The Forums of Glennain

One of the marvelous things about the Kingdom of Hanover is this community's fond attachment to tradition, pomp, and ceremony. Less marvelous, perhaps, is the painfully obvious fact that we are generally limited to text, with respect to the presentation of the traditions and ceremonies we so cherish.

As we cannot act out the ceremonies of state that we contrive to present as best we can via this discussion board, but only post the texts used in those ceremonies, I'm sure it is true that most of us have difficulty imagining just what our ceremonial actvities would look like were we to personally act them out.

Earlier in the year, legislation was granted the Royal Assent by Lords Commissioners acting on His Majesty's behalf and in his name. Also, a new speaker was seated. While many of us may be familiar with large ceremonies, such as the State Opening of Parliament, how many of us, I wonder, have ever witnessed an event in the House of Lords presided over by Lords Commissioners? How many of us have seen the ceremony in which a speaker of the House of Commons is seated?

For the benefit and edification of any subject or visitor who has not seen such ceremonies and cannot begin to envision them, I post the following links to a YouTube clip that shows the full ceremony of the Royal Approbation of a new Speaker of the British House of Commons granted in the Queen's name by Lords Commissioners under the Great Seal:


Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9OpsqHCxZ...re=related
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b8FYjqb9n1I
Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vq6SoTEM_Q8

As you can see, it is posted to YouTube in three parts. The footage is recent, and the video is of fine quality. There is also helpful commentary from the BBC presenter and his guest, former speaker of the House of Commons, Betty Boothroy. Watch it full-screen: you'll enjoy it much, much better. Anyone wishing to cut to the chase and watch the guts of the ceremony minus all the processions and summonings, should click on the second link. I don't recommend it, though.

I invite Hanoverians to acquaint themselves with this ceremony and others like it. When we see our ceremonies unfold before our eyes, it helps to remind us of why we are here and of what we are doing and of what we mean to project to the rest of the world, as best we can. The witnessing of such an event can only serve to help us believe in who we are as a nation.

It is one thing to read what we do; it is another to watch what we would do.

In addition to watching and listening to the clerk read the Royal Warrant in his magnificently grave voice, I am fascinated by the small details: details such as the fact that the clerks and Black Rod wear "semi-state" attire--bow ties instead of lace jabots--because the Queen is not personally present. Or how the mace of the House of Commons is "cradled" on the way to the House of Lords, but carried over the shoulder once the Speaker has received the approbation, on the way back to the House of Commons. Then there's the Lord Speaker of the House of Lords--a relatively new office in a world of archaic ones--who takes her seat on the woolsack only at the beginning of the ceremony, then alights the woolsack and withdraws altogether before the entrance of the Lords Commissioners.

It's all fascinating.

Lord Mountcastle,

Thank you for finding these things.

I was amused to hear the title "Principle door keeper of the House of Lords". Oh but if we only had such need eh?

Gottingen

Only in Ascalon...I mean Britain.

;-)