Liz’s Quizzes Phrases/ Sayings...
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For more on marking an answer as the "Best Answer", please visit our FAQ.The history behind what jake says may be of interest. The Monarch being refused entry to the House of Commons dates back to 1641 when Charles I, having ruled without any Parliament for eleven years, refused to accept John Pym's demands for more rights for Parliament. Pym stood firm and the King entered the House of Commons with troops intending to arrest the five Members most closely involved in what he regarded as treason. They had however escaped and he was forced to withdraw empty-handed.
The Monarch was subsequently barred from entering the Commons and this prohibition still stands. It is symbolised during the ceremony of the State Opening of Parliament, which usually takes place in November each year. The Queen, having arrived from Buckingham Palace, enters the House of Lords. She then sends her messenger, The Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod, to summon the Commons so that they may hear The Queen's Speech. As he approaches the Serjeant-at-Arms deliberately slams the door in his face. Black Rod then knocks three times and, when the door is eventually opened, he conveys his message. "Mr Speaker, The Queen commands this Honourable House to attend Her Majesty immediately in the House of Peers". The members of the Commons, led by the Speaker and the Serjeant-at-Arms bearing his Mace, proceed to the House of Lords deliberately loitering and chatting casually as they approach just to show that they do not stand in awe of the Monarch or of the 'other place'.