Lords Commissioners

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

United Kingdom
This article is part of the series: Politics and government of the United Kingdom

Parliament State Opening of Parliament Sovereign: Queen Elizabeth II House of Lords Lord Speaker: Baroness Hayman House of Commons Speaker: Michael Martin Prime Minister's Questions Her Majesty's Government Cabinet Prime Minister: Tony Blair Deputy Prime Minister: John Prescott Chancellor of the Exchequer: Gordon Brown Foreign Secretary: Margaret Beckett Home Secretary: John Reid Lord Chancellor: Lord Falconer of Thoroton The Privy Council Government departments The Civil Service Official Opposition Leader of the Opposition: David Cameron Shadow Cabinet Courts of the United Kingdom Courts of England and Wales Courts of Northern Ireland Courts of Scotland Constituent countries Scottish Parliament Scottish Executive National Assembly for Wales Welsh Assembly Government Northern Ireland Assembly Northern Ireland Executive Reserved matters Local government Greater London Authority Elections: 2001 - 2005 - 2009/10 Political parties Constitution Human rights Foreign relations EU Politics
Other countries • Politics Portal view • talk • edit

The Lords Commissioners are Privy Counsellors appointed by the Monarch of the United Kingdom to exercise, on his or her behalf, certain functions relating to Parliament, including the opening and closing of Parliament, the confirmation of a newly elected Speaker of the House of Commons and the granting of Royal Assent. The acting Lords Commissioners are collectively known as the Royal Commission. The Royal Commission includes at least three—and usually five—Lords Commissioners, including the Lord Chancellor.

The Lords Commissioners enter the chamber of the House of Lords at the appointed time, and take seats on a structure temporarily placed for the duration of the ceremony. The Lord Chancellor, as the most senior Lord Commissioner, commands the Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod to summon the House of Commons. Representatives of the House of Commons arrive at the Bar of the House of Lords, and bow thrice, but do not actually enter the Lords Chamber. The Reading Clerk of the House of Lords then reads the Monarch's Commission, which authorises the Lords Commissioners. After the appropriate business has been transacted, the Commons again bow thrice and depart.