All Colour: The State Opening of Parliament

Series

Series Name: British Movietone News

Issue

Issue No.

2370

Date Released

4 Nov 1974

Stories in this Issue:

* Story has local or special distribution

Story

Story No. within this Issue

1 / 1

Section Title

All Colour

Summary

MOVIETONE CARD TITLE: State Opening of Parliament in Colour. DESCRIPTION: A new session of Parliament is opened by Her Majesty the Queen amid the rich ceremonial which is part of Britain’s National Heritage. The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh drive to the Palace of Westminster in the Irish State Coach. A fanfare announces Her Majesty’s entrance into the Royal Gallery and the solemn procession to the Throne begins. In the procession are HRH Princess Anne and Captain Mark Phillips. In the Chamber of the House of Lords wait the Peers, Judges and Bishops in their Parliamentary robes. At Her Majesty’s Command, the Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod goes to summon the Commons. By tradition the door of the House is closed against him and he has to knock three times to gain entry. Then the Speaker, The Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition and the Members of the Commons file into the House of Lords to hear the Queen read her "Gracious Speech from the Throne". SHOTLIST: GV Houses of Parliament. SV Queen arriving in carriage at Sovereign’s entrance, stops, coachman opens door. SCU guard. SV Queen being helped out of carriage by Duke of Edinburgh, they start up steps into House of Lords. GV Household Cavalry outside Palace of Westminster. GV interior House of Lords, Duke and Duchess of Kent, Princess Alexandra and Duke of Gloucester, Earl Mountbatten & Lord Snowdon. LV zoom in above moving into their seats, they sit down zoom out to LV everybody sitting down. GV Queen & Duke entering gallery. SV ditto followed by Princess Anne and Captain Mark Phillips. BIG GV Queen & Duke entering gallery. TV Queen & Duke entering, Princess Anne & Captain Phillips come into full view. GV Queen entering House of Lords - walking up steps to the throne with Duke. SV ditto zoom in Queen sits down. BIG GV interior House of Lords (My Lords be seated), everybody sits down. SV Queen & Duke on throne with Princess on left of Duke. SCU Queen & Duke on throne. SCU statue of Winston Churchill in lobby of House of Commons. SV pan Black Rod walking through House of Commons Lobby towards door of the House, door slammed in his face, he knocks three times, doors are opened and he walks in. GV interior House of Commons Chamber, Black Rod comes into view and bows, walks forward and stops and bows to Mr Speaker, walks forward to desk, gives slight bow & speaks (Mr Speaker The Queen commands this hon. house to attend Her Majesty immediately in the House of Peers), Mace Bearer walks forward to desk, Mr Speaker rises and starts to walk away, Mace Bearer picks up Mace and starts to walk away - followed by Mr Speaker, Black Rod, Mr Wilson and Mr Heath pair up behind Black Rod with Government and Opposition. SV Mr Heath & Wilson lead MP’s through lobby towards House of Lords pan with Mr Whitelaw and Mr Thorpe. SV MP’s walking through lobby. GV House of Lords waiting for MP’s to arrive. SCU Queen and Duke. SV zoom out members of House of Commons in their place in the Lords, the speech starts from here on. GVs personalities listening. Speech ends and we see a SV Queen and Duke on their thrones. Queen closes speech and her hand returns to her lap. CU Royal Coat of Arms above the throne. SV Queen & Duke walking down steps, they bow, turn and bow again, pan as they continue to walk out.

Local distribution only

Not shown in Ireland

Keywords

Royalty; Politics and government; Buildings and structures; Vehicles; Ceremonies; Military

Locations

London

Footage sources

Movietone

Card file number

74/269

Credits:

Commentator: Leslie Mitchell

Length of story (in feet)

732

Story extras:

Film clip

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