State Opening of Parliament

The State Opening of Parliament.

The husband sat next to his wife and, amid the traditional pomp and ceremony, the new King Charles the Third and his wife Queen Camilla took their places on their respective thrones. This was the State Opening of Parliament, that yearly gathering of politicians, royalty and innumerable observers who may have seen this hundreds of times in their lifetimes and never tired of being an essential part of. The marriage of politics and royalty always felt slightly unusual and the House of Lords once again hosted this compelling spectacle. The setting was indeed unconventional.

But for King Charles the third and Queen Camilla this was their first time and for Charles the occasion was loaded with powerful emotions, obvious grief and poignancy while observing all the royal protocols that have always attended this yearly gathering of the great and the good. The new King, crown firmly fixed to his head, looked monarchical, proudly wearing all the regal regalia that has attired every monarch since time immemorial. Now though the spotlight had fallen on the new King and, to all outward appearances, he looked gripped with nerves, awkward, self conscious and the body language said everything that needed to be told.

And yet maybe first impressions were incorrect. Of course Charles was poised and suitably majestic, comfortable and, understandably, in reflective mood. After all, the memories of his wonderful mother must have been subconsciously lodged at the back of his mind. His face betrayed all of the sadness and  profound sense of loneliness that would have been perfectly understandable under the circumstances. Of course he was missing his dearly beloved mother because she was the Queen who set the precedents, the lady who always behaved with perfect decorum and courtesy, dignity and grace. 

You felt desperately sorry for Charles since his life would now change so dramatically on that sombre day of September last year. When the whole of the Royal Family were summoned to the late Her Majesty the Queen's bedside on that fateful autumn day, they must have known that the gentleman who used to be the Prince of Wales for so many decades would have to get used to a completely new title with all of those onerous responsibilities that come with being the new King of England.

However, yesterday the anthropologists of the world would have concluded that the new King gave the impression that he just wanted the whole royal spectacular to end as quickly as possible. He looked grim, grave and a man who felt he was there under sufferance. So it was that the State Opening of Parliament revealed all of the business like details  of the Government's grandiose plans and financial targets. 

Throughout the whole afternoon, Charles stared almost mournfully at the papers with all the relevant information on the country's economic welfare. The look at times was that of a man who had lost everything. His mother was no longer there to provide him with all the matriarchal guidance and advice that he would so fully understand. Perhaps his mind went back to that day in 1969 when Her Majesty the Queen appointed his son as the Prince of Wales. Then there was the disastrous marriage to Diana, the years of wasted regret, the permanent scandals, the most horrendous death of Diana and the public who now regarded him as quite the most appalling royal they had ever seen.

But he got through the whole business of reading and relating the Prime Minister's vanity projects with that ineffable air of impartiality and the most serious of countenances. He did so with an admirable eloquence and clarity that would have left Her Majesty the Queen purring with admiration. He spelt out all of those legislative proposals that normally find their way into both the House of Lords and Commons where most are carefully scrutinised and analysed. He was now full of confidence and conviction, articulating every word and sentence with perfect diction and flawless delivery.

Meanwhile as the afternoon unfolded we were subjected to the most bizarre of all farces. Two rows of politicians representing all of the parties who promise the world to all of us, filed into the House of Lords rather like automatons programmed to walk on at exactly the right time and place. It was a moment of surrealism, a potty charade, quite the most ludicrous of all sights. Firstly, Rishi Sunak the Prime Minister walks into the chamber while next to him Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer sedately made his way into the House of Lords. It was a moment heavy with formality and history.

But then you suddenly realised something had just taken place that almost beggared belief. There was a facade of mutual respect and jovial companionship that always leaves you speechless. Here was a classic case of politicians burying the hatchet, being the best of buddies and probably asking each other whether they could buy the first round of drinks at a Westminster pub. We were then led to believe that pleasantries were exchanged, smiles all round and we'll see you back in the lobby areas in the House of Comedy or should that be the House of Commons next week.

Now here was the seat of democracy functioning in a way that would never be tolerated at Prime Minister's Questions Time during the week. It's normally daggers drawn, personal loathing, barely concealed insults clearly expressed and an atmosphere that is both toxic and incendiary. But what we were witnessing yesterday was a clear demonstration of civility, polite small talk and general pleasantness. The amiability between Sunak and Starmer has been a common practice at State Openings of Parliament for as long as any of us can remember but hey ho. It happens and who are we to question the busy minds of the politicians we so loyally vote for every time there's a General Election?

Outside the House of Lords of course, battles were still being waged, angry demonstrations still in full spate and it was just another day in Westminster. The current Middle East war protests could be heard miles away and there was something horribly unnerving and distressing about it all. How do politicians address the issue of the bloodiest and most destructive of all wars when common sense and compromise can never be remotely considered? How are we as observers of this horrific massacre react to an event that is beyond our control?

We offer a sympathetic ear and a united front and just get on with our everyday lives in a state of stupefied revulsion. But yesterday royalty showed its most impressive colours and the rest of the world just kept spinning. We long for peace and fight for our rights. It is the only way and, optimistically, the one sensible route to take. It can and will happen. For the sake of our future generations and the children who were so tragically and cruelly robbed of their lives, this is the most important period of our lives. May Israel flourish and prosper. May the world just get on with each other.