State Opening of Parliament

1384 members of the Armed Forces and 229 horses were on public show in a variety of ceremonial roles at the State Opening of Parliament which took place on 27th May.
All elements of the Army’s Household Division, and other elements of the Armed Forces, lined the streets and escorted Her Majesty The Queen’s procession from Buckingham Palace to the House of Lords.
The State Opening marks the formal start of the next parliamentary session. The primary purpose of this colourful tradition is to set out the government's legislative agenda to both Houses of Parliament in the Queen's Speech.
The Processional Route was by way of The Mall, Horse Guards Road, Horse Guards, Whitehall and Parliament Street.
Precisely as the Queen reached the Sovereign's Entrance of The House of Lords and proceeded to the Robing Room, a 41-gun salute was fired by The King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery, supported by the Band of the Royal Artillery, in Green Park. As Her Majesty left the House of Lords at noon, a further 41-gun salute was fired at the Tower of London by the Army’s oldest regiment, The Honourable Artillery Company, which is part of the Army Reserve.

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