of London a little bit, but it has been hereditary sin 1672. So it will

:39:50. > :39:54.pass to your son as well. Presumably, or my daughter. Of

:39:54. > :39:58.course, the primogeniture law. How did it go to day from your

:39:58. > :40:02.perspective? It went extremely well. The Queen arrived at the Royal

:40:02. > :40:05.entrance about three minutes early, which is quite unusual, and that

:40:05. > :40:10.caused a few little hiccups along the way. I think Black Rod had to

:40:10. > :40:14.wait for press to finish in the Commons. There was a little frisson

:40:14. > :40:17.in Central Lobby when he was delayed only momentarily. The great thing is

:40:18. > :40:24.you have to improvise. You can try to plan these things, but in the end

:40:24. > :40:26.you have to make it work on the day. How important to you is the ceremony

:40:26. > :40:30.and pageantry that surrounds the Queen's Speech? It is extremely

:40:30. > :40:34.important, because we have an unwritten constitution. We have

:40:34. > :40:38.something which has evolved over time, and this ceremony, you know,

:40:38. > :40:42.brings the part of our constitution, the Queen, the crown from which

:40:42. > :40:45.power devolved in medieval England, the royal regalia, here to

:40:45. > :40:49.Parliament, and brings together with the House of Lords, where she makes

:40:49. > :40:54.her speech. And it enables Parliament to enact laws, and there

:40:54. > :40:58.has to be some ceremony to do that. This does it extremely well, and I

:40:58. > :41:03.also think that the public love it. You know, it is part of our British

:41:03. > :41:05.tradition, something we are known for the world over, and long may it

:41:05. > :41:12.continue. Have there been some years which have been more memorable than

:41:12. > :41:16.others? There was... I have been doing it myself since 2002 when my

:41:16. > :41:20.father died, and I remember when Jack Straw, in 2004, was Lord

:41:20. > :41:24.Chancellor, and after a lot of debate, we agreed that the Lord

:41:24. > :41:28.Great Chamberlain and I would stop walking backwards to modernise, and

:41:28. > :41:31.that is what we did, walking forwards. As soon as we get to

:41:31. > :41:36.delivering the Queen's Speech, dear Jack Straw walked backwards down the

:41:36. > :41:39.steps, so that was rather ironic. But no, the great thing is that it

:41:39. > :41:44.has got a lot of tradition, but we are always tinkering with it to make

:41:44. > :41:47.sure that it goes with the times, that it is appropriate, the

:41:47. > :41:52.ceremonial has to have its purpose, but it is a great ceremony, and, you

:41:52. > :41:56.know, I am delighted to be involved. It has gone well today, you must be

:41:56. > :41:59.a happy man. Thank you. Thank you very much,

:41:59. > :42:04.thanks to the Earl Marshal, too. Time for some final thoughts,

:42:04. > :42:08.starting with Jeremy, what do you want people to take away from the

:42:08. > :42:11.speech? It was a spectacular ceremonial occasion, but the

:42:11. > :42:14.politics from the Liberal Democrat perspective is that we have a

:42:14. > :42:19.government that is pragmatic, practical, anchored on the centre

:42:19. > :42:22.ground, and we are dealing with the big issue facing the country, the

:42:22. > :42:25.terrible state of the economy that we inherited, but we are also

:42:25. > :42:31.planning so that this country has a long-term future in terms of care,

:42:31. > :42:33.child care, pensions, and that is the overall message. Yes, I think

:42:33. > :42:37.three years ago people wondered whether this coalition government

:42:37. > :42:41.would last, and it is lasting, you can see that, it has plenty of

:42:41. > :42:46.energy for serious reforms to drive the economy forward, to tackle the

:42:46. > :42:50.long-term issues, but also to answer both as' concerns about immigration.

:42:50. > :42:54.There is a very big immigration Bill. I think the overall message is

:42:54. > :42:57.that the government is on people's side, it is here to last, we have a

:42:57. > :43:01.big programme of reform, and we are going to continue to drive that

:43:01. > :43:04.through. We promised in 2010 that we would have changed, we were promised

:43:04. > :43:09.that we would see growth and an economy revive him, but we have not

:43:09. > :43:12.seen that happen, growth has flat lined, more people and employed,

:43:12. > :43:17.particularly young people, staying unemployed for longer. I'm afraid

:43:17. > :43:25.today we did not see anything to tackle youth unemployment, anything

:43:25. > :43:30.to tackle consumer issues around the cost of living -- and that is a

:43:30. > :43:34.great missed opportunity. Beyond the measures on immigration, few of

:43:34. > :43:38.these are likely to be the focus of the next general election, but there

:43:38. > :43:41.will be people who find they work longer as the result of pension

:43:41. > :43:45.changes, there is more protection for their savings if they need

:43:45. > :43:48.social care, that it is a little bit easier to get childcare, and the

:43:48. > :43:52.debate about whether those are the right measures to remind us on a day

:43:52. > :43:56.like this that it is not just about politics and commentary, laws change

:43:56. > :44:00.people's lives, and there will be laws that will be debated long and

:44:00. > :44:04.hard from people of all politics and sometimes none which will have a

:44:04. > :44:10.real effect beyond, as it were, the ceremonial we have seen today.

:44:10. > :44:14.all of you, thank you very much indeed. Well, that is it, the State

:44:14. > :44:18.Opening of Parliament is done for 2013, but that is just the start,

:44:18. > :44:22.really, of the great debate. As Nick was saying, the debate will start in

:44:22. > :44:26.Parliament and out in the country, too. We hope you have enjoyed the