American Reacts to the State Opening of Parliament | UK

Hello! I'm an American on a quest to learn more about history, geography and the universe in general. I recently learned that there's a big ceremony regarding the UK Parliament that I had no idea about. I was amazed at the pomp and circumstance that goes on for the opening of parliament. We have nothing like this over in the U.S.! If you enjoyed this video, please like and subscribe!
00:00 - Intro
03:20 - Reaction
46:57 - Outro
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#UK #Parliament #Brexit #Reaction #StateOpeningofParliament

[@davidknight5348]

When you've been going for 1000 years or two, you develop some strange ways. As a Brit, it all looks normal to me.

[@francom1499]

@@John_D66 how much do you reckon this costs? Barely anything, it's not like people are being paid to specifically do this

[@wayneseex1595]

@@John_D66 Considering she is Head of State in 16 realms, the monarchy is a very cost effective system, as fifteen other countries don't have to have a president and all the costs associated with that. Extremely good value for money.

[@urchinnorton7632]

@@francom1499 in 2016 it cost £ 214,018.84 , I thought it would be more.

[@TheBeatleman66]

soo right mate, we've been under British PAX BRITTANICA since 1704 and long may it continue.

[@logan8638]

a complete waste... 60p annually, these people who say the monarch is a waste of monarch and cannot spare 60p a year are completely bonkers, even including how much money the monarch reimburses back into the economy in the form of tourism and charity initiatives

[@baraxor]

Some answers: 9:05 This is the box for the Diplomatic Corps (the foreign ambassadors). 10:20 The wigs are worn by the High Court judges: the top divisions of the court system, and usually lords themselves. 10:45 This is the Queen Victoria Memorial. 11:00 Buckingham Palace was built in stages; the oldest parts were part of Buckingham House (built by the Duke of Buckingham in the early 1700s); it was acquired by George III and then greatly enlarged in the 19th century by George IV, William IV and Queen Victoria. It was essentially completed by 1860. 12:40 Two different units of horse cavalry are represented...the ones with red cloaks are the Life Guards; the ones with blue cloaks are the Blues and Royals (themselves amalgamated from the Royal Horse Guards and the Royal Dragoons). Together they form the Household Cavalry, the Queen's mounted guards. They wear full dress uniform, which dates back to the 19th century in style. 13:30 The present ceremony dates to 1902, but elements of it go right back to medieval times, when the monarch attended Parliament in person and said essentially "this is what we're going to do, and I expect you to pay for it." 14:00 Yes, real gold leaf and hand-crafted construction. The carriages are works of art in themselves. 14:50 A thin layer of fine gravel. Less slippery for the horses than pavement. 17:45 The horses pulling the carriages are part of the Royal Mews, the department of the Royal Household responsible for transportation. They are first trained on the grounds of Windsor Castle before finishing going on to Buckingham Palace. The outriders in red are Mounted Grooms, also part of the Royal Household. The Household Cavalry is part of the British Army, and so have their own program for training and keeping horses. Most of the horses are kept at Buckingham Palace, and are used quite often because newly appointed ambassadors are carried to and from the Palace in carriages as well. Others are kept at Windsor Castle, both for training and to pull the carriages to the annual Royal Ascot horse racing meet. 19:00 This is Horse Guards, originally where the Household Cavalry was based (hence the name), but in the late18th century it became the headquarters of the War Office, the UK equivalent of the Pentagon. This whole area is on the site of the Palace of Whitehall (built originally by Henry VIII who'd seized Cardinal Wolsey's London house, and then built into a sprawling palace), which burned down in the late 1600s, and various government ministries were then built on the cleared ground. "Whitehall" is British jargon for the government apparatus in London. 23:30 The architecture of the House of Parliament is Neo-Gothic: designed in the early Victorian era and meant to suggest the days of "Merrie England" rather than of revolutionary Europe. 23:35 The Union flag atop Parliament is lowered, because the Royal Standard is then raised, signifying that the Sovereign is within the precincts of Parliament. It's the equivalent of the President's personal flag. 24:30 Peers who want to get the best seats--the ones closer to the front--may arrive several hours early. The Peers of the House of Lords wear Parliamentary robes, which they wore daily in Parliament until the 19th century, and now only on special occasions like this. The ones in the galleries without robes are invited guests. 25:08 This is the Mace, the symbol of the authority of the Speaker of the House of Commons. The Speaker of the House of Representatives in Washington DC also has a much simpler mace, which is placed upright on the rostrum. 26:03 Blank charges, but still producing smoke when fired. 26:55 Police detailed to guard Parliament. Medals are worn when the Sovereign is present, both by military and civilians. 28:28 The Imperial State Crown. Formerly, the Queen would wear it during this ceremony, but at her age it's probably now too heavy. Even so, it's carried before the Sovereign as the premier symbol of the monarchy. Note that even the lord carrying the crown bows to it as he moves away. (Side note: this is the Lord Great Chamberlain, the Marquess of Cholmondley, whose wife is the subject of nasty rumors connected with a certain high Royal). 29:02 The Queen gives the Royal Assent to all laws passed by Parliament. In theory she could also veto any bill...and with no way for Parliament to override it...but this hasn't been done for more than 300 years, as it would be a direct affront to the elected Parliament and thereby create a revolution. 29:28 This is actually a very important tradition: slamming the door of the House of Commons in front of the Usher of the Black Rod (the Queen's messenger), who has to knock three times to be admitted. This harkens back to when King Charles I entered the Commons to try to arrest five Members who'd displeased him, touching off the English Civil War. At the beginning of a new Parliament, the Commons Speaker has the Sovereign confirm the "undoubted rights and privileges" of the Commons, including freedom of speech in debate, which means that no one, not even the Sovereign nor her servants, can enter the chamber of the House of Commons while the House is sitting except by their permission. 31:00 Members speak to the House from their places, not from a lectern in the "well" like in the Capitol. Therefore, many microphones. And yes, Parliament televises the everyday proceedings of both Houses. 31:31 Invited guests and staff members. 32:20 The Lord High Chancellor (head of the Law Department) delivers the copy of the speech. Before the reign of James I, he would be expected to read the speech as the Sovereign's representative and keeper of the Great Seal (theoretically kept in that big purse), but later monarchs apparently thought it was more effective if they read the speech themselves. 35:25 "The Government", and "My Government" means the Prime Minister and Cabinet, intending to introduce bills for passage in Parliament. The Speech itself is written entirely by the Government, outlining its agenda for the current Parliamentary session. Although constitutionally similar to the U.S. State of the Union address, the Queen's Most Gracious Speech from the Throne (its formal title) is in contrast very brief and matter-of-fact, with very little editorializing, and of course no cheers or protests from the assemblage. During the Speech the Queen always pointed says, "Members of the House of Commons: Estimates for the public services will be laid before you", meaning that the Commons alone has the power to initiate financial supply/fiscal legislation. 36:00 Parliament consists of an elected lower house--the House of Commons--which has all of the real power in government, and an appointed upper house--the House of Lords--which mostly functions as a body to review and try to amend Commons proposals. The Prime Minister and Cabinet collectively (all members of which are members of one House or other of Parliament, almost all from the Commons, and all members of the party that has effective control of the Commons so as to pass laws) is the head of the executive branch of the UK government, and "advises" the Sovereign on the use of her powers. If the Queen did not follow that advice, the Government (big "G") would resign, presumably no party could muster enough votes in the Commons to form a new Government, and eventually either new elections would have to be called or money would run out and thereby crash the government (small "g") and likely the whole nation as well. 44:50 The Prime Minister is the Head of Government, while the Sovereign (the Queen) is the Head of State in the UK. In the U.S., the office of President combines both functions of Head of State and Head of Government. The "Westminster" system is also used in Canada, Australia, India, Ireland, New Zealand, and many other countries that evolved from the UK system, with a ceremonial Governor-General or President as Head of State, and a Prime Minister as Head of Government.

[@edx_dex]

great job!

[@virgo3136]

More people should like this

[@siyabongamchunu4342]

I commend thee...

[@AJDTONY]

Brilliant, thanks for posting this Baraxor

[@louisramosa]

Great explanations

[@lynneivison5773]

The older I get the more I like the stability and history represented by this elaborate drama. Long Live Her Majesty

[@joshuagarnham9703]

That’s the thing, it’s usually the young that complain about this type of thing but then they get older and realise how much it is part of our culture.

[@marycarver1542]

We Brits like to hold on to our thousands of years traditions. We are a modern democracy, but it is part of the charm and attraction that we preserve the historic in these matters.

[@widsof7862]

They missed the part where the door is slammed symbolically in the face of Black Rod, the lady who summoned the Commons, signifying the independence of the Commons. This goes back to the English Civil War which was fought between Crown and Parliament and following that the so-called Glorious Revolution

[@hublanderuk]

That is an important part of the state opening since the door closing on the Queen's message says the house of commons is in charge. You need to see the one the BBC do it tells you what is going on like the first carriages had the crown in.

[@thecollector75]

Yes I was waiting for the bit where the door is slammed in her face..... I hated all this tradition as a kid.... but as an adult I really appreciate history .... love all this stuff now

[@RB747domme]

And it needs to be made clear, that the Queen is not allowed into the House of Commons. So she delivers the speech from the Lords chamber. Technically, although it hasn't happened very often, the Queen can be invited into the house of commons but it is a very rare occurrence.

[@vanburger]

Whenever the Queen enters an important building her own flag is risen its called the Royal standard.

[@2faceonabudget57]

It's also worth noting that while the two flags of the Royal Standard (one for England, one for Scotland) are traditionally flown while the Queen is in residence, she also has Personal flags that may be used instead when she is in other areas of the Commonwealth. These all generally have in the centre a golden E with a crown placed above it on a blue background. In the Australian Personal flag this is placed in the middle of a seven pointed star with emblems of the six states surrounding it.

[@pollyparrot8759]

If you can find a video of it before 2016. The Queen still wore the Crown of State up until then but because it weighs over 2.5 kilos she is no longer strong enough to carry the weight on her head.

[@antonymash9586]

Kind of a metaphore dont you think?

[@Tarantio1983]

Also find one dating back to then so that you can hear Dennis Skinner making snide remarks to Black Rod!

[@pollyparrot8759]

@@antonymash9586 Not really no.

[@pauldodson3720]

You should also check out the Royal Marines beating retreat . And the Mountbatten festival of Music.

[@Gambit771]

@@antonymash9586 it isn't.

[@rowangillard3136]

fun fact: similar to the designated survivor, the night before the state opening of parliament, one MP is held hostage (gets a nice dinner and a very comfortable bed) in Buckingham palace and he is only returned when the queen returns to Buckingham Palace after giving her speech. This is because there is a historical supposed mistrust between the crown and the parliament and the palace need's to make sure the queen is safely returned.

[@yumyummoany]

Thank you, I didn't know that!

[@robertrobson4690]

I'm british i didnt even know this !!

[@mikewalsh6168]

@@robertrobson4690 Because its a complete myth

[@szabados1980]

@@mikewalsh6168 No, it isn't. Just look up State Opening of Parliament on Wikipedia and search for the phrase "parliamentary hostage".

[@PhilHarmonicus]

Thanks for this. Here are some answers to your questions: The island in front of the Palace is the Queen Victoria Memorial (known colloquially as the birthday or wedding cake). The rifles presented by the street-liners are the ones they use in combat, and are not ceremonial. The bells you can hear are being rung at Westminster Abbey. Bearskin caps are not at all heavy, being basketwork covered in bearskin (from Canadian bears). The lady in the coach with the Queen is Prince Charles's wife, Camilla. The union flag was lowered to make way for the Royal Standard, indicating the monarch is in residence. The big gold thing is the Mace, which indicates the Queens power in the chamber. The guns fire blanks. The crown is the Imperial State Crown; she used to wear it for the whole show, but it's quite heavy, so it's present on a cushion instead. Surprisingly, we have air conditioning in the UK; we have electricity too and even the Internet. Very large buildings such as the House of Lords (Peers) do not need a.c because they're cold enough already. The highest legislative body in the UK is the Queen in Parliament. As she's only there one day a year, all laws are taken to her to be signed. It would be unconstitutional for the monarch to refuse to sign. She may advise (very strongly) that proposed laws are amended before she signs them. If any government forced the issue, then the public would know and want to know why as Her Majesty's judgment is highly respected (far more than the government's!). The Queen's government is the party that won the general election. The government writes the Queen's speech. The Lords have red benches and the Commons have green. The Monarch is not allowed into the House of Commons because the last time the Sovereign told the Commons what to do, the people got a bit upset and chopped his head off. So they stay away now.

[@carlin9893]

👍😂... Give the man an.. A*

[@PhilHarmonicus]

@@craigmorris4083 Why? That would just make them heavier.

[@PhilHarmonicus]

@@craigmorris4083 The idea that a fixed bayonet indicates a loaded weapon is not the case in the UK, and I very much doubt it is in Canada either. Any military presence in the Cities of London or Westminster must have special dispensation for parading with "bayonets fixed and colours flying". When ammunition is dispensed, it has to be for a stated reason (street lining not being one of them), and signed out and back in again (whilst stating that you do not have any rounds that you have not handed over). Getting prepared for an occasion such as the State Opening of Parliament is complicated enough without having to queue up for ammunition before and after the parade.

[@craigmorris4083]

@@PhilHarmonicus, gee..did I not say several times that I did not know. And again, perhaps asking someone who is currently serving is the best thing. You, get factual information. I probably am wrong.

[@PhilHarmonicus]

@@craigmorris4083 Hey, steady on! Please don't take offence; none was intended. However, I'm aware of how incorrect statements about the Guards get propagated. I performed in the State Opening eight times in the 1970s and I doubt if things have changed much since, but if a serving member could contribute as you suggest, then we'd all be much the wiser.

[@charlestaylor9424]

The last time someone stepped out of the crowd and pointed a gun at the Queen what he saw was a ton of horse and guardsman charging at him, sword drawn.

[@martintabony611]

It was a Scots Guardsman that grabbed him, although he was entitled to use his bayonet, like a typical Jock, he pulled him to the ground and stamped on his head! :)

[@ladykaycey]

I remember that. I was a teenager at the time. They really were on the ball.

[@tSp289]

I'm mainly Welsh but do prize some Scottish heritage. When I flew back from Spain to Cardiff in 2007 the airport was in lockdown. I asked why, they said "some dickhead terrorist tried to blow up Glasgow airport" "That sounds like a dumb idea, did they get anyone?" "Nah, some fella set himself on fire to blow up a car bomb but a local pulled him out of the car, kicked him in the balls and lamped him" "Sounds about right"

[@ladykaycey]

@@tSp289 I'm in East Scotland (coincidentally my great grandmother moved up here from Wales and my brother married a Welsh woman and moved there 😀) and I remember that incident. Billy Connolly does an hilarious tale of his reaction to hearing about it on the news.

[@brucebartup6161]

hmmmm . . . . no. not really. kzbin.info/www/bejne/eIrIfp2ta9SEe9k

[@f0rth3l0v30fchr15t]

"What is the Queen's relationship with Parliament?" Well, let's just say that the Lord Chamblerain taking an MP hostage as surety for the monarch's safe return from Parliament is tradition more than necessity these days.

[@josephmckenna1228]

It’s so beautiful the way your objective is to gain knowledge by having a friendly chat. You have no divisive political axe to grind. Your channel is a joy. I’m glad I’ve found it. 🇬🇧🇺🇸🇬🇧

[@rowangillard3136]

The flag that is flying is the Queen's standard, the Houses of Parliament are a royal palace (technically) so, when the queen is there, the Royal standard must be flown.

[@joshuagarnham9703]

Not technically, the Crown owns the Palace of Westminster

[@joshuagarnham9703]

The state opening takes place in the House of Lords because the Queen is not permitted by law to enter the House of Commons. Usually they only use cars the carriages are broken out for state events. The people in the robes are the Lords, wealthy land owners with noble titles, the ones in usually clothes are their families. The statue outside the palace is the Victoria memorial dedicated to Queen Victoria. There are a lot of people that go to watch but most of them don’t care about the government they just go to see the Queen. The horsemen wearing red capes are the Life guards (called that because they guard her life) and the ones wearing blue/black are the blues and royals. They both make up the household Calvary which is one branch of the Household division. The big Sandy parking lot is the Horseguards parade, where the queens birthday celebration parade happens. The guards use real rifles here because when they are at trooping of the colour or the state opening parliament they are not there for a ceremonial purpose they are there to guard the Queen so they need real weapons. The flag is changed to the Royal Standard which denotes the presence of the monarch. The thing he was carrying into the commons was a mace, it’s one of the Crown Jewels, parliament cannot sit without it there, it’s job is to remind the commons that while they run the country the Queen is their boss. The Queen has absolutely heaps of power she just chooses not to use it. And we have BBC parliament.

[@ghughesarch]

most of the Lords are no longer wealthy landowners but political appointees - former MPs, various people drawn from other walks of life (though the appointment system is riddled with corruption).

[@BlameThande]

I was just going to say nobody could possibly answer all her questions in one comment, but you did a pretty good job!

[@sirderam1]

The military are there for purely ceremonial purposes. Nevertheless, they are all real armed forces personnel who may be deployed on active service. They carry the modern service rifle rather than an older ceremonial rifle to indicate that fact. For ceremonial occassions the rifles are not loaded. Security is in the hands of the police, many of whom will be carrying loaded weapons.

[@sirderam1]

The ceremonial Mace is a symbol that the Monarch has invested the House of Commons with the authority to propose legislation. Whenever the HoC sits as a legislative body the Mace is placed in position on the desk. Sometimes the HoC sits as a "Committee of the Whole House" to discuss matters not directly related to legislation. On those occassions the Mace is moved from its usual place down to two hooks on the front of the desk to indicate that the House is not at that time sitting as a law making body.

[@brucebartup6161]

The monarch has NO power over the Commons. The reason why the monarch is not legally alowed to enter the commons goes back to Charles I and Parliaments eventually kicking back against years of tyranny. Charles raided the treasury of silvrer to pay for his wars. just as one example (Parliament would have the power the purse normally) in many ways the entire opening ofParliament is a comemoration of our CONSTITUTIONAL government in which the Queen has NO power. She has influence, she has nominal power, but if she ever dared excercise it Parliament woukld vote her out of officce just like James II there swoukld be zero votes against. Remember Black Rod (Queen's messsenger) has the door to the Commons slammed in his face.

[@TarcFalastur]

Fun fact: you can actually tell the ranks of the members of the House of Lords from their robes (which date back to Medieval times, including the design). The robes with four "bars" on the back are for Dukes, 3 1/2 for a marquess, 3 for an earl, 2 1/2 for a viscount and 2 for a baron.

[@kierano8390]

@Carl Yellandoof you sound angry

[@aussieragdoll4840]

@@kierano8390 He (Carl) is probably jealous that he hasn’t received an Honour. Sour grapes on his part.

[@danielkrcmar5395]

@Chaz There's actuallylly 600 but only 92 or maybe 93 are Hereditary Peers. The traitors are the politically appointed Life Peers. To advance "democracy" we removed the power of the Lord's and very almost completely threw them out under Blair's reign of treason. The answer isn't to abolish the Lord's it's too empower the Hereditary Peers and remove the ability to politically appoint Life Peers. Return the Lords to how they were in 1905 and you'll solve a lot of the problems.

[@davidhoward2487]

@@danielkrcmar5395 100% agree..

[@danielkrcmar5395]

@AngloGirl85UK Democracy is overrated and by en large a delusion in order to placate the masses. Having a part of the government that isn't based on direct democracy is actually probably the best and most stable way to do it.

[@sheilanorton4783]

Thank you for taking an interest in our traditions and customs. The more we can understand each others customs and traditions the better we are able to understand each other

[@ianharvey8025]

I just love the fact that my head of state is always surrounded by shouting music gunfire and horses. We'll miss Her most Brittanic Majesty when she's gone....I hope that's a long way off but inevitably that awful day will come 😢

[@TheBeatleman66]

Tomorrow never comes

[@PhilHarmonicus]

The Queen is dead! Long live the King! (Not too soon though!)

[@kevsh4997]

God save the Queen ❤️❤️

[@traceymorris7300]

One word to describe this is tradition. It probably does look weird to you but quite normal for us here in The UK

[@themoviehobbit355]

This is real tradition so good !!

[@SkepticalSteve01]

@@themoviehobbit355 True. The insanely convoluted rituals surrounding the opening of Parliament may be weird to some, but each detail is a reminder of the long trek the British have taken from suffering absolute royal power, at the time of Magna Carta, through to the freedom and justice they enjoy today. In some ways I feel sorry for the Queen, having to turn up every year to participate in a ceremony designed to remind her of the sins of her ancestors, to warn her not to try any more funny business, and finally to rub it in by reading out a triumphalist political speech prepared by the people who really have their hands on the levers of power. How very humiliating for HRH! Luckily for her, the pay’s pretty good.

[@johnkemp8904]

@@SkepticalSteve01 Not HRH but HM.

[@SkepticalSteve01]

@@johnkemp8904 you know who I mean.

[@johnkemp8904]

@@SkepticalSteve01 Nice to give her her correct style though.

[@nigelhamilton815]

The guys with the robes are members of the house of lords, the scruffy gits in the suits are members of the commons. 😂

[@davidhoward2487]

Or as my bro. in Oz says the one with the haystack hair, and baggy suit...My. bro. was in the Household Cavalry...

[@phosphoros60]

"Scruffy gits in suits" is what I'll be calling the House of Commons from now on 😂

[@peterlyall2848]

I'm from Australia and I think those guys in red look like bunch of stupid assed clowns. You mean you take these fools seriously you know they ought lock em up in an insane asylum. .Come on Australia get your act together and make Australia a republic. Pete from Australia 👍

[@postie48]

@@peterlyall2848 Very few of the blokes in red are hereditary lords. Some are senior judges the rest are selected from the 'great and good' often being ex MP's and/or from backgrounds in public service. So you may need to get your foot out of your mouth.

[@sharonroberts4977]

Peter Lyall ....what Roger H said ......these Lords have worked for decades serving their country !!! In times of natural disasters , our Royal Family forever have your backs and our experts in rescue , are always offered to help you ......and not just you .....but everywhere throughout our Commonwealth of friends , AND throughout the World .......how can you forget that ?? Who are you asking for help with the threat from China right now ???? Who WILL come to your aid if the 💩hits the fan ??? WHO , remembers and treasures the memory of your ANZAC heroes every September 11th ? ......your country was given pride of place in the 75,year anniversary of DDay in South Sea !!!! You are a valued member of the Commonwealth and it would be a really sad day if you went Republican......to end up revering a leader who BUYS his way to the top every 4 years ?? No history , no pageant.......euch 🤢 Look at the U.S right now .....anarchy !!! Those rich a holes that are now hundreds of billions rich ???? That country now belongs to them ...... God help the common man over there 😳!!!

[@micheledix2616]

Love SoGals videos. So educational every time. Well done

[@markmilligan1462]

The "guests" are dignitaries from the colonial empire. This goes back longer than America as it is now existed Again, those buildings have existed before America as you know it existed. The horses are military and are used every day

[@ftumschk]

The wig wearers are "Law Lords" - and Ladies these days - distinguished judges who have been awarded Peerages, which entitles them to sit in the House of Lords. The statue outside Buckingham Palace is a memorial to Queen Victoria, and the golden figure on the plinth represents "Winged Victory".

[@jamesoakley4570]

Law Lords.....Law Lords.... rolls off the tongue

[@ebonyeyes1986]

The queen has so many powers she just chooses to not use them, she speaks with priminister every week

[@karazor-el9596]

Well she dose use them the police and courts get there power through her

[@sparkiegaz3613]

She has none,,,, we the people have the power and the House of Commons that we choose to put there,,,pomp and ceremony and a day out for the toffs

[@karazor-el9596]

@@sparkiegaz3613 you the people have none you the people can be jailed she can't be jailed

[@RB-747]

@@sparkiegaz3613 What you mean the House of Commons which determines who the Queen might ask to be PM rather than us? Yeah definitely sounds like we determine who the PM is.

[@themoviehobbit355]

@@sparkiegaz3613 😂 you people will do what the government/crown says Somthing called treason mate Loyal to queen and country They are serve the people but Will an iron fist God save the queen

[@michaelfoster5577]

The mounted soldiers with red capes are the Life Guards, those with blue capes are the Blues and Royals. These are the two cavalry regiments of the Household Division, which includes the Foot Guards as well (Scots, Irish and Welsh Guards, also the Coldstream and Grenadier Guards).

[@oliversherman2414]

I love your channel keep up the great stuff!!!!!!

[@hypersp3ce596]

You should definitely react to trooping of the colour. It's a ceremony for the Queens birthday. It's full of tradition and military parades. Love your content btw!

[@grahamtravers4522]

LOL " a big muddy parking lot". It's Horse Guards Parade. You SHOULD watch Trooping the Colour.

[@leofinkel491]

Yes!!

[@chrishumphreys2554]

So, essentially the Queen is reading out the government’s (she says “my government” because it’s official title is Her Majesty’s Government) legislative agenda for the coming parliamentary session. She is given the speech to read and doesn’t have any say in shaping it. The government of the day decides what is included. The speech takes place in the House of Lords which is the ‘unelected’ chamber of parliament. It’s made up of ‘peers’ who are either hereditary peers (their place was handed down from previous generations) or people who have held significant roles in society - lawyers, judges, clergy, former politicians, former senior military officers, notable academics etc. The Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition can put people in the House of Lords and once there, they remain until death or voluntary retirement. They have a say on legislation but can’t fully block it. Their role is described as revisionary. They are sat in robes and other ceremonial dress for this occasion. In contrast, the House of Commons is an ‘elected’ chamber. It’s members are elected politicians who represent ‘constituencies’ which are a bit like your congressional districts. They are referred to as MPs or ‘Members of Parliament’. They were the ones in suits who were summoned to come to the House of Lords (or House of Peers as its traditionally referred to in this setting). After this ceremonial occasion, both chambers (Lords and Commons) spend several days debating the contents of the speech and the legislative agenda for that session. By the way the bit gold thing they were carrying around is the ‘mace’ - it’s placed in the centre of the chamber when the Commons is in session. You also asked when the Prime Minister comes to the House of Commons. It varies, but each Wednesday at noon he takes part in a 30 minute session called Prime Minister’s Questions where MPs from all parties can ask him questions. It’s quite fiery (although I’d suggest watching one from pre-Covid when the chamber was full). He also comes to update the Commons on key events (following a summit with other global leaders for example) or to open the debate on key pieces of legislation. If you’re going to watch these ceremonial events then it would be a good idea to track down the BBC version because they will have very informative commentary which will answer many of the questions in real time. Here is a link to the 2019 Trooping the Colour (the ‘colour’ is the ceremonial flag of the regiment on parade that year by the way) with full BBC commentary which you may find interesting - kzbin.info/www/bejne/bHWqf6edebtliJo

[@arkroyalrifemoonbasealpha6101]

Every wednesday is Prime Ministers questions where he usually appears after a few brandies and proceeds to argue with anyone who will listen

[@pollyparrot8759]

You might be interested to know that Black Rod has the door slammed in his face, so that he has to knock on the door to the House of Commons to obtain entrance for the Queen. The reason for this is that Charles the 1st rode into the House of Commons and stopped Parliament from sitting. He literally took over the running of the country by force. Since then as a sign that the Monarch enters the HOC by invitation only.

[@petersmith4423]

The House of Commons Chamber is the one room in the country that the Monarch may never enter.

[@pollyparrot8759]

@@petersmith4423 Indeed 🙂

[@joshuagarnham9703]

Black rod is a woman.

[@pollyparrot8759]

@@joshuagarnham9703 You're right .... I'm showing my age I'd forgotten the last one had retired.

[@BlameThande]

My favourite part about this is they still have parliamentary records of what the Commons' response to Charles' invasion was - they immediately called a select committee to write up an angry response. The ultimate result was civil war of course, but that's a very Parliament thing to do!

[@eddhardy1054]

28:24...How dare you Madam! The Queen is not timid, she's reserved damn it! 🤣🤣🤣

[@bobbycrush5340]

The cheek of it.

[@eddhardy1054]

@@bobbycrush5340 I know, these damned colonials!

[@Maddie-ol5oc]

Absolutely. Practical treasonous behaviour

[@brucebartup6161]

Reserved my eye. Do you remember how she dealt with Obama that time he tried rt make a speech over the National Anthem? The 1,000 yared stare? Man if lookss could killl that would have ben one dead President. The Queen has hhe subtlety and grace to make everyone welcome with a smile and to crush those who take libertires with a slight froswn. Compoletely lost on American Presidrnts of course - no class. Walk softly and carry a big stick, you get a better deal with a smile and a gun rather than just a smile vs Stay still, smile when you want to reward someone, be impassive if you want to convey extreme displeasure, don't carrry a gun as your intentions may not be interpreted as peaceable. Don't intimidate, inform and advise. A British Diplomat is one who can tell an adversary to go to helll, but do it in such an honest and considersate manner that the enemy come back - to ask for direcctions

[@isiteckaslike]

SoGal, thanks for reviewing this. A State Opening of Parliament has basically happened since the 1500s, although the current ceremony dates from the 1850s. The union jack (flag) is lowered and the Queen's own flag is raised on top of Parliament to signify that she is in the building. The mace (the big sceptre thing) that they were carrying around is the symbol of the Queen's authority. It has to be in the House of Commons in order for the members of parliament to be able to discuss and pass laws. (There are also two, I believe, in the house of Lords). This is because the Government is the Queen's Government, which is why she kept referring to "My Government will do" this or that in her speech. She is the head of state of the UK, and the Prime Minister is exactly that. He/she is the Prime (or first/most important/powerful) minister in the land, and uses the powers delegated to them by the monarch. When we have public elections for MPs in the House of Commons (usually every 5 years) the leader of the winning party is then invited by the Queen to form a Government by choosing a certain number MPs from their own party to fill prominent positions. The most senior of these positions form the Cabinet, which is led by the Prime Minister. This is where the real, day to day, power lies in the country. Although the monarch still, theoretically, holds many powers, it has been a long standing tradition that they do not use them, and in fact stay out of politics completely, leaving that to her Government and the opposition parties. In fact if they were to use them rashly and start interfering in politics they are very much aware that the public would pretty quickly turn against them. The tradition is that the British monarch rules with the permission of the British people, sort of like a contract between the two, and not as an autocrat. The State Opening ceremony acts out the old tradition of the monarch coming to open and address both houses of parliament. She goes into and sits in the House of Lords (which is traditionally the senior house, because it is comprised of judges, bishops and Lords etc, although the main power now lies with the publicly elected House of Commons. Another name for Lords is Peers, which is why it was referred to also as the House of Peers.) Once the Queen is in the Lords, Black Rod (the person in black with a staff) then goes to the House of Commons. However, as they arrive at the door of the House of Commons it is always slammed shut in their face. This is to signify that although the Queen is monarch her power is not limitless - and stems from an incident which led up to our Civil War in the 1640s. In 1642 Charles I marched into parliament with an armed guard with a warrant to arrest five prominent members of the House of Commons. This lack of respect as to the hard won rights of parliament over the centuries led to a complete break down of trust between the King (plus his supporters) and Parliament, and thus set the country on course for our Civil War. So, in the State Opening ceremony the door is slammed in Black Rod's face to show that Parliament does not recognise the right of a monarch, or their representative etc, to just force or barge their way into the House of Commons. The statue outside Buckingham Palace is the Victoria Memorial (i.e the memorial to Queen Victoria). The people on horseback escorting the Queen's carriage are the Household Cavalry, and they are the Queen's official bodyguard. They are comprised of the two most senior regiments of the British Army: the Life Guards (the ones in red in front of the coach, who are the most senior) and the Blues and Royals (who follow behind the coach and are the second most senior regiment). Your assessment of the President being like a combo of our monarch and Prime Minister I think pretty much sums it up, which is probably why you limit the terms Presidents can serve to two, whereas we don't limit the number of times a PM can serve.

[@plcwecub]

I'm American and I watch this every year

[@stevefrost64]

The 'muddy parking lot' as you call it is Horse Guards Parade. Which is like calling The Washington Monument a big tall thing.

[@aurynlalor1366]

Yh. It's like the main parade ground.

[@moodfm5673]

not really lol

[@aurynlalor1366]

@@moodfm5673 what do you mean?

[@TheRevWillNotBeTelevised]

Hardly. Horse guards parade IS basically a muddy parking lot. The Washington monument is... err a monument to someone that founded a country.

[@johncurrie6693]

Horse Guards Parade is the official entrance to St James's Park and to Buckingham Palace. That is why the Household Cavalry are always on guard duty.

[@stumpy2000]

The colours of the mounted guards are the 2 different regiments of the Household Cavalry (The Life Guards in red and the Blues and Royals in the dark blue). Oh and I forgot to add, they are proper soldiers. They have a ceremonial role which you see here, but they are also armoured reconnaissance regiments who operate light tanks.

[@Maddie-ol5oc]

Yes, and many of the regiments most normally associated with ceremonial duties have actually deployed

[@stumpy2000]

@@Maddie-ol5oc Very much! Welsh Guards, Scots Guards and Blues & Royals all went south in 1982.

[@markcharlton9967]

She does have power, she still has to approve/authorise laws. She is the only person that can appoint/fire a Prime Minister. The Queen, in fact does have a lot of power. Available online for you to read.

[@micheledix2616]

SoGal you have asked so many great questions about this video

[@zarabada6125]

The ceremony has evolved over time but we have paintings from the 1500s that show scenes very similar to the modern ceremony. The ceremony of opening parliament goes back even further though to the 1300s but might have looked very different.

[@iankinver1170]

Well done for watching that without any narration. There is a lot you would need to know about British constitutional history to understand what was going on and why.

[@white-dragon4424]

You mean, well done for watching it all without falling asleep.

[@chrisbaldwin3609]

@@white-dragon4424 not the same without dennis skinner slagging black rod off

[@davidhoward2487]

@@chrisbaldwin3609 Oh yes!..And anyone else, remember Dodgy Dave?

[@chrisbaldwin3609]

@@davidhoward2487 haha yeah mate skinner was a star amongst proper wrong uns

[@charliemorris8153]

The area they go through on the horses to Parliament is where the household division cavalry is stationed but is also predominantly used for the Queen’s birthday parade

[@psychosoma5049]

I love the fact you're asking questions throughout x 🥰

[@slothkng]

That is the House of Lords because a) the queen can’t enter the House of Commons. It’s also red as opposed to green. As for the palace construction started in 1703

[@tallthinkev]

HM Queen can enter the House of Commons, if she wants to dissolve parliament

[@George-bb9kr]

@@tallthinkev That’s a very unlikely thing to happen though as it would probably cause a riot.

[@marcuswardle3180]

The Houses of Parliament, as we see it today, was started in 1840 and completed in 1860.

[@slothkng]

@@tallthinkev fair but I believe the last time that happened was in 1642...and it started a war

[@karazor-el9596]

@@George-bb9kr well who do the army swear to obey not government

[@jamescopeland8050]

Buckingham palace was built back in the 1700s, it was commissioned by the Duke of Buckingham, and later it was purchased by the sovereign as a gift to his wife and became known as the "Queen's palace". Since then it has passed through generations of monarchs.

[@neilbuckley1613]

Most of the present building dates from a re-building in the 1820's for George IV, designed by John Nash.

[@YorkshireScottASMR]

Queen victoria was the first monarch to live at Buckingham palace.

[@jamesmaclennan4525]

@@neilbuckley1613 Which incidentally almost bankrupted The Monarchy and resulted in the Crown Estates being managed by the Government.

[@robbuckman3795]

The original building was a country house called 'Bucks House' and owned by the Duke if Buckingham. The purchase came with a strong suggestion from the King that it would be wise of the Duke to sell it to him. Part of the original Bucks House still exists and incorporated into the new palace. (R.D.Buckingham - Family history)

[@ricequin]

The flag that was raised is the Royal Standard which is flown when the Regent is in the building. It’s only over Buckingham Palace when The Queen is there.

[@Jackosaurus117]

Really interesting to see people react to our traditions etc. You should check out the London 2012 Olympics Opening Ceremony if you haven't already

[@jakequinnell5917]

Ah I wish you found a video with commentary as there are so many historical details they explain which would have given you a much deeper insight.

[@SoGal_YT]

Yeah, I didn’t come across one. Still learned a lot though! Perhaps I’ll watch it again next year with commentary if I can find it.

[@CARLOS62B]

@@SoGal_YT ... The BBC is The Only channel to watch Royal Events because you would get a wealth of information on Everything happening.

[@TheJamesvgnr]

You'd have been better -off sourcing the BBC footage.They usually provide a running commentary,and would have answered alot of your questions.

[@SoGal_YT]

Didn’t see that particular version, unfortunately. Also didn’t know there was a version with commentary.

[@CARLOS62B]

@@SoGal_YT Try watching BBC AMERICA ... it covers most of the stuff that happens in the UK.

[@BlameThande]

@@SoGal_YT I was also going to recommend doing that, but it might get copyright claimed. You doing this full raw footage version from the Telegraph did at least mean you saw the whole thing though!

[@lewismackay9533]

The best analogy for the PM's position in the UK would be he is the CEO but the Queen is the owner. She does not run and manage things he handles those duties but she still owns the country.

[@robstafford8306]

Great to watch your take on this event. The military on the horses are the various regiments of the ‘Queens bodyguard’. When they are not on ceremonial duties they are part of the British Army’s line of battle.

[@timdyer5326]

Queen does a big job. Marvelous for her age.

[@francisheperi4180]

@Michael Shaughnessy Hee hee

[@wayneseex1595]

Yes, the House of Commons will now discuss the Gracious Speech, as the Queen's Speech is referred to in parliamentary language. And yes the US President combine the roles of Head of State (our Queen's role) and Prime Minister (Head of the Government). The advantage of a monarch is that she is impartial. It would be a good idea if the US President had to have a weekly meeting with 'Uncle Sam' (or some such figure who truly represented all the American people, as the Queen does the British) and be held to account in this way.

[@suejames6808]

I really enjoy how you comment and react to our mystifying ceremonial occasions..... very kind but amazed at the same time.....we just absorb all the meanings and significance as we grow up....,and are secretly proud of how everything is done so perfectly.....The Queen is our stability...and above politics....and she is a revered figure who when only 25 yrs old dedicated her life this country and service to all the people.....and she has kept her word magnificently.... all of your questions seem to have been answered well by so many others!!!.....keep your vlog going.....it’s great 👍👍🇬🇧🇺🇸 sue (uk)

[@mikewalsh6168]

The Monarchy is not revered by everybody mate. There is a growing minority who wish for a republic

[@acaseof]

When Her Majesty arrives at Parliament, the Union Flag was lowered and was replaced by the Royal Standard. The Royal Standard is flown above any building where the Queen is present.

[@markwilliamson2864]

The Queen does technically have a lot of power but the government works in a way that she doesn’t have to use any of her powers, as doing so would be divisive and embarrassing. It would take a massive failure of statecraft for the Queen to have to make a political decision and this would mean resignations in the government.

[@TheRevWillNotBeTelevised]

Translation: The Queen is the most powerful woman in the world - she just chooses not to use it.

[@pollyparrot8759]

The red coats, black coats etc are all different regiments of the Queen's Guard. The horses are military horses and are kept in the Royal Mews or Barracks.

[@sirderam1]

Although performing ceremonial duties here they are all real serving soldiers. If deployed on active service they would "ride" various armoured fighting vehicles appropriate to the task, up to and including Main Battle Tanks.

[@pollyparrot8759]

@@sirderam1 Indeed they are .... I should perhaps have mentioned that too.

[@richardselbyfoster1388]

@@pollyparrot8759 ...I'm guessing you are not a Brit. They are "The Guards" - nobody here calls them "the Queen's Guards"....five regiments in all...Coldstream, Grenadier, Scots, Irish and Welsh...with four deployed on active service and the other doing "ceremonial duties" at any one time. Although if there was serious trouble the red coats would disappear and they would re-appear in full fighting kit pdq. The Barracks are pretty much next door to the Palace...

[@pollyparrot8759]

@@richardselbyfoster1388 Wrong, I am a Brit and I referred to them as the Queen's Guards as this is a term understood by Anericans where just saying The Guards may not be.

[@postie48]

I think it worth saying both the Queens Guard (including the cavalry - although they use armoured vehicles etc. these days) and the sailors are real servicemen and not ceremonial. Some of the blokes on horses were policemen in uniform. And yes the Queen and some of her forebears have been attacked during various ceremonial events.

[@richardbillington9373]

Built as the Buckingham House in 1703, the palace was originally constructed by English Gentleman and architect William Winde as a large townhouse for Duke Buckingham. In 1761, King George III bought the property as a private residence for Queen Charlotte, earning it the title The Queen's House.

[@shukriabshir1033]

MEASURES WILL BE BROUGHT FORWARD TO SUPPORT AND STRENGTHEN THE NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE. GOOD ONE YOUR MAJESTY!!

[@stevemattiussi]

I loved your commentary and all your questions. Very interested in learning about other traditions, very respectful. First of your videos I've watched, and it thoroughly enjoyed it! I'm from Canada, and we have a similar tradition when Parliament is opened that we inherited from our time as a British colony. It's called the Throne speech, rather than the Queen's speech, because the Governor General of Canada opens Parliament on behalf of the Queen, and sits on the throne that is located in the Senate chamber when they do it. Although the Queen has opened Parliament herself in the past when she visited Canada. We also have our Members of the House of Commons come to the "upper house", which as I mentioned in Canada is the Senate. We have honour guards, the Governor General's standard is raised above Parliament when they arrive. It's very much the same, just not as fancy as the British state opening of Parliament.

[@marycarver1542]

I worry that Americans think that modern British life includes carriages, robes and headresses ! These are SPECIAL and traditional occasions ! The people in the robes are the Peers of the House of Lords. They are usually people who have have been Members of Parliament in the House of Commons who have retired and are honoured ( by no means all of them) by being appointed to the House of Lords which is the second chamber. Their job is to scrutinise the laws proposed by by the elected House of Commons, but they have no power, although they can mess up the passing of new laws by objecting. The statue in front of the Palace is a statue of Queen Victoria. Under all the flummery and tradition, which we love, the UK is a very modern, vibrant democracy, but the keeping up the traditions are what tourists love.

[@Glund117]

The Queen still has great power, she just doesn't use it

[@evar7816]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/rZqndKqnpdqjoJo

[@Skippy19812]

The queen is commander and chief of the armed forces, so she could easily take the country to war if she wanted. All she'd have to do is stick a pin in the map, say "I want that one," and it's the British Empire all over again. The only caveat is that she has to "seek the advice of parliament," before officially declaring war, but she is also free to completely disregard that advice if she chooses. The armed forces swear an oath to "queen and country," so if there is a disagreement between the crown and state the military will side with the crown by default. To be honest, I'd rather we didn't have a queen, but I'm glad we've got the queen we have. Of all the royals in history Elizabeth II is probably the most stable (least insane) monarch there has ever been. Frankly, we could do a lot worse.

[@barneylaurance1865]

@@Skippy19812 Maybe. The military have sworn an oath but people can and do break oaths, so it's possible the military would refuse to obey orders they saw as illegitimate. And the military can't function indefinitely without civilian support - they don't grow their own food or manufacture their own boots or guns.

[@mrh678]

@@barneylaurance1865 What makes you think no boot makers or farmers would side with the Royalists? 😁

[@Glund117]

@@Skippy19812 she wouldn't even have to do that she can disband parliament and take direct rule and can size any land she wants amongst other things

[@brian9731]

As I type this, there are 1,800 comments, so someone may already have said this - our Supreme Court in it's exact current form is quite new. The highest court in the UK and the final court of appeal used to be referred to as "The House of Lords", not all of them but a small group of them known as the "Law Lords". They are appropriately qualified judges etc who have also been appointed as lords. (The way someone becomes a lord or lady in the first place is a whole other can of worms.) These Law Lords have changed the way they operate in the last 20 years or so and have re-formed into a body called the Supreme Court. When the UK was still in the European Union (EU), there was also the European Court of Justice to appeal to if the UK Supreme Court did not resolve a case to the satisfaction of the people involved. They no longer hold jurisdiction but there will be ongoing cases because they often take years to resolve and we only relatively recently did Brexit. And finally, there is the European Court of Human Rights which is NOT an EU body but is in fact Pan-european, meaning that many countries in geographical Europe which are not in the EU, like the UK now, have agreed to to be bound by its decisions but this comment is already really long and I'm now right at the end of my knowledge of such things. Edit - so I found this on Wikipedia and am pasting it here to correct what I said above: The ECJ is the highest court of the European Union in matters of Union law, but not national law. It is not possible to appeal against the decisions of national courts in the ECJ, but rather national courts refer questions of EU law to the ECJ. However, it is ultimately for the national court to apply the resulting interpretation to the facts of any given case. Although, only courts of final appeal are bound to refer a question of EU law when one is addressed. The treaties give the ECJ the power for consistent application of EU law across the EU as a whole. And also, this on the European Court of Human Rights which has 47 "contracting states", way more than the 27 countries in the EU: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Court_of_Human_Rights?wprov=sfla1

[@alangriffiths3360]

I meant to put:- all the questions you ask can be answered on the internet.

[@steved6092]

The Palace of Westminster was built in the year 1016 and demolished after a fire in the early 1800's ... rebuilt in the Perpendicular Gothic Revival style

[@karazor-el9596]

The great hall is 9th century

[@MrBulky992]

@@karazor-el9596 If you are referring to Westminster Hall, it does not go back as far as the 9th century. The Palace itself was not built until the early to mid-11th century and Westminster Hall, one of the few palace buildings to survive the fire of 1834, was added in the late 11th century during the reign of the second Norman king, William Rufus.

[@ianroper2812]

Parts of the palace does still exist, although you wouldn’t know. Parts of the Cabinet Office, behind Downing Street and also King Henry’s Wine Cellar of the palace still exists under MOD Main Building. And Queen Mary Steps to the River Thames are still there on the embankment side of MOD Main Building.

[@MrBulky992]

@@ianroper2812 No, none of those structures you mention were part of the Palace of Westminster: they are, like the Banqueting House in Whitehall, all that is left of a completely different palace - the Palace of Whitehall - first mentioned in 1532 and becoming the principal royal residence after the royal apartments in the Palace of Westminster were destroyed by fire in 1512. Parts of the pre-1834 Palace of Westminster which still do exist are the crypt chapel of St Mary Undercroft beneath St Stephen's Hall with the adjacent cloisters above ground; and the Jewel Tower, just across the road from the main palace, along from Westminster Abbey, and close to where the broadcasting media camp out when reporting the news from Parliament.

[@KiatHuang]

Lived here for 50+ years and never watched the opening of parliament, yet I do so now by chance and courtesy of this young American's KZbin channel. Nice reaction vid. An historic Queen's speech confirming Brexit.

[@marvinc9994]

The 'Queen's relationship with Parliament' ? THESE days, one of being mightily pissed off with the (largely) useless buggers in both Houses, I imagine ! BTW: the supreme _legislative_ authority in the UK vests not merely in 'Parliament' as such, but in 'The Queen-in-Parliament'. Her speech here is written for her by the Government of the day - and any PRIVATE reservations she may have about any of its contents are KEPT 'private' (save between herself and the PM): it is in THIS sense that Her Majesty REIGNS..................but does not RULE. Ours is a CONSTITUTIONAL Monarchy - and has been so for a long time. She is, nonetheless, the Head of State of the United Kingdom - and - unlike in America - neither belongs to nor supports any political party. True - no-one voted FOR her, but by the same token, no-one voted AGAINST her ! There's much to be said for such an arrangement IMHO: the dirt and nastiness of Politics should be left to..................politicians, none of whom can ever be said to 'represent' the ENTIRE nation. Just sayin'...................

[@alangriffiths3360]

All the questions you ask can be answered on you tube.

[@Neil_BT]

One of the MPs, Dennis Skinner, was renowned for making sarcastic comments when black rod comes in, which sadly they cut out in this one, but I believe he said "I'm not going." He wasn't re-elected in 2019 sadly, but here's some of his 'greatest hits'. kzbin.info/www/bejne/hoTbfZmPeJl1jLs

[@TheRevWillNotBeTelevised]

It's the Torygraph. Of course they cut it out.

[@tima6451]

When the queen sets foot on Parliament grounds a gun salute occurs. This is done by a soldier who looks through a hole in the floor above the arch where the carriage pulls up. As she puts her foot down he then sends a radio message to a gun team who ceremonially fire a cannon

[@marycarver1542]

Parliament sits every day. At noon on a Wednesday there is Prime Ministers Questions when Members of Parliament question the PM on ongoing matters, The House of Commons contains members of several political parties, the largest being Conservative and Labour, but also the various members of the other nations N. Ireland, Scotland and Wales, all wanting to ask questions regarding their country as well as general questions. The pomp and ceremony, costumes worn by the members of the House of Lords etc. are simply historic, all onl y h appen once a year, We protect and continue the history. The rest of the time none of this goes on. Ordinary clothes are worn, no one arrives in carriages! and HM the Queen is not involved although she does receive, every single day a Red box with the details of the happenings in Parliament which she always reads so she always knows whats going on.

[@coolgareth101]

I know I'm late to comment, and I haven't read through all of the comments so far, but let me try to clear up the "my government" mystery. The Prime Minister belongs to a party that is able to "command the confidence of the house," meaning get a majority of members of the House of Commons to support the bills he brings forward. The party he heads is called, formally, "Her Majesty's Government." That faction of the House of Commons is what the Queen means by "My Government." The second largest faction in the House of Commons is called "Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition." It tries to show the public that it would make a better government than the current one. The reason I know this, although I'm not British, is that the Canadian parliament works the same way. Rather than have a "Queen's Speech" laying out the government's plan, though, we have a "Throne Speech," where her representative, the Governor General, lays out the government's plan.

[@pollyparrot8759]

The ones in the red robes are the Lords ... they are Peers of the Realm and are members of the House of Lords. They wear their robes at all ceremonial events, otherwise they wear normal clothing. The ones in suits are members of the House of Commons.

[@mattclayson3683]

There were also Commonwealth High Commissioners present - they were the ones sat on the Spiritual side (to The Queen's right) in national dress. High Commissioners are invited because of The Queen's role as Head of the Commonwealth - priority is given, I believe, to the 15 other Commonwealth Realms, of which Her Majesty is also head of state (such as Jamaica, Canada, Belize and Australia). Also amongst the Peers of the Realm, seen chatting to the judges, were the Lords Spiritual - 26 bishops from the Church of England (the holders of the 'Five Great Sees' - the Archbishops of Canterbury and York and the bishops of London, Durham and Winchester - along with the 21 next-most senior diocesan bishops by date of original episcopal consecration). The Lords Spiritual are full members of the House of Lords - they sit there by right due to the position of the Church of England. The be-wigged people sat on the Woolsack (a literal sack of wool!) are the Justices of the Supreme Court and certain other senior judges. The Justices of the Supreme Court wear black robes with gold edging and no wigs, the other judges wear wigs.

[@donaldb1]

"My Government", in the ceremony, is supposed to mean literally that it's her government. The government are her servants. In your terms, the Government is the Administration, the executive branch. Parliament (Lords and Commons) is like your congress (Senate and House), the legislative branch. But, as has been said by others here, she hasn't written this speech and neither does she have any say in what goes into it. It's the office of the Prime Minister that writes the speech, as something like an advertisement for what they want to do (or at least want to say they're going to do).

[@davidhoward2487]

Yes they draft she approves..

[@francisheperi4180]

This is quite an entertaining idea and you've attracted a lot of informative comments from which I have learnt so much too. You'll find that the English are very good at saying what they mean that is clearly understood and in full sentences. Subd. from one of 'her' colonies.

[@jacobtyler1145]

It is called a mace it is put in position every time the house of parliment is in session basically every day apart from weekends.

[@watfordjc]

It is a bit more than that. The House of Commons cannot perform its functions (sit, debate bills, etc.) if the mace is removed. If an MP removes the mace (Lloyd Russell-Moyle, John McDonnell, etc.) they can be suspending from sitting as punishment (their punishments were the rest of the day, and 5 days, respectively). Before that was decided in law, the Serjeant at Arms on occasion would take it when serving a summons/warrant because the mace is imbued with the power (royal authority) of the House... and potentially bludgeon someone to death with democracy if they didn't do as ordered. That rule is a bit of a shame, really... the Serjeant at Arms would've been a lot more menacing holding a giant shiny weapon when serving the summons on the guy with the Facebook papers. The Lords have an equivalent mace representing the royal authority granted to the chamber, which is also needed to sit/debate/etc. except (a) when in committee (same for the Commons' mace), and (b) when the monarch is in attendance. The House of Representatives also have a mace made out of silver (they used a wooden one temporary after the previous one was destroyed in the fire), although I'm not sure if the Sergeant at Arms "presenting the mace" restores order because of the reverence held for it or because of what could happen after the "preliminary warning" of presenting it - them eagle wings could take out an eye.

[@untruelie2640]

There are also commented (BBC) versions, were they explain all the small rituals, like how the Black Rod has to knock three times on the door of the House of Commons as a symbol of the autonomy of Parliament. The commentary is really helpful. :)

[@susanashcroft2674]

The Royal Standard flag was raised to show The Queen was in residence there for the opening of parliament.

[@widsof7862]

The speaker of the Lords sits on a wool sack, from when wool was an important part of trade.

[@Remnants100]

The "Big muddy parking lot" (Bless you) is called 'Horse Guards Parade' where the annual 'Trooping of the Colour' ceremony is carried out to honour the Queens official Birthday. - The troops on the horses dressed in Red with White plumes on their headdress are members of the Life Guards Regiment. The troops dressed in the Dark Blue (with the Red plumes on their headdress, are members of the Blues & Royals. Both the Life Guards and the Blues & Royals regiments combined, form the Queen's Household Cavalry.

[@ryanfrancis827]

Woah, thanks for featuring my comment! I think there’s some videos on how the Commons works on a channel called TLDR Keep up the great content! :)

[@Rschaltegger]

Oh you would gonna like a Trooping of the Colour...thats the full blow British Pageantry. Red Scarlet Tunics, Horses and Artillery. The White horse is in the Household Cavalry Regiments the "Buglar". He needed to be seen by the CO to signal Orders to the Troops. The Red and Blue "Capes" denote the Cavalry Regiments of the Household Cavalry. Red are the Life Guards, the Senior Regiment formed in the mid 17th Century to form a Body Guard for the Exile Charles the later Charles the 2nd. The Blue ones are the Blues and Royals Regiment. They are on parade distinct by Uniform but are since many years on Formation. Also, the Life Guard (the red ones) form the direct escort to the sovereign's carriage, directly in front and the Blues and Royals escort in the rear. The Arial shot at 11:46s from Buckingham Palace you see a long white building in the right bottom corner of the frame. That's Wellington Barracks home of the Guard Regiments (Foot) that are based in London. The Monument beside the open place is the Guards Memorial, dedicated to fallen Guard (Foot) since WW1, and the Place is Horse Guards Parade. The HQ for all Army Units in the district of London...and for Centuries the HQ for the entire British Army. Lord Wellington had his office there as Field Marshall of the Army. The fancy red-ish looking building is the old Admiralty building...yep seat of Power of the Royal Navy. Or rather was. Now something els in inthere.

[@23valleyroad]

bravo bravo bravo love what you do and your reaction to British Life x

[@donkeybollocks389]

You question who Her Majesty is referring to when she talks about “Her Government” whichever Party wins a General Election, the leader of that Party has to visit Her Majesty to be invited to form a Government in Her Name. Her Majesty has the power to dissolve Parliament and thereby force an Election. She is also Head of the Armed Forces. I was in the Royal Marines and Swore an Oath of Allegiance to Her Majesty the Queen Her Heirs and Successors. Which means what she says goes, we are swore to protect the Crown not the Government. Her Majesty has I lot of power even to this day, but she chooses not to exercise those powers.

[@lilyliz3071]

You did the right pick,and I like Rogers bearskin ,very dignified for the occasion

[@ianprince1698]

perhaps he will say MAKE WAY FOR THE QUEEN!

[@eziosalimbeni6325]

Honestly, best ceremony of all time, no cap

[@joshuagarnham9703]

You should watch the queens coronation mate.

[@eziosalimbeni6325]

@@joshuagarnham9703 well, that may be the only one that tops it

[@MrNathanDJNGGiles]

"We would never do anything like this" Give it another 700 years you probably will.

[@SaulDancelearner]

Sorry, time stamp error 29:00 is Black rod.

[@terryjeisman7550]

The red capes are the life guards regiment, the blue are the blues and royals and together they are the household cavalry.

[@DrumsTheWord]

You asked all the right questions. Superb content and commentary from you, as usual.

[@walboyfredo6025]

There were so many questions that not relevant!

[@realdomdom]

If any of you knew the history of christianity, the answers to most of those questions could have been concluded easily.

[@DrumsTheWord]

@@realdomdom Shhhh...adults speaking.

[@hyperdog4565]

@@walboyfredo6025 how else are you supposed to learn, you need to ask questions.

[@darrena5384]

The large golden ‘stick’ you were asking about represents the Royal authority to which the parliament has power. It represents the Queen basically (dumbed down explanation for simplicity)

[@LightxHeaven]

Parliament cannot legally sit or make laws without the Royal Mace being present in the chamber.

[@thimbur3543]

The Mace, dating from the reign of Charles II.

[@barneylaurance1865]

@@LightxHeaven Right - because parliament theoretically consists of the three entities of Monarch, Lords and Commons. If you look at the beginning of an Act of Parliament you'll see that laws are made on behalf of the three acting together.

[@brian9731]

The Houses of Parliament - or the Palace of Westminster as the whole complex is correctly known - is undergoing a massive refurbishment which has already been going for some years and will continue for a few more years. At some point, everyone will have to move out into temporary spaces for the structural works affecting the actual chambers. The building still looks amazing apart from the scaffolding and the big white covers but it will be even better when work is complete. You were right about the route they took from Buckingham Palace to Parliament - they did take a short cut through a government building complex. The regular public street driving route is only about 5 minutes without traffic.

[@h.o.w6658]

Walls the land in which the palace is built upon it has been owned by the monarchy for thousands of years the palace itself is about 900 years old whilst it has been renovated and extended throughout the years

[@chrisbovington9607]

SoGal, if you weren't asking so many questions this would be a very boring reaction video. Your curiousity makes it interesting. Plus, you ask a lot of questions that I never even thought to ask and that is fascinating.

[@walboyfredo6025]

Chris there were too many irrelevant question "is that bells ringing in the background" "who looks after the horses" " How heavy the hats?" "what are the markings on the road?" Silly questions!

[@liamdancer8531]

this is a great ceremony, love it. glad you did the last one because it really shows all the pomp and pageantry :)

[@philiphawley2915]

Take a note our American friends. Q anon would not penetrate that security.

[@bobbell4461]

The grey horses are known as the Windsor Greys and the bay horses are a rare breed called the Cleveland Bays which originate in Yorkshire

[@austinclark6451]

as much as people say she is a ceremonial role the queen actually has quite a lot of power, although she wont exercise it to stay in the favour of the people, her power in essence is the ability to dissolve parliament, declare war and other major decisions that would require debate if it were proposed by parliament, this raises the questions of if there would be a civil war between the crown and parliament this wouldn't be able to occur because all of the armed forces swear an oath of loyalty to the queen, she is also essentially above the law, she doesn't need a driving licence to drive and if she wanted to, could commit any crime she liked and not be prosecuted for it, this is because all of the courts in the country serve the crown and not the government eg "Crown Prosecution Service", she may seem like she has no power but that is only because she doesn't exercise it, and tries to remain Apolitical as much as possible.

[@Frank-mm2yp]

No monarch after Charles I would ever use the "I am above the law" excuse for any serious criminal offense. He tried it and it all ended in tears -and a beheading. Lesson learned...

[@austinclark6451]

@@Frank-mm2yp it doesn't matter whether they would use it or not, the queen probably wouldn't dissolve parliament or declare war on another country at a moments notice buts its still within her power just like being above the law is, she still an immensely powerful woman.

[@charlestaylor9424]

In Brussels there is a tall door in a building with a door knocker 10 feet off the ground so a mounted soldier can knock to gain entry.

[@zaftra]

That's not even the posh coach, the posh one is called the 'Golden coach', but the Queen doesn't like riding in it.

[@susanashcroft2674]

I believe it's not the comfiest to sit in and does a lot of swaying as I'm sure they all do.

[@davidjones332]

That's the State Coach

[@t.a.k.palfrey3882]

Parliament used to include the King, and there are records going back to Alfred in the 10th century. The bewigged guys are justices of the High Court (similar to Federal District Courts in status). Parliament used to be held in Winchester (until 1066) and then at Westminster Abbey Chapter House, until the Palace of Westminster was built (Parliament building). The official base of the Crown is the Palace of St James, and so ambassadors to the UK are officially said to be, for eg, the US Ambassador to the Court of St James. The normal residence of HM is at Windsor Castle. Buck Palace only became the London residence in the 1830s, and today is mostly the offices of the Crown, where HM lives Mon-Fri for about half the year, spending summer in Scotland, and Christmas & Easter at Sandringham. Good video. Thx.

[@johnkemp8904]

I may have missed it, but I did not hear any reference to how ‘modern’ it is to have a female Black Rod. One our our distinguished WW2 generals, Lt-Gen Sir Brian Horrocks held this position for several years and said that it was (then) always to be filled by ‘a gentleman famous in blood and arms’, that is a General, Admiral or Air Marshal. Black Rod addresses Mr Speaker but SoGal seems a little surprised because she immediately says ‘They don’t have a Speaker?’ I fear he was lost in the editing.

[@DruncanUK]

2 interesting points you might like to know: 1: Before the ceremony begins, the cellars beneath Parliament are searched for explosives to prevent another Guy Fawkes style gunpowder plot happening. 2: Also before the ceremony, one member of Parliament, usually the Vice-Chamberlain, is taken "hostage" and held to ensure the safety of the Monarch until she leaves Parliament again.

[@zGnTHOR]

The Queens relation to parliament is that she allows it to open, and she has the power to dissolve it. When a PM wins a general election and has a majority in the house, he travels to the queen informing her of his majority and asks for permission to form a parliament.

[@chrisstreet6827]

The building at 23:30 is the Palace of Westminster. The Elizabeth Tower houses the Great Clock, and the bell of the Clock is what is correctly called "big Ben". In this video you cannot see the Clock well because the tower at the top of the picture is surrounded by scaffolding for renovation. The entire building is built in Gothic Revival style. The Union Flag was lowered because the Queen arrived, as soon as she occupies any of her Palaces then the Union flag is struck and the Royal Standard is raised to show that the monarch is is residence.

[@MrSwifts31]

The Queen normally wears The Imperial State Crown(on the cushion near her) but as she is quite old it was considered now to be too heavy,she is wearing a crown,or more correctly a circlet,that was made for the Coronation of King George IV,in 1821.

[@cjrecio5702]

35:20 When she says “My Government” she’s talking about the government led by the Prime Minister.

[@johndare3576]

The Prime minister is Head of Government whilst the. Queen is Head of State.

[@barneylaurance1865]

Right. And the government consists of roughly 100 ministers, who the PM choose and change at any time. They generally all come from the same party as the Prime Minister - unless that party isn't strong enough to govern alone and has to go into coalition with another party. They have to be members of parliament - either the House of Commons or the House of Lords. Normally mostly from the directly elected house of commons.

[@barneylaurance1865]

She says "My Government" because like many things in the operations of the UK state it's all done nominally on behalf of The Queen. But following hundreds of years of tradition the queen acts following very specific conventions about what to do, or doing exactly as 'advised' by the Prime Minister. The text of the Queen's Speech is controlled by the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister is nominally selected and asked to from a government by the Queen - but the convention is that she has to select the person most likely to "command the confidence of the house of commons". So if any party has an outright majority of seats in the commons then the leader of that party is asked to become PM and form a government.

[@barneylaurance1865]

Criminal prosecution are also mostly done in the name of The Queen, by the Crown Prosecution Service, CPS. I believe in the US they're done in the name of 'the people'.

[@georgehope5341]

She says My Government because that is what it is. By convention She appoints the leader of the largest group of MP;s to be First(prime) Minister of her Government and they govern Her Subjects on Her behalf. When politicians, Judges, the Armed forces etc. take the oath of office they swear allegiance not to the Country but to the Queen.