2013 The State Opening of Parliament

Westminster, where everything is just about ready for the formal

start of a new Parliamentary year, the State Opening of Parliament, an

event which mixes grand ceremony with hard politics. In about an

hour, the Queen will reveal the Government's programme for the year

ahead in the penultimate session of this Parliament before the general

election in May 2015. We will be enjoined the impressive colour, the

spectacle and considering what the speech tells us about David

Cameron's ambition for the collision in the months to come. The

traditions and features of the State Opening are reassuringly familiar to

us, but there is one notable change this year. We will have not one but

two royal carriage procession is making their way to the Sovereign's

Entrance of the of Westminster. The Prince of Wales is attending with

the Duchess of Cornwall for the first time together, and we expect

them to arrive just before 11 o'clock. They will take position at

the House of Lords, where we will have the Welsh Guards, the 1st

Battalion, and the band of the Welsh Guards to provide the guard of

honour and the Royal salute. Inside the Palace of Westminster, in the

chamber of the House of Lords, peers are already claiming their seats, as

ever, on State Opening day, demand exceeds supply, and this is the only

time that all of the peers are to be seen wearing their Parliamentary

robes. It is a glorious sea of scarlet and gold and German. We have

a short while to wait before the speech, the contents, as we remind

you, not her work, they are written by the Government and approved by

the Cabinet. Well, later this morning the Prime Minister will be

leaving Downing Street for the houses of parliament, and that is

when members of the House of Commons will be summoned to the chamber of

the Lords to listen to the speech before they start debating its

contents. A short while ago in Downing Street, this was the scene,

because Nick Clegg, the Lib Dem leader, also made his way, he is on

his way to Westminster right now, this will be his third Queen's

Speech as Deputy Prime Minister, and it will be interesting to identify

the Liberal Democrat imprint on the contents of the speech. Ed Miliband,

the Labour leader also just left his home and will be making his way to

Parliament. He will run the responding later. The tradition goes

back to the 16th century at least, but the ceremony we see today dates

from the rebuilding of the Palace of Westminster after the fire of 1834.

A short while ago, a rather curious and old-fashioned security check was

carried out by the oldest British of the Coldstream Guards, leading

the yeomen of the guard on their ceremonial search of the cellars

dating back to the time of the march! The Yeomen of the Guard, the

oldest of the royal bodyguards, created back in 1485 at the Battle

of Bosworth by Henry Tudor. By the way, they were assembling there in

the Prince's Chamber, directly above the cellar where Guy Fawkes was

caught red handed back in 1605. Now, already this morning there has been

plenty of activity as the final details are checked for the State

Opening, and one person with a great view of events inside the Palace of

Westminster is my colleagues Sian Williams, good morning.

I have got a great view of events in Central Lobby, midway between the

House of Commons and the House of Lords, filling up, as you can see,

with staff and guests. Later I will be speaking to some backbench MPs,

to some Lords, and also to the man whose responsibility it is to make

sure that today's grand ceremony goes smoothly.

Once the speech has been delivered and we know more about the

Government's plans, there will be a formal Parliamentary debate on the

contents. In some years, the content is ambitious and radical, and there

are dozens of bills, but that is not always the case. To look ahead to

the day, let's welcome our panel this morning, Michael Fallon for the

Conservatives, Caroline Flint for Labour, Jeremy Browne for the

Liberal Democrats, and as ever on these days, with a sharp take on

what is going on, my colleague Nick Robinson, the BBC's political

editor. Nick, we will start with you, tell us what we might expect,

is it going to be bold and ambitious or not? I think what will be

striking about it is what has been removed before Her Majesty read it.

There is a phrase used by the Conservatives' and action strategist

about brushing off the barnacles off the boat as it heads to a general

election, in other words removing plans for new laws that will upset

voters, cause a row and upset the Paul entry party. So no measures on

minimum alcohol pricing, plain wrapping for cigarettes, no measures

for a so-called super's Charter, intervention on electronic

communications. These are things the government wants to get rid of, and

what it will try to do is say it is focusing on the important thing is,

the economy and immigration. Is that a fair summary? It is going to be a

bold and ambitious programme. Some of these things we are still

consulting and and are not ready for legislation, but the big stuff is

what government is concentrating on, and that is jobs, there will be

a national insurance cut to benefit over 1 million businesses, half a

million not paying any at all, and that will help them to employ more

people. Radical measures on pensions and also on social care. This is a

radical government with a big reforming programme ahead of it.

David Cameron has promised change, and unfortunately things have got

worse and not better. Apart from what you have said, Nick, this

ditching policies for electoral reasons, I think what we will be

looking at is whether we are going to see significant measures to boost

jobs, but also deal with the cost of living. Lots of people, their wages

have been depressed, they are paying more for bills, and we will be

looking strongly at that. We have said there are people we could do in

the private rented sector, energy, as well as jobs, too, and the truth

is unemployment is higher today than when David Cameron became Prime

Minister. When people see the list of bills and we have it a little

later, will they be able to identify things that your party has been

explicitly responsible for? Well, it is a cold year and, though he sift,

coalition government, and people should I gorge that it has been

created by both parties. -- coherent, cohesive. It is an overall

package. I agree with Nick that the principal focus is on how we try to

revitalise our economy, how we get the country back on its feet again

and how we get to grips with the colossal deficit. And the Queen's

Speech, excuse me, will have measures to stimulator economic

growth, a small businesses, but crucially it makes quite a lot of

big, bold, long-term decisions on things like care for the elderly, on

things like pensions, which the previous governance, to my view,

duct, and we have an ageing population, a lot of people watching

this are concerned about how to care for elderly relatives. So the bill

does have a lot of those measures, not just to deal with the deficit

but to try to create a fairer, more harmonious society many decades into

the future. We will have more contributions in a while. I want to

take a look inside the chamber of the House of Lords, it is a splendid

scene, opened by Queen Victoria back in 1847, dominated, of course, by

that canopy at the end and the gilded work on it which is really a

splendid site, and the power of runs, we will have something more to

say about that a little later. -- the pair of thrones. Lots of

familiar faces gathering, the former commissioner of the Metropolitan

Police, Lord Blair, who joined the House of Lords just a few years

ago. Also here, a man who until fairly recently was Britain's top

civil servants, Lord O'Donnell, just on the right. That is Lord Levene, a

former lord Madeline and, chatting to him before the State Opening of

Parliament. -- former Lord Mayor of London. We will be having a look at

who else is there in a little while. The State Opening, for many, is the

high point of the year for pageantry and precision and impressive

ceremony. One of the most familiar customs and one of the most

symbolically important involves the official known as Black Rod, and I

have been to meet him. This is where the real power lies, the

government's dispatch box in the House of Commons, where the Prime

Minister answers questions every week. On State Opening day, the

members of the House of Commons are summoned to the House of Lords to

listen to the Queen's Speech, and the man doing the summoning is an

officer known as Black Rod. He is a key player in the ceremony and the

drama of the day. My Lords, pray be seated. Everybody associates Black

Rod with knocking on the door of the House of Commons at the State

Opening of Parliament. And thinks that my job is part-time and

ceremonial, but in fact I spend the majority of my time delivering

security for the House of Lords, that is my major responsibility.

This is the famous walk down from the Central Lobby here to the House

of Commons. When you make this journey, what does it mean? This is

an important bit of symbolism, important for the constitution of

the country. It is the only time in the year when the three

constitutional components of the legislature come together, and I am

dispatched on order of the Queen to summon the Members of Parliament to

come to the bar of the House of Lords to listen to the Queen's

Speech. We are in the Members' Lobby of the House of Commons. When you

approach these doors, they will be slammed in your face - why? The real

reason is in the reign of Charles I, the Black Rod of the day attempted

to arrest five MPs, and the commons took exception to that, as an

exercise, exercising their independence of the Crown. You have

some evidence of what happens on the day. And indeed there is damage to

the end of the rod here and it had to be repaired a couple of years ago

by the previous Black Rod. And you need to get good aim. When you go

into the chamber to summon the MPs, what are your thoughts? Two thought,

I think. One is that one has got to get one 's lines right, it is very

important that these traditions and ceremonies are done properly and

professionally. I suppose another thought is that Dennis Skinner MP is

usually there, he usually has something to say, and one has got to

keep one's focus and make sure one is not distracted. Jubilee year,

there, but as he was clearly saying, most of his work is not this

ceremonial business but in fact to do with the serious business of

security in the House of Lords. Let's go back into the chamber and

spot who else is eagerly awaiting the Queen's arrival this morning.

There we have Lord Fellowes from the world of the arts. And from the

world of business, we have plenty of people, including Martha Lane-Fox,

the internet entrepreneur. Back to the world of entertainment with Flo

will avenge a man, and then we have the former chairman of the

Conservative Party, still a minister, Baroness Warsi. And here

in his first State Opening of Parliament as Archbishop of

Canterbury, Justin Welby. And then also there we have the former

Speaker of the House of Commons, while, let's go over to Buckingham

Palace, the first of our carriage processions. And as I say, it is a

new departure this year, because for the first time in 17 years, the

Prince of Wales is attending the State Opening of Parliament, not

attending alone either, attending Palace in the glass coach. The

Prince of Wales, who last attended the State Opening back in 1996, and

has attended on 16 occasions before that. There is a lot of talk today

about the symbolism and the significance of this visit. And they

have a 12 minute journey ahead of them to get over to the Palace of

Westminster, and we will say a little bit more about his presence

today and their appearance in the Lords itself, because there is a

clue for you, if you look at the far end, all eyes drawn towards the

thrones, this is the great design, the great canopy and the pair of

thrones underneath the canopy. The Queen's thrown on the left, the jig

of Edinburgh on the right. That is very familiar. What is unfamiliar is

this new arrangement, let's look over to the left, because we have a

pair of ceremonial chairs, chairs of state, and they are for the Prince

of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall, very close proximity to

the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh. And all of these things

should be examined for their subtle differences. A look at the three

white feathers, that is the very insignia of the Prince of Wales, the

fleur-de-lis encircling it. And let's look for some of the subtle

signals of state as we have in this chamber, let's have a look at the

thrones first of all. Because Her Majesty's thrown is fractionally

higher than the Duke of Edinburgh, that is always interesting to note,

just telling you who is boss. And then if you look across to the left,

you see that this symbol of status is repeated. If you look at the

Prince of Wales's chair, fractionally higher, I think, the

difference is not quite as acute as the other one, but slightly less,

the Duchess of Cornwall is slightly lower. So these little signals are

of the Household Cavalry. Otherwise known as the staircase party. This

is one of the early stages of the ceremonial on opening day. Lots of

the troopers on duty today are very young, some of them undertaking

their first segment of ceremonial duty and a very high profile job for

them on the morning of the State Opening. But they will be lining the

staircase ready, first of all, for the Prince of Wales' arrival and

then the Queen 's arrival. There will be a third sequence as well,

where we will see the Imperial State Crown and the insignia also being

brought up the staircase. So we will be back there in a short while. Now,

somebody with a great view of today's events right at the heart of

the Palace of Westminster is my colleague, Sian Williams. Yes. In

about an hour's time MPs. Streaming from the Commons over there. There

are about 450, 500 of them according to the doorkeeper. There isn't much

room in there so it will be a bit of a push to get them all in and they

probably won't get in! Many who have worked out their strategy for seeing

the Queen speech are already with me this morning. If we could just stop

with you, Penny. What message or theme will be coming from the Queen

speech as far as the Conservatives are concerned? I would like us to be

tackling those issues that have been around for too long. We need to

reform our care system so people aren't having to sell their homes.

We want to dress the anomalies in the pension system which affect

those like carers and those with broken work records. And I would

really like us to reform defence procurement and bake met -- make

better use of the budget we have got. Heidi, if it were a Labour

government, what would be in this speech? I think the key thing that

matters to people is jobs, and I think we would want to see action on

introducing a compulsory jobs young people, that is one thing my

constituents speak to me about. We would also like to see a reversal of

the 50p tax rate decision and introduced that for owners of over

�150,000. Equally, action to tackle some of the bad press to this in the

big energy companies where bills are going up and the wholesale price of

fuel might be going down but it isn't being passed onto consumers in

their energy bills. So those are things you do not think going to be

in the speech today and you would like see. Is there a feeling with

the Liberal Democrats that we are seeing a room -- a movement to the

right with immigration? We want to see a fairer economy and also a

fairer society, so, for example, the energy bill which will support

150,000 jobs. Also fixes to pensions, which Steve Webb has been

working on. And about care, making sure people don't have to sell their

homes. We have already had announcements in business we will

get national insurance rebates for people paying up to �2000. We have

order lifted millions, as well, out of income tax. Good luck to all of

you getting into the House of Lords. I hope you get a great view. I will

be speaking to some Lord's. I was speaking to one Lord who has been

here for 18 years and he said the hairs still stand up on the back of

his neck when he years the salute saying the Queen has arrived. See

you later. We are in the Royal Gallery and this

is where the procession in state will take place a little later on,

where the Queen will process from the Robing room through to the House

of Lords. There we see the Yeomen of the Guard lining the Royal Gallery,

awaiting the Queen 's arrival in a short while. In their very

distinctive red student uniforms. Sometimes confused with the yeoman

warders of the Tower of London, but if you look at the cross belt, that

is the clue to identify the fact that these are not yeoman warders.

They are very proud of that identity. They are yeomen of the

god. Plenty of ceremony and colour to come. And very soon, the Queen

will be leaving the Palace. I did want to pick up one thing I

mentioned earlier, to do with the form of today and the fact that, as

I say, for the first time in 17 years, the Princess of Wales 's here

and the Duchess of Cornwall for the first time. Their place in the

chamber is very prominent, close to the throne, and lots has been read

into that. There is a word that has been used again and again and used

in Buckingham Palace, and that is evolution. They always talk about

the power of the British monarchy evolving. Over the years, over the

centuries. And it seems to me the huge symbolism of Charles and

Camilla coming in their own carriage, being seen alongside Her

Majesty and the Duke of Edinburgh is, if you like, precisely that. It

is evolution and saying to the country crudely "here is what comes

next. We don't know when all the circumstances and it may not be for

a very long time and most people hope it won't be. " But it is saying

to the country, get used to the idea. And I don't mean this as a

facetious comparison, but when a large part of the country is

absorbed by the retirement of the greatest football manager, that

instant change... ! But it is striking that in a sense, this most

effective of institutions in our country never does things that way.

It is about saying, exclaimed, no, you will get used to the idea of

change and change that would have been unthinkable just five years

ago. Woman to the controversy created by Camillarelationship with

Prince Charles. -- remember the controversy. The country is now

ready for this so they are doing it. Michael Fallon, it is being

described by the Palace as a gradual process. It is taking sensible

measures, if you like, and before you answer, let me point out that we

have the first of the regalia processions with us, because this is

where the Imperial State Crown gets its own escort, its own procession,

because of course, it is the supreme symbol of the Monica's authority and

sovereignty. And this will be carefully brought out by the crown

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

one of the most ancient appointments in the Royal household dating back

from the time when monarchs used to use the Thames to travel as their

main thoroughfare, really, and in fact, the Crown Jewels will also be

brought by river. So the barge master still retaining the title and

24 watermen also employed by the Royal household as part of the barge

master's team. And here we have the control of the Lord Chamberlain's

office. Andrew Ford. He is the man who looks after lots of the

ceremonial and big events that the Palace organises from year to year.

He is the man, really, who is the mastermind behind lots of these big

ceremonies and big days of pageantry. And it is his duty to

take the Imperial State Crown into the strains of some Welsh melodies

being played by the band of the Welsh Guards, directed by Stephen

Barnwell, the director of music. As Andrew Ford carefully takes the

Imperial State Crown into a little room on the left first of all, where

they will change the cushion on which it rests. And put it on a

proper display cushion, because it will be put on display in a short

while in the Royal Gallery. And we will have more to say in a while

about the two other important elements of regalia. Michael Fallon

is still with me, and thank you for bearing with me. We were talking

about the importance of today in terms of the changes signified.

think she will be most used to be compared with Sir Alex Ferguson! I

am not sure that is quite the comparison she had in mind! And it

is not new. He has a -- attended state occasions before. State

openings. He'll ready conduct in their stitches and stand-in for the

Queen on a number of occasions. I think we will see more of that. It

is a gradual reminder that there is a transition in the offing. It is a

wonder in the way because you think the Queen is 87 and I think the Duke

of Edinburgh will be 92 in June, so for most people watching, they would

consider it to be a fairly sensible plan of action at this stage?

think Nick is right in what he says about evolution. If anybody changed

that it was her grandfather, George V, and again it is that evolution

rather than a break, as we have seen with the Dutch monarchy, in terms of

what we have seen here. I don't think they are ready to say hello to

somebody else and good right to her yet. We saw that with the Jubilee.

think the Prince of Wales is about to arrive so let's go to Parliament

Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall. Back at Buckingham Palace, we have

the second of the carriage processions, because this is the

Irish State coach, a coach used by the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh,

as they make their way on state opening-day. It is the 60th occasion

on which Her Majesty has attended the State Opening. A remarkable

statistic. The Irish State coach, which was made back in 1851, I

think, in Dublin. And Queen Victoria took a fancy to it so she bought it

for �700, or possibly 700 guineas. It was badly destroyed in fire back

in 1911 and was completely remodelled and again refurbished in

the 1980s. And it is rumoured that it is the Queen 's favourite

carriage but we can't confirm that! These preferences are never

explicitly stated. And here we are at the foot of the Victoria Tower,

the Palace of Westminster, for the arrival of the Prince of Wales and

inside the Palace of Westminster, followed by the Prince of Wales. It

is the first time for the Duchess to attend the State Opening. And there

is our first glimpse today of The Earl Marshal, the Duke of Norfolk,

one of the great offices of state. The one who organises coronations

and great ceremonies and supervises the College of Arms. And it is his

duty to greet the Royal party. He will take them up the Norman

staircase, the sovereign staircase, as it is called. Up to the Robing

room. We never see inside the Robing room. That is always kept firmly

shut. And that is where the Royal party will prepare before the Royal

Procession commences. The Earl Marshal is a hereditary position. He

is the 18th Duke of Norfolk. And his role in these events, be

understated, really. So turning right on their way into the Royal

Gallery, and a quick nod there from the Lord Great Chamberlain, who is

the other key player in the ceremonial today. He is the man in

charge of the Royal sections of the Palace of Westminster. So the doors

to the Robing room firmly closed. Meanwhile, in the Royal Gallery, we

have the arrival of the heralds. They are the men who keep records of

how rowdy arms in England and Wales and Northern Ireland. And they are

led by the God of the principal key resplendent in their medieval

uniforms, the Tabard and changed for centuries. The heralds will make

their way to the Norman Porch, ready for the arrival of Her Majesty in a

Royal Gallery in a short while, because we also have some of the key

political players involved, and we will have a look at them in a short

while as they come through. What happens here is that lots of people

congregate at the top of the stairs, basically, there is a kind of

welcoming party, if you like, for Her Majesty and the Duke of

Edinburgh. You'll also the Lord Privy Seal, the Lord Chancellor, the

Speaker of the Commons, already for that welcome. Jeremy, I did not ask

you about your views on this process of transition that we are seeing, is

it at the right pace? I agree with the points that have been made. The

Queen has been on the throne for such a long period of time, that you

have to remember that to evolve, in a way that people can get used to

the idea of transition in time and also in practical ways. As the

monarch reaches her late 80s, there are perhaps constrains, and so on

and so forth. So for Prince Charles, who was insult reaching an age where

people might be considering retiring, for him to take more of a

role seems sensible. What we are seeing is the Lord Great Chamberlain

taking the Imperial State Crown into the Robing Room ready for the

Queen's arrival. Only one occasion on which the Crown was not one,

because I think in 1952, when the Queen had already exceeded to the

throne, she had not been formally crowned. She possessed behind the

Crown. Since then, but rumour has it that she wears it for a few hours in

the week before the State Opening to get used to the balance of the

weight. It is quite a nice, homely thought! It is apparently very

heavy. It has got 3000 stones on it. I am assuming they are all proper

stones, so they are very heavy. Why don't we take a look inside the

chamber of the House of Lords and see who else is there? It is

absolutely packed, and it is a great site on State Opening day. We have

such a cross-section of people representing all walks of life in

the United Kingdom. Ruth Rendell, the bestselling author, Baroness

Rendell. And then if we have a look at one of the other rows, there we

have Joan Bakewell, Baroness Bakewell, the broadcaster and

author. I think that is Baroness Shackleton, Fiona Shackleton, the

between Floella Benjamin and Baroness Warsi. Lots of diplomats

and ambassadors also presents today. And if we go back next door,

next door to the chamber we have the Royal Gallery, and they are ready

for one of the next processions, because he we have Andrew Lansley,

the leader of the House of Commons, but here today really in his

capacity as Lord Privy Seal, one of the ancient offices. The Lord Privy

Seal, who was the person who is safeguarded the royal seal in days

gone by. So Andrew Lansley, the former Health Secretary, will join

the party at the top of the stairs. Let's just have a quick look at who

else is there, friendly greetings, and that is Black Rod. We told the

Black Rod story a little earlier on, and they will be joined soon by the

Lord Speaker and the Speaker of the Commons and the Lord Chancellor. A

quick thought at this stage, then, and bear with me if we go back to

the ceremony, because it is very important, a quick thought, how will

we judge, Caroline, first of all, how will we judge whether, in your

view, trying not to be too partisan about this, OK, which is a

challenge! How will we judge whether this Queen's Speech as steel, that

it tells us that this government is seriously in business and has a

serious programme? Is it just to do with the number of bills? It is not

just about the number of bills, because any government could pack

things in to make it look like they are very busy. New Labour had 45.We

had a lot in our time, some better than others, I am willing to concede

that. I think there are some issues that we have already heard about,

social care is vitally important. I would take issue with Jeremy David -

we increased funding by 50%, we gave right to flexible time working, but

we know that more needs to be done. I go back to what my colleague,

Heidi Alexander, said, we are facing difficult times, three years in

things have not got better. Unemployment is still too high,

particularly amongst the young and long-term unemployed. People are

finding the cost of living difficult, and when it comes to

pensions, hidden charges on energy bills, their profits are going up

but they do not think it is fair. I think people will be looking to

whether the government is listening to those real-time concerns that

people are worried about. Baroness D'Souza, the Lord Speaker, she took

over in 2011, July, succeeding Baroness Hayman. Essentially, this

role was created during the Labour years, and it really did radically

change the role of Lord Chancellor, because the creation of the Ministry

of Justice and this role as Lord Speaker really took away lots of the

powers the Lord Chancellor, which became a diminished post, really.

Baroness D'Souza, the main duty of the Lord Speaker is to preside at

sessions of the House of Lords, and to represent the House of Lords on

great ceremonial occasions. We saw that last year, for example, when

President Obama was here, during the address is presented to the Queen at

the time and of the Jubilee -- of the Diamond Jubilee. Aaron is to

Suso will soon be joined by the Lord Chancellor. -- Baroness D'Souza.

This is Chris Grayling, and I'm told that he is the first non-lawyer in

this post since, I think, the Earl of Shaftesbury in 1672. I am sure

someone will correct me if that is wrong, but I think that is right,

and it underlines for us, again, what a revolution there has been in

terms of some of these ancient posts and ancient offices, because Lord

Chancellors are no longer responsible for the judiciary. Chris

Grayling is the Secretary of State for justice. In this ceremonial

role, the purse bearer who preceded him actually has the Queen's Speech

in the purse. Chris Grayling is meant to have a peep inside just to

make sure it is there, is he going to do it? Maybe he has done it

already. Normally there is a very ostentatious peep. Oh, well, yes,

have a look! Yes! There we are, just a quick check. Sort of... So Chris

Grayling as the speech, and that actually is the very copy of the

speech that will be presented to the Queen, that is what the Queen will

actually read from. So a chat between Chris Grayling and the Duke

of Norfolk. And a great sight for us, flanking Saint James 's Park

there, and along Whitehall, this is the sovereign's escort, passed the

Cenotaph, past Downing Street, on towards Parliament Square as the

Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh make their way for the State Opening of

2013. That is a lovely sight. It has been a little rainy in London this

morning, but it has dried up now, thankfully. Yesterday was glorious,

but it has dried, and we will have a very good views here in the studio,

we can see the crowd behind us, but we will have a very good view of the

base of the Victoria Tower there. And we will see that carriage

arrived in a short while, always a very impressive moment, because not

just the clatter of horses hooves but also the band as well, which

will strike up the royal salute just as the Queen passes not here, but St

Stephen's entrance, which is just about 100 yards behind us. That is

all to come. Let's have a little look inside the Royal Gallery again,

just to check that none of the other possessions is happening. We have

had most of them already, the Lord Chancellor now has taken his place

there. Very soon, the Queen will arrive at the Palace of Westminster.

We want to be there for that. If we look inside, that is known as the

Prince's chamber, the room we are looking into there. That is the far

end, the far end, there we are, that is the Prince's chamber, the far end

of the Royal Gallery, the opposite end to the Robing Room, so it gives

you a sense of the geography of the of the royal bodyguards getting

is the leader of the Government in the House of Lords. And what is

happening now is that we have two very key participants in the

procession in state, because they will go and retrieve the Cap of

Maintenance and the Sword of State, and they will be carrying those

important elements of the Royal insignia in the procession itself.

Let's have a look outside the Palace the blues and Royals and the

lifeguards, the Household Cavalry making their way past the Palace of

Westminster. Very soon the band of the Welsh Guards will sound the

the Palace of Westminster, preceded by the first and second divisions of

the sovereign's escort, the Blues and royals, and following them, the

Lifeguards, commanded by Major Mick Stuart of the Lifeguards. All the

troops on duty today are under the command of George Norton, Major

General George Norton, the commanding officer of the London

the foot of the Victoria Tower. When the Queen sets foot inside the

salute, the Queen and Duke arrived. The Union flag is lowered, the Royal

standard is flown above the Palace of Westminster, the Victoria Tower.

The heralds now, who have prepared for this procession earlier, now

retracing their steps, and they are leading the way for the Queen and

Duke of Edinburgh. And the dismounted detachment of the

Household Cavalry, who have been waiting patiently for the last hour

or so, are still in place for all of these processions. We have Baroness

D'Souza, Andrew Lansley, the Lord Speaker, the Lord Privy Seal, the

Lord Chancellor, Chris Grayling, the Duke of Norfolk, the men who are in

charge of this event. The Queen and the Duke, very, very familiar route

for both of them, making their way into the Robing Room, where they

will come face-to-face with Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall,

who have been there for the past 50 minutes or so. And then there will

be a short wait while the Queen prepares for the procession instate

Westminster. David Leakey, the Black Rod. On his way to Central Lobby,

where he will await the signal to summon the MPs. Everyone in the

Royal Gallery facing the doors of the Robing room, because they are

awaiting the signal that the Queen is ready, and when she is ready,

there will be a royal salute sounded by two trumpeters and the procession

Westminster, it looks very quiet to there, doesn't it? That is in

Central Lobby. There is the inspector who is waiting to tell

everyone to move their hats and prepare for the arrival of the

Speaker, because the Speaker's procession will make its way along

the library corridor and down towards Central Lobby, and then

along a short section of corridor into the Members' Lobby of the House

of Commons, where there should be quite a few MPs gathered, and then

into the chamber of the Commons itself, and then they will have to

or three minutes of prayers, which is the traditional start to the

prayer, and then they will await for the Black Rod to arrive on the door

and they will think very hard about letting him in! In a demonstration

of superiority and authority, as David Leakey was explaining to us a

short while ago. So that procession will not be too long before it takes

place. The ceremonial - lots of people think, oh, a bit of this and

a bit of that. Actually, despite all of the hard politics we have been

talking about, it is an important part of the success of the day,

isn't it, Nick? Partly because people don't know, yes. They don't

know the symbolism of that door being shot in the face of the Black

Rod. They tend to concentrate on the funny name and, why does he not on

the door? Forgetting it is the elected representatives of the

people being able to say to the monarch, no, it is up to us. We

cannot easily be summoned, and, as happened years ago, have the

monarch's representatives come to arrest anybody who happens to say

the wrong thing. So a powerful symbol of democracy. That powerful

symbol, even in a devolved United Kingdom, where we have seen the

pattern changed so radically over the last few years, is an essential

element? Yes, it is an essential element and it is one of the

functions of a ceremonial event like this. I also think that if you look

at the House of Lords, you see the court as it used to be, a picture of

medieval England. The bishops, the Lords, and then finally the

commoners all clustered around the monarch. It is an extraordinary

education of what medieval England must have been like. -- evocation.

How do you square the modernising instinct with what we see today?

Well, it represents the history of our democracy and how that has

changed over the years as well. For me, even though the Palace, as you

rightly said, was burnt down, the aim is to keep the pomp and glamour

and everywhere around the House of Lords there are reminders of the

struggles people had to get democracy and get the vote for

everybody. You have the symbols of the suffragettes and everything like

that. It is a working place but also a reminder of our history and where

we have got to today and we can take pride in our past and also the

changes in our past that have brought us to today. I will also

pose that question to you because I have known quite a few Lib Dems who

don't have time for the sort of thing we have today. I do think it

has powerful symbolic resonance, the pageantry. Constituents who walk

around these corridors always fascinated by, does the Queen do

this? And I always say, we are answerable to you, not the monarch.

And it dramatises that four people. And as I say, hundreds and hundreds

of my constituents whom I have shown round have been very interested to

see behind-the-scenes of what is a working democracy as well as the

great showpiece state occasion of this morning. The funny thing is,

there was a great fuss made about the enormous change made to this

ceremony that the Lord Chancellor would no longer walk backwards down

some stairs! His duty is to give the speech to Her Majesty to read and

the Lord Chancellor, we were told, will walk forward down the stairs.

It won't necessarily carry on this way forever. It will be interesting

to see what Chris Grayling does today. That role, let's face it, is

still important on State Opening day because if the Queen were unable to

deliver the speech to read the address, it is the Lord

Chancellor's role to do that. is a symbol also of the undoing of

the last parts of the British constitution. I run in the days

after that big change, it hadn't been thought through. -- I remember.

They couldn't quite get rid of the Lord Chancellor from the 500 laws

involving him! So he remained. very much a presence today. Let's

have a look at the Royal Gallery, because this is where they are

preparing. Everybody facing the doors to the Robing room and

everybody awaiting the signal. So they are waiting patiently.

Meanwhile, at the other end of the Palace of Westminster, that

procession by the Speaker, I am told, is just about to happen. This

is where the inspector in the Central Lobby will give the order

for people to remove their hats. Not many hats in evidence, I have to

say. But just in case they are, that is the job. And it is a familiar

sight for all of us who have worked and experienced life in the Palace

of Westminster over the years. Hats off Strangers is one of the great

showpiece events, if you like, of the day-to-day business of the

Palace of Westminster. And Jeremy says he has shown thousands of his

constituents around and I know Caroline and Michael will have done

the same. All of this is part of the display but it is part of the

modest Hats off Strangers! But the shouting of "speaker" was a full on

bit of shouting! The Speaker of the House of Commons making his way

through Central Lobby on the State Opening day, followed by members of

his staff, including the chaplain. They will go right through into the

chamber of the Commons, which will be full by now. Through the Members'

Lobby, which is where members congregate and chat to journalists

and colleagues. The Speaker acknowledging some of those who have

gathered in the Members' Lobby. And we are not allowed to stay in the

chamber of the Commons for more than a couple of seconds here because

that is where they have their daily prayers before the session gets

underway. But we can see the Speaker coming in anyway. Followed by the

Mace. The powerful weapon of war in days gone by and sometimes used as a

weapon by a couple of MPs in the past! But it is the symbol of the

sovereign's authority, and without that in place, the Commons can't be

in session. Let's go that to the Royal Gallery for the procession in

Edinburgh, followed by the pages of honour. They have been chosen for

this honour today. Followed by the ladies in waiting. And there we

have, for the first time in 17 years, the Prince of Wales attending

the State Opening, and for the first time ever, the Duchess of Cornwall

attending the State Opening of Admiral the Lord Boyce. The Cap of

Maintenance carried by The Lord Chamber, which is the anteroom, if

you like, just before they enter the Chamber of the House of Lords. The

vice to four of the Defence Staff, the chief of forces, Air Chief

Marshal Sir Stephen Dalton, the Chief of the Naval Staff, Commander

of the Land Forces, Adrian Bradshaw. Into the Chamber of the House of

Lords. The Queen and the Duke will take their places on the pair of

thrones. The Queen will then invite everyone to be seated. And then she

will give the signal for Black Rod received the signal. A great view

there, right along from the Central Lobby, right down to the throne of

the House of Lords. As Black Rod makes his way down this short

stretch of corridor into the Members' Lobby of the House of

Commons, and this is where he was describing to me earlier on what the

precise nature of the duty was and what it symbolised. And explaining

his combination of duties, too. The fact that he takes great pride, of

course, in his role in the ceremonial, because as Nick was

explaining, this is a great display of the Verity and sovereignty of the

Commons. But also of course, in his daily work. -- the authority. That

is to look after security in his part of the Palace of Westminster,

which is the House of Lords. A little delay because I am told we

may be slightly ahead of schedule. This is very unusual, I have to say,

because Black Rod normally makes his way straight down to the House of

Commons, but I suspect it is because prayers haven't finished or they

have had a bit longer than they should have done in the House of

Commons, but lack Rod will not appreciate the weight. But there we

are. He is on his way. -- Black Rod. So he's on his way. Ready to be

confronted with closed doors at the House of Commons, and he will knock

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 47 seconds

honourable House to attend Her Majesty immediately in the House of

privatised! The usual contribution from Dennis Skinner, though for a

few seconds I thought we wouldn't get one. He normally contributes

more quickly. But a sharp political observation from the Labour

backbencher. This is the moment where members of the House of

Commons now make their way to the House of Lords. There they will hear

the Queen's Speech. There is the Speaker and lack Rod having a word

with him, possibly about the little delay. I would love to be a lip

reader. And there we have the Prime Minister and Ed Miliband in animated

chat. Harriet Harman for Labour, of course. George Osborne, the

Chancellor, if Yvette Cooper, Philip Hammond, Iain Duncan Smith, led by

the speakers chaplain. Nick Clegg, the Deputy Prime Minister, chatting

they know the cameras are on them, and we have had a hint of frost in

the past with some leaders, but they are having a very friendly

conversation. Friendly, animated, for the cameras, of course.

Actually, I have not read any suggestion they do not get on

perfectly well as political enemies, one wants to replace the other, but

you sometimes hear behind the scenes, thinking of Gordon Brown and

leaders who really disliked each other. There is no evidence of that,

you can see it there, they are quite capable of having a good gossip and

a chat. Don't imagine that all of these MPs are going to fit into the

House of Lords, because they are not. I wonder where they think they

are going. There is not a lot of room. Charles Kennedy with Simon

Hughes. There is not a lot of room at the bar of the House of Lords.

Possibly no more than 30 of 40 MPs can fit in, so one should fit in the

Prime Minister, the opposition leader, the Cabinet ministers, but

there is not a great lot of room for 500 or six MPs. In the House of

Lords, we now Black Rod and the Speaker, the clerk of the house,

closely followed by the Prime Minister, the Deputy Prime Minister,

the Labour leader, deputy leader. The deputy leader of the Liberal

Democrats, too, William Hague, the Foreign Secretary, Eric Pickles, the

Communities secretary, he had a very busy day last week with the local

elections. And they will wait now until most of them are in. The Earl

Marshal has told the Lord Chancellor to offer the speech to Her Majesty.

Commons, my government's legislative programme will continue to focus on

building a stronger economy so that the United Kingdom can compete and

succeed in the world. It will also work to promote a fairer society

that rewards people who work hard. My government's first priority is to

strengthen Britain's economic competitiveness. To this end, it

will support the growth of the private sector and the creation of

more jobs and opportunities. My ministers will continue to

prioritise measures that reduce the deficit, ensuring interest rates are

kept low for homeowners and businesses. My government is

committed to building an economy where people who work hard are

properly rewarded. It will therefore continue to reform the benefits

system, helping people move from welfare to work. Measures will be

brought forward to introduce a new employment at Loudon's to support

jobs and help small businesses. -- employment at Lowndes. A bill will

be introduced to reduce the burden of excessive regulation on

businesses. A further bill will make it easier for businesses to protect

their intellectual property. A draft bill will be published establishing

a simple set of consumer rights to promote competitive markets and

growth. My government will introduce a bill that closes the audit

commission. My government will continue to invest in infrastructure

to deliver jobs and growth for the economy. Legislation will be

introduced to enable the building of the high-speed two railway line,

providing further opportunities for economic growth in many of

Britain's cities. My government will continue with legislation to update

energy infrastructure and to improve the water industry. My government is

committed to a fairer society where aspiration and responsibility are

rewarded. To make sure that every child has the best start in life,

regardless of background, further measures will be taken to improve

the quality of education for young people. Plans will be developed to

help working parents with childcare, increasing its

availability and helping with its cost. My government will also take

forward plans for renewing the national curriculum, a world-class

exams system, and greater flexibility in pay for teachers. My

government will also take steps to ensure that it becomes difficult for

those leaving school to start a traineeship or an apprenticeship or

to go to university. New arrangements will be put in place to

help more people own their own home, with government support

provided for mortgages and deposits. My government is committed to

supporting people who have saved for their retirement. Legislation will

be introduced to reform the way long-term care is paid for, to

ensure the elderly do not have to sell their homes to meet their care

bills. My government will bring forward legislation to create a

simpler state pension system that encourages saving and provide more

help to those who have spent years caring for children. Legislation

will be introduced to ensure sufferers of a certain asbestos

related cancer receive payments where no libel employer or insurer

can be traced. -- liable. My government will bring forward a bill

that further reforms Britain's immigration system. The bill will

ensure that this country attracts people who will contribute and

deters those who will not. My government will continue to reduce

crime and protect national security. Legislation will be introduced to

reform the way in which offenders are your billet aided in England and

Wales. Legislation will be brought forward to introduce new powers to

tackle anti-social behaviour, cut crime and further reform the

police. In relation to the problem of matching internet protocol

addresses, my government will bring forward proposals to enable the

protection of the public and the investigation of crime in

cyberspace. Measures will be brought forward to improve the way this

country procures defence equipment, as well as strengthening the reserve

also is. My ministers will continue to work in co-operation with the

devolved that ministrations -- administrations. A bill will be

introduced to give effect to a number of institutional improvements

in Northern Ireland. Draft legislation will be published

concerning the electoral arrangements for the National

Assembly for Wales. My government will continue to make the case for

Scotland to remain part of the United Kingdom. Members of the House

of Commons, estimates for the public services will be laid before you. My

lords and members of the House of Commons, my government will work to

prevent conflict and reduce terrorism. It will support countries

in transition in the Middle East and North Africa, and the opening of a

peace process in Afghanistan. My government will work to prevent

sexual violence in conflict worldwide. My government will ensure

the security, good governance and development of the overseas

territories, including by protecting the Falkland Islands and

Gibraltarians' right to determine their political futures. In assuming

the presidency of the G8, my government will promote economic

growth, support free trade, tackle tax evasion, encourage greater

transparency and accountability, while continuing to make progress in

tackling climate change. Other measures will be laid before you. My

lords and members of the House of Commons, I pray that the blessing of

Almighty God may rest upon your delivered. The Lord Chancellor,

Chris Grayling, has received it, back into the purse, ready to help,

the pages of honour, as the Queen and the jute prepared to leave the

chamber of the House of Lords. -- Gentleman at Arms, through the

Princess chamber, back into the Royal Gallery, back to the Robing

Room, ready for the departure. -- the Prince's chamber. Black Rod

giving the signal that MPs can now return to the House of Commons ready

for their debate later on. Back in the Royal Gallery, the Herald's

leading the way. -- the Heralds. The Sword of State, dating back to the

17th century, one of the symbols of the sovereign's authority. The

Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall, who listened carefully to

on bottom left of frame, another of the symbols of royal authority,

dating back to the days when the Pope used to offer a cap of this

kind to his favoured monarchs. A relic of those days, still a symbol

in the Robing room, the doors will close and then it won't be long

before the Queen and Duke of ready to leave the of Westminster. -- the

Palace of Westminster. The distinctive white blooms of the

Gentlemen at Arms. Formed by Henry VIII as his personal bodyguards. The

Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition. Almost back in the House

of Commons. Always a great contrast, isn't it, when you see the rich red

and gold of the Lords and then back we come to the Commons, and it is

House of Commons. The Mace back in place. The Speaker will soon be in

his chair and there we have the Prime Minister and the Labour Leader

just wandering around the dispatch box, wondering what to do! There is

a big debate coming up, and of course it is a good moment at this

time, Nick, I suppose for us to talk about the content a bit more,

because that is really the substance of the day. We have enjoyed the

pageantry but the substance is what the Government intends to do with

its powers. 15 bills, two in draft form. What would you pick out as the

main items? It is dealing with a legacy about the impact of mass

immigration and it wants to be seen to deal with it. I am sure the

politics will focus on that and the economy, too, but what I think is

striking on days like this are the things that don't make it, those

things in the political battle ground that don't make it onto the

bill. Social care reform, childcare reform. These are things that would

make a real difference to people and might not be the turf on which

elections are fought. As we look ahead to ten, 12 months, what will

dominate political debate on things like this, or will it be things like

this, not least the European debate? It will be the economy because the

argument in politics will still be, are Labour right to say they have

cut too far and too fast and the economy isn't growing, or is the

Government able to say, no, it is slower than we thought but it is

beginning to work. And in a sense, a day like this cannot capture that.

The Government does have things it things could make big changes.

Things like High Speed Two. It is something we will look back on in 30

years for good or ill. But I think government ministers will think that

new bills -- don't necessarily think that new bills or new laws get

things moving. So for viewers watching, Michael Fallon, thinking,

OK, is there a dominant theme from this Queen's Speech? What you see

for voters? Is it a series of measures none of which comes out as

the primary one or is it things like immigration? Well, things are being

tackled now like pensions and child easier to employ people, whereby it

will be cheaper for shops and businesses to employ people. And

also measures to help consumers. Measures to help consumer redress,

those wild vulnerable and on the cheaper energy tariffs. -- those who

are. The Government still has plenty of energy and reforms that it wants

to carry through to make sure the country is fit for the challenges

ahead of us. We are two years to a general election and this country is

still facing huge problems in terms of jobs. Even those in work are not

getting the hours they want and wages are depressed, so if we talk

about consumer rights, let's talk about rail fares and the fact people

are facing increasing rail charges. And let's look at energy, which has

gone up �300 in the last few years. And there is nothing in this Queen's

Speech about reforming the energy market and even tougher powers...

was said in the Queen's Speech. we have a few companies dominating

the energy sector and then that impact on consumers. It will be

interesting to see what the Government is saying on that at many

of the hidden charges are on somebody's pension. Somebody can

retire and then find that half of the money is swallowed up by

charges. These are real issues people are grappling with in terms

of their day-to-day living and planning for their future, and there

is nothing in this Queen's Speech about that. I think it is

interesting that she started by talking about the economy. The main

aim was to get to grips with the deficit and get the economy back on

its feet again and that rationale today is as strong as it was back

then and it will be strong right through the length of the

Parliament. You don't need to create new laws to try to get the economy

back into balance. You just need to stop spending lastly more than you

are getting in, which is what the last Labour government was doing.

But nothing is there. We are borrowing a third less,

significantly less, than the last government but we are still

borrowing more than we would wish to. You can, nevertheless, help the

economy with some of the measures in the Queen's Speech on deregulation,

intellectual property, for example, and the other point is it is not

just about the economy. That is the central objective but at the same

time, we have to have a longer term view about the type of country we

want to live in, and those are the points they were making about

long-term care, the problems people and families have when they have an

elderly relative who has to sell their home, pension reform. Those

sorts of things are about creating a fairer and more decent society, as

well as fixing the colony. Pension reform is vital. Fewer people are

being discharged from hospital because the care isn't there for

them and that is why I have said we have to get greater cooperation

between care in hospitals and care outside. There is nothing in there

for young people either in terms of jobs. It was just not there in the

Queen's Speech. The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh preparing to leave

the palace and just having a quick word with Chris Grayling. And then

Baroness D'Souza. You can see the official there, ready with his white

wand of office. And he is in charge of the Robing room, the central

gallery, the Royal Gallery, and parts of the Palace of Westminster

itself. The Duke of Norfolk. As they move down towards the Sovereign's

because it was meant to be decorated with portraits of Norman monarchs,

but that never happened. But it is still known as the Norman Porch for

that reason. The heralds are now lining the route. And The Earl

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 47 seconds

Marshal. He thanked Her Majesty and Telling the world that the Queen and

the Duke of Edinburgh are ready to leave the Palace of Westminster

after this State Opening of Parliament. The 60th State Opening

that the Queen has attended. Leaving sunshine in the skies above

standing by. Under the direction of Stephen Barnwell going under the St

Stephens entrance. The Guard of Honour, founded by the

1st Battalion of the Welsh Guards. The sovereign's escort passes by

Westminster Abbey on the left-hand side and then sent Margarets

Church, back along this very famous processional route. Along Horse

Guards Parade and then along the MoU back to Buckingham Palace. Back

inside the Palace of Westminster, ready for their second departure

duties, the Duke of Norfolk now saying goodbye to the Prince of

Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall. After a visit which has been

underlined for its significance choreographed usually. Just waiting

Prince would be representing the Queen at the Commonwealth summit in

shrill anchor in November, it is all being talked about in the context of

sharing the Queen 's burden of responsibility. -- Sri Lanka. The

fact it is their first time attending together today also being

seen as a statement that the burden is being shared and the Prince is

taking an even more prominent role in these duties at the age of 64.

Safely inside the glass coach. Now ready for the 12 minute journey back

to Buckingham Palace. The last coach was traditionally a bridal coach, as

we know, in some of the royal weddings. It was last used at the

Queen's Birthday Parade last year. And it brought the Queen and the

Duke of Edinburgh to the trooping of the colour. So, they emerge. Into

aid at a bit of sunshine, as I said. From the Victoria Tower, the tower

which houses many, many thousands of acts of legislation. Scrolls and

parchment and all kinds of priceless documents. That is where the store

is. And the band of the Welsh Guards preparing to announce another Royal

salute for the Prince of Wales. streets, because everything is

cleared on state opening-day, and the roads along Millbank, down to

Lambeth Bridge, from Parliament Square, all of it locked off,

really, security at a maximum. A great view there, just to appreciate

some of the splendid architecture of above the Victoria Tower. At midday,

the Queen having left, the Royal standard has been lowered. And the

third formal departure, because as I explained earlier, the Imperial

State Crown and the other items of regalia, the Cap of Maintenance, the

Sword of State, they have their own procession just to underline their

importance in today's events and to underline their symbolic power,

because they represent the Gentleman at Arms fluttering in the

breeze, as Andrew Ford, controller of the Lord Chamberlain's office,

prepares to take charge of the crown once again and to take it back

safely once again to Buckingham Palace before it is returned to the

back in the procession. If we catch a glimpse of them on the way back,

the heads of the maces will be positioned in a certain way to pop

out of the carriage, a reminder of these possessions in days gone by.

They were there to project the monarch's power, they are there as

symbols of the monarch's power, so that is why they are really properly

on its way very soon. This is Queen Alexandra's State Coach, by the way.

And it dates from 1865. It was converted into a State Coach for the

use of the Princess of Wales, who liberally by the Victoria Tower, so

that the carriages can get enough grip as they turn that corner to the

its way back to Buckingham Palace, and it is time, now that those

departures have been formalised, why don't we just pop into Central Lobby

and join Sian? Thank you, Huw. The MPs have gone

back to their offices, the debates we have been talking about take

place this afternoon, and the Lords, too, I am joined by two, Oona

King, Baroness King, and Lord Berkeley. I cannot help noticing

that you are in all your finery today, but not you, Michael.

slipped up! You are supposed to sign a form to book some robes, and I

left it too late. Did they let you in the chamber? I watched from

outside, on television, thanks to the BBC. Because it is your first

Queen's Speech, appointed in March. I will come another time, but I must

say I was overwhelmed by the occasion, and it is an overwhelming

place to join, wonderful. Give us a sense of what it was like, you have

seen the Queen's Speech from both sides, as an MP and now as a Lord.

have, although I have to say this is the first time I actually hired the

robes. I have not been allowed in either, Lords do suffer social

exclusion on occasion! There is only seating for 200, and there are more

than 700. That is right, not all active, but those that are take

great pleasure in being able to see the Queen turn up and say what the

Government is going to do. At the end of the day, the power is in the

House of Commons, these robes actually mask a lack of power.

However, what we have is an extraordinary display of pageantry,

tiaras galore, horses and carriages, and the Queen. We have got the man

on the order paper, the gold stake in waiting, he carries a gold stick

around, and this is what Britain does really well, people want to

know how it is going to affect their daily lives, and when you take the

robes off and look at what is in the Queen's Speech, there might be a bit

of smiling going on. All the politics will be looked at and

analysed over the next days and weeks, you are a crossbencher,

Michael, so I suppose you look at it from a very different angle, looking

at refining legislation, which is the job of the Lords. The luxury of

being on the crossbenchers is that you can be swayed by the power of

argument, you do not have whips watching you one way or the other.

Hopefully that gives you a certain distance, you can look at things

objectively. I have to make a maiden speech soon, so I was listening for

opportunities which would give me a kind of launching pad. It is extra

week, isn't it? It is indeed! I am sure it will be about the arts,

because I am a broadcaster, and I feel I was appointed to

represent... That is the good thing about the appointments commission,

they look for holes in their coverage, and I think they wanted

more expertise in the realm of art and broadcasting. Good luck for next

it, try to rent the robe in time if you can! You can have this one, I

will share it. It is looking a bit hot in there! Thank you very much,

join us later, we will be talking to a man you have been mentioning quite

a lot, the Duke of Norfolk, the Earl Marshal will be here to tell us

about the ceremony. As we have just heard, a new

experience. Involved in the ceremony, but for Her Majesty the

Queen, it is an event that she is extremely familiar with, and in this

coronation anniversary year, we look back at the time is the Queen has

November 1952 was the first official duty that Elisabeth performed as

monarch. And the occasion attracted significant interest. Despite the

wintry weather, large crowds lined the streets, many of them children

on a half term holiday, eager to see the young Queen. Once the recession

had returned to Buckingham Palace, the Queen and Prince Philip appeared

on the balcony with the young Prince and Princess, granting the public

one of the first glimpses of the new Queen and her family together. And

then, in 1958, the public were able ceremony is being watched not only

by those who are present in this chamber but by many millions of my

subjects. The occasion is often a family event for the Queen,

regularly accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh and, right up to the

present day, by other members of the family as well. The ceremony focuses

attention on the Queen's role as head of state. My government will

seek to play a full and constructive part in preserving peace and

justice. During the 60 years of the Queen's rain, there have been many

changes on the Commons frontbenchers, but throughout them

all, Her Majesty has been commended by most parties for her sense of

dedication and duty. The event is an occasion to witness the Queen at her

most stately and regal, but for the monarch, it is the most important

occasion to focus on her constitutional role in an

ever-changing United Kingdom. thus, in Elizabeth, by the grace of

God Queen, harvested Majesty and had a very large responsibility, to

make sure that today's goes well, the Duke of Norfolk, the Earl

Marshal, and the job has been in your family for how many centuries?

For 500 years, since Richard III, 1483, find on. We were in the tower

of London a little bit, but it has been hereditary sin 1672. So it will

pass to your son as well. Presumably, or my daughter. Of

course, the primogeniture law. How did it go to day from your

perspective? It went extremely well. The Queen arrived at the Royal

entrance about three minutes early, which is quite unusual, and that

caused a few little hiccups along the way. I think Black Rod had to

wait for press to finish in the Commons. There was a little frisson

in Central Lobby when he was delayed only momentarily. The great thing is

you have to improvise. You can try to plan these things, but in the end

you have to make it work on the day. How important to you is the ceremony

and pageantry that surrounds the Queen's Speech? It is extremely

important, because we have an unwritten constitution. We have

something which has evolved over time, and this ceremony, you know,

brings the part of our constitution, the Queen, the crown from which

power devolved in medieval England, the royal regalia, here to

Parliament, and brings together with the House of Lords, where she makes

her speech. And it enables Parliament to enact laws, and there

has to be some ceremony to do that. This does it extremely well, and I

also think that the public love it. You know, it is part of our British

tradition, something we are known for the world over, and long may it

continue. Have there been some years which have been more memorable than

others? There was... I have been doing it myself since 2002 when my

father died, and I remember when Jack Straw, in 2004, was Lord

Chancellor, and after a lot of debate, we agreed that the Lord

Great Chamberlain and I would stop walking backwards to modernise, and

that is what we did, walking forwards. As soon as we get to

delivering the Queen's Speech, dear Jack Straw walked backwards down the

steps, so that was rather ironic. But no, the great thing is that it

has got a lot of tradition, but we are always tinkering with it to make

sure that it goes with the times, that it is appropriate, the

ceremonial has to have its purpose, but it is a great ceremony, and, you

know, I am delighted to be involved. It has gone well today, you must be

a happy man. Thank you. Thank you very much,

thanks to the Earl Marshal, too. Time for some final thoughts,

starting with Jeremy, what do you want people to take away from the

speech? It was a spectacular ceremonial occasion, but the

politics from the Liberal Democrat perspective is that we have a

government that is pragmatic, practical, anchored on the centre

ground, and we are dealing with the big issue facing the country, the

terrible state of the economy that we inherited, but we are also

planning so that this country has a long-term future in terms of care,

child care, pensions, and that is the overall message. Yes, I think

three years ago people wondered whether this coalition government

would last, and it is lasting, you can see that, it has plenty of

energy for serious reforms to drive the economy forward, to tackle the

long-term issues, but also to answer both as' concerns about immigration.

There is a very big immigration Bill. I think the overall message is

that the government is on people's side, it is here to last, we have a

big programme of reform, and we are going to continue to drive that

through. We promised in 2010 that we would have changed, we were promised

that we would see growth and an economy revive him, but we have not

seen that happen, growth has flat lined, more people and employed,

particularly young people, staying unemployed for longer. I'm afraid

today we did not see anything to tackle youth unemployment, anything

to tackle consumer issues around the cost of living -- and that is a

great missed opportunity. Beyond the measures on immigration, few of

these are likely to be the focus of the next general election, but there

will be people who find they work longer as the result of pension

changes, there is more protection for their savings if they need

social care, that it is a little bit easier to get childcare, and the

debate about whether those are the right measures to remind us on a day

like this that it is not just about politics and commentary, laws change

people's lives, and there will be laws that will be debated long and

hard from people of all politics and sometimes none which will have a

real effect beyond, as it were, the ceremonial we have seen today.

all of you, thank you very much indeed. Well, that is it, the State

Opening of Parliament is done for 2013, but that is just the start,

really, of the great debate. As Nick was saying, the debate will start in

Parliament and out in the country, too. We hope you have enjoyed the