Parliament

The State Opening of Parliament

On the 16th of November Sergeant Major Drummond A. Window - MBE, RVM, of the Queen's Body Guard of the Yeomen of the Guard was on duty taking part in THE SEARCH of the vaults and chambers under the Palace of Westminster, part of the traditional Gun Powder Plot Search prior to the Queen's State Opening of Parliament.

Fawks1.jpg (34831 bytes)

The search has taken place every year since the Gun Powder Plot in 1605 when Robert Catesby and other Catholic supporters hired Guy Fawkes to undertake this bold scheme to blow up King James 1st and the House of Commons after suspecting that he would continue with the religious persecution policies of Queen Elizabeth against the Catholic Church.

Fawks2.jpg (21221 bytes)

When the plot failed, Robert Catesby and his conspirators fled London for his home in Ashby St, Ledgers, Northamptonshire; but he died two days later resisting arrest rather than face torture in the Tower Of London.

Home

The search is also mentioned in 1760 in the accounts of "BELLAMY'S" a wine merchant who had use of the empty vaults under the Houses of Parliament and who instituted the custom of providing the Search Party with a glass of Porter to drink the Loyal Toast at the end of their search; when the Houses of Parliament burnt down in 1834 "BELLAMY'S" was moved out and the custom ceased., but was re-established by the Lord Great Chamberlain in 1976.

At the start of the search, the Deputy Keeper of the Palace of Westminster lines up the Queen's Body Guard, in full state dress, together with the resident Engineer and the Superintendent of the Palace Police, in the Princes Chamber before they make their way through the House of Lords Chamber, into the Lobby and down into the vaults below,; following the quarter mile route under the path that the Queen will take into the House of Lords.

The Search takes about 25 minutes with the Body Guard arriving above ground in the Peers Court; after the Loyal Toast they resume duty lining the route of the Queens procession into the Royal Gallery and House of Lords followed by "BLUE MANTLE", GOLD STICK IN WAITING bringing up the rear. The Peers, bearing the Sword of State, and the Cap of Maintenance stand either side of the Queen's Throne, a very dignified and impressive part of the ceremony, whilst back in the House of Commons and in tradition, the Door is slammed in the face "BLACK ROD" as he comes to command MP's of all parties to walk to the Lords to hear the Queen's Speech; the slamming of the door at every State opening of Parliament is just to let the Lords know who is running the country.

I often wonder what would have happened to the country if the Gun Powder Plot had been a success, and would we be celebrating Guy Fawkes as we do today.???