Documents to download

It has been announced that the State Opening which will take place on 21 June 2017 will be conducted on the following basis:

  • No carriages will be used, the Queen and the Regalia of State will travel by car.
  • The Queen will wear day dress and a hat, whilst Officers of State will carry the Imperial State Crown, Sword of State and Cap of Maintenance.
  • The Royal Procession will take place on a reduced scale.

This briefing gives an outline of the traditional State Opening Ceremony, followed by a description of the State Openings of 1939 and March 1974, setting out how the ceremonies in these years differed from the norm.

Documents to download

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