Tuesday 17 September 2013

State openings of parliament

Once upon a time, only kings called parliaments.  And it was kings.  One of the problems the girls who wanted to rule had was that no one believed they'd be able to keep all the men who took part in those parliaments in order.  Wherever the king was, you came to him and usually packed quite a bit of cash before you left as he invariably wanted more taxes to pay for war/ new wife/ combination of the two.  Nowadays, the official role of a monarch at a state opening of parliament remains but while, as in the UK, the Queen may outline what her government plans to do, what those plans are and getting on with them are left to the people her fellow citizens elected to govern them.  Kings and queens may still wear the crowns but the power has definitely passed to the people.

 
Queen Elizabeth II about to read the speech from her throne that marks the beginning of the opening of parliament's new session in the UK
 
Today will see both the Swedish and Dutch kings head off to their respective parliaments to oversee the opening of new sessions of the elected houses.  Whereas their forebears might have had a direct say in government, in modern times their role is centered on advice and for the big events today, the royal families will have very different degrees of ceremonial to take part in.

 
The golden carriage that takes the Dutch monarch to the official opening of parliament will have a new occupant this year as Willem-Alexander rides to the event as king for the first time
 
King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima have the more extravagant event ahead of them.  They will arrive at the Dutch parliament in the golden coach with full compliment of footmen before the king makes a speech to open his first parliament.  Then a second carriage procession will take them back to the royal palace of The Hague afterwards before a balcony appearance.  The whole Swedish royal family will head off to a special service at Stockholm Cathedral ahead of their parliament's new session opening before taking part in ceremonies there to mark the beginning of the new session of the Riksdag.  And in a nod to traditions of old, the dress code for the royals on this special day remains black and white.  Not quite as sparkly as a golden coach but just as formal.


Life in black and white - the Swedish royal family at the state opening of parliament in September 2013
 
And yesterday King Juan Carlos was present for the opening of the new judicial year in Madrid where he officially started proceedings and invited different dignitaries to speak. 

 
King Juan Carlos of Spain at the opening of the judicial year on September 16th 2013

It's a reminder of the power of the crown in times past and the way that constitutional democracies have amalgamated the ancient power of kings and queens and the way that monarchs have changed their role from active heads of state to acting heads of state. 

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