Traditions

I happened to catch the opening of the British Parliament on CSPAN today. Parliament actually opened on Wednesday. The Queen was wearing the Imperial Crown and looking a bit stooped, though given that the crown weighs a couple of pounds, plus the weight of the 20 foot ermine-fur trimmed train and the rest of the accoutrement, that's hardly surprising.

Once the Queen gives the signal, there is a messenger (an actual member of Parliament) who goes down to the House of Commons and tells them that the monarch is ready for them to attend the House of Lords. In case you were thinking that the British do not have a sense of humor, part of the tradition is that the door to the House of Commons is SLAMMED in the messenger's face and he must knock on the door to gain entry. He carries an ornate stick for this purpose (ebony with gold caps and trim) and there is a mark on the door where it has clearly been knocked on for a long long time. Then everybody walks SLOWLY down the hall back to the House of Lords for the Queen's speech. The slow part is to remind the Lords that the other MPs are NOT at their beck and call.

I didn't actually listen to the speech. I was busy watching the jewels, the crown and the regalia. The MPs were all dressed formally in their wigs and robes. The Queen's head did not wobble much at all when she looked down at her notes. I know that the crown is specially fitted to her head, but I'd be worried about the silly thing sliding whenever I moved my head.

I like watching this sort of thing more for the process, procedure and protocol. I find it fascinating what parts of history are kept by various cultures and reinforced over the years/centuries. It's also fun to see the places that I've read about. I once watched Christmas Mass from the Vatican just to see the Baldachin that the Pope sits under and the other pieces of art and architecture that were visible. I also discovered that Pope John Paul II's voice sounded a heck of a lot like Marlon Brando in The Godfather and I caught him nodding off at least twice during the service. I'd like to see the Dalai Lama presiding over the equivalent major ceremony some time. I bet he'd wink at the equivalent of the altar boys and smile at them. He's nearly always smiling from what I can tell.