We took a guided tour of the Houses of Parliament to which we do not vote ‘Not Content’. That is to say, it was most excellent! House of Commons votes ‘Aye’ or ‘No’, House of Lords votes ‘Content’ or ‘Not Content’… POSH!
The Queen opens Parliament each year after a grand procession from Buckingham Palace. According to our guide, one of Tony Blair’s early blunders as PM was to schedule the State Opening to coincide with the opening day of Royal Ascot. The Queen, it turns out, likes her horse racing and doesn’t like to miss. Rather than the normal leisurely procession, the horses were urged into a near-galloping pace, and the Queen read her speech so quickly it was barely understood….she made it to the first race on time.
You can visit during debates, which is a good reason to return… the Commons Chamber is notorious for its lively debates. But to dispel a myth, the red lines – one in front of Her Majesty’s Government and one in front of Her Majesty’s Most Loyal Opposition – were not placed 2 sword lengths’ apart… at least not on purpose and not for that reason.
Our tour ended in 900 year old Westminster Hall, which unlike both Houses of Parliament, survived both the fire of 1834 and the London Blitz by firemen specifically being diverted to save it. In this grand hall, where much of the timbered ceiling is original, many notables have addressed both Houses of Parliament, including Nelson Mandela and Barack Obama. Our guide believed that President Obama’s address was one of the best in history.
