Speaker of the House of Commons: A look back at the Coronation of King Charles III
2 May
His Majesty King Charles III and Her Majesty Queen Camilla visit the Palace of Westminster
On the afternoon of Tuesday 2 May 2023, the King and Queen visited Parliament to meet members of both Houses of Parliament.
The King was greeted by the Lord Great Chamberlain, Lord Carrington, and Black Rod, before meeting the Speaker of the House of Commons and the Lord Speaker inside Westminster Hall.
The King was also welcomed by the Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition, plus the Leaders and Shadow Leaders of both Houses.
The King then met with groups of members from both Houses of Parliament with shared parliamentary interests, including agriculture, business and communities.
The arrival of the Speaker's State Coach
The Speaker was proud to see the 17th century Speaker’s State Coach return to Westminster Hall for the Coronation.
The State Coach which was last seen in the historic Westminster Hall in 2005, will be on display from 2 May to the Autumn, to commemorate the crowning of King Charles III.
The Speaker's State Coach is an iconic work of art and design and an important piece of Parliamentary history. It represents the long relationship between Parliament and the British monarch.
The Coach has been used by the Speaker of the House of Commons in ceremonial occasions since it is thought to have been given to the Speaker in around 1702 by Queen Anne (1665-1714).
The Coach is now carefully conserved as a heritage object, as the earliest surviving English coach in the United Kingdom.
The other two gilded ceremonial coaches are the Gold State Coach (held at the Royal Mews, Buckingham Palace) and the Lord Mayor's Coach (held at the Museum of London).
An image of the Coach from the Parliamentary Archives
An image of the Coach from the Parliamentary Archives
3 May
The Speaker welcomed Overseas Territories Regiments and Police Forces to Speaker's House
The Speaker thanked Overseas Territories Regiments and Police Forces at a reception in recognition of their hard work and involvement in the Coronation.
Police forces from across nine Overseas Territories were on ceremonial duty for the Coronation. These forces include some of the oldest police forces in the world.
- The Royal Falklands Police date back to 1846.
- The Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Forces is one of the oldest in the world - founded in 1799.
- The Bermuda Police Service was founded in 1879.
- The Royal Anguilla Police Forces was formed in 1972 and received the Royal prefix in 1990.
- The Royal Cayman Islands Police Service was formed in 1907 and operates helicopters which have assisted other Overseas Territories.
- And the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force was formed in 1967 and cover a jurisdiction which spans over 50 islands and cays.
Built with Shorthand