List of people who have spoken to both Houses of the United Kingdom Parliament

This is a list of people who have addressed both Houses of the United Kingdom Parliament at the same time. French President Albert Lebrun was the first person to address both the House of Commons and the House of Lords in March 1939. The list excludes the speeches given by (or on behalf of) the Sovereign at the State Opening of Parliament[1] and at the close of each parliamentary session.

Only three people besides the reigning monarch at the time have addressed both Houses together on more than one occasion. Nelson Mandela spoke to Members of the Commons and the Lords in 1993 and in 1996 as President of South Africa. Mikhail Gorbachev addressed the Houses as a foreign delegate of the Soviet Union in 1984 and again, in 1993, on behalf of the Inter-Parliamentary Union. Shimon Peres spoke to the Houses as Prime Minister of Israel in 1986 and as President in 2008.

As of May 2011, Barack Obama was the most recent person to present to both Houses at once.

Contents

Speakers

Date Visitor Position Location Ref
01939-03-23 23 March 1939 Lebrun, AlbertAlbert Lebrun President of France Westminster Hall [2][3]
01942-10-21 21 October 1942 Smuts, Jan ChristiaanJan Christiaan Smuts Prime Minister of South Africa Royal Gallery [2][4]
01942-10-21 21 October 1942 King, MackenzieMackenzie King Prime Minister of Canada Royal Gallery [2]
01945-05-17 17 May 1945 George VI King of the United Kingdom Royal Gallery [2][5]
01945-08-21 21 August 1945 George VI King of the United Kingdom Royal Gallery [2][6]
01950-03-09 9 March 1950 Auriol, VincentVincent Auriol President of France Royal Gallery [7]
01950-10-26 26 October 1950 George VI King of the United Kingdom Westminster Hall [8][9]
01954-10-22 22 October 1954 Selassie, HaileHaile Selassie Emperor of Ethiopia Royal Gallery [2]
01956-04-24 24 April 1956 Bulganin, NikolaiNikolai Bulganin Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Soviet Union Royal Gallery [2][4][10]
01956-04-24 24 April 1956 Khrushchev, NikitaNikita Khrushchev First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union Royal Gallery [2][4]
01960-04-07 7 April 1960 de Gaulle, CharlesCharles de Gaulle President of France Westminster Hall [3][11]
01965-06-22 22 June 1965 Elizabeth II Queen of the United Kingdom Royal Gallery [2][12]
01966-04-28 28 April 1966 Thant, UU Thant Secretary-General of the United Nations Royal Gallery [2]
01967-02-09 9 February 1967 Kosygin, AlexeiAlexei Kosygin Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Soviet Union Royal Gallery [13]
01969-04-28 28 April 1969 Saragat, GiuseppeGiuseppe Saragat President of the Italian Republic Royal Gallery [2]
01970-03-03 3 March 1970 Brandt, WillyWilly Brandt Chancellor of West Germany Royal Gallery [2]
01976-06-23 23 June 1976 Giscard d'Estaing, ValéryValéry Giscard d'Estaing President of France Royal Gallery [2]
01977-05-04 4 May 1977 Elizabeth II Queen of the United Kingdom Westminster Hall [14][15]
01982-06-08 8 June 1982 Reagan, RonaldRonald Reagan President of the United States Royal Gallery [16]
01984-10-24 24 October 1984 Mitterrand, FrançoisFrançois Mitterrand President of France Royal Gallery [2]
01984-10-24 24 October 1984 Gorbachev, MikhailMikhail Gorbachev Foreign delegate of the Soviet Union Grand Committee Room [2][4]
01986-01-23 23 January 1986 Peres, ShimonShimon Peres Prime Minister of Israel Grand Committee Room [2][4]
01986-04-28 28 April 1986 Carlos I, JuanJuan Carlos I King of Spain Royal Gallery [17]
01986-04-28 28 April 1986 von Weizsäcker, RichardRichard von Weizsäcker President of West Germany Royal Gallery [2]
01988-07-02 2 July 1988 Elizabeth II Queen of the United Kingdom Westminster Hall [2][18]
01989-05-08 8 May 1989 Ortega, DanielDaniel Ortega President of Nicaragua Committee Room 14 [2][4]
01990-10-24 24 October 1990 Cossiga, FrancescoFrancesco Cossiga President of the Italian Republic Royal Gallery [2]
01992-11-10 10 November 1992 Yeltsin, BorisBoris Yeltsin President of the Russian Federation Royal Gallery [2]
01993-04-22 22 April 1993 Soares, MárioMário Soares President of Portugal Grand Committee Room [2][4]
01993-04-22 22 April 1993 Mandela, NelsonNelson Mandela Nobel Peace Prize winner Grand Committee Room [4][19]
01993-09-07 7 September 1993 Gorbachev, MikhailMikhail Gorbachev Former General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union Grand Committee Room [2][4]
01995-05-06 6 May 1995 Elizabeth II Queen of the United Kingdom Westminster Hall [2][20]
01995-11-29 29 November 1995 Clinton, BillBill Clinton President of the United States Royal Gallery [21]
01996-05-15 15 May 1996 Chirac, JacquesJacques Chirac President of France Royal Gallery [2]
01996-07-11 11 July 1996 Mandela, NelsonNelson Mandela President of South Africa Westminster Hall [3][22]
01996-07-16 16 July 1996 Gyatso, TenzinTenzin Gyatso Dalai Lama Grand Committee Room [2][4][23]
01998-10-29 29 October 1998 Menem, CarlosCarlos Menem President of Argentina Grand Committee Room [2][4]
02000-07-06 6 July 2000 Howard, JohnJohn Howard Prime Minister of Australia Royal Gallery [2]
02002-04-30 30 April 2002 Elizabeth II Queen of the United Kingdom Westminster Hall [24][25]
02007-05-08 8 May 2007 Annan, KofiKofi Annan Former Secretary-General of the United Nations Royal Gallery [26]
02007-05-15 15 May 2007 Ahern, BertieBertie Ahern Taoiseach of Ireland Royal Gallery [26]
02008-03-26 26 March 2008 Sarkozy, NicolasNicolas Sarkozy President of France Royal Gallery [27]
02008-11-19 19 November 2008 Peres, ShimonShimon Peres President of Israel Queen's Robing Room [2]
02009-04-01 1 April 2009 Calderón, FelipeFelipe Calderón President of Mexico Queen's Robing Room [2]
02010-09-17 17 September 2010 Benedict XVI Pope (state visit) Westminster Hall [28]
02011-05-25 25 May 2011 Barack Obama President of the United States Westminster Hall [29]

See also

Notes and references

  1. ^ "State Opening of Parliament". www.parliament.uk. http://www.parliament.uk/about/how/occasions/stateopening.cfm. Retrieved 2008-03-27. 
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad "Speeches to Members of both Houses of Parliament". House of Commons Library Parliamentary Information Lists. 2007-05-31. http://www.parliament.uk/commons/lib/research/briefings/snpc-04092.pdf. Retrieved 2008-03-26. 
  3. ^ a b c "House Of Lords - briefing - Westminster Hall". House of Lords. http://www.parliament.uk/documents/upload/Westminster%20Hall%20Briefing.pdf. Retrieved 2008-03-26. 
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Members of both Houses were present at the meeting but this was not a formal presentation to both Houses.
  5. ^ The speech was to announce the Victory in Europe.
  6. ^ The speech was to announce the victory in the Second World War.
  7. ^ "Cordial Visit". Time. 1950-03-20. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,858722,00.html. Retrieved 2008-03-26. 
  8. ^ The speech was to announce the opening of the new Chamber in the House of Commons.
  9. ^ John McDonough. "The History of the Maces of the British and Canadian Parliaments". Canadian Parliamentary Review. http://www.parl.gc.ca/Infoparl/english/issue.htm?param=89&art=336. Retrieved 2008-03-26. 
  10. ^ "A Quiet Little Dinner with Krushchev". Time. 1956-05-07. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,937295,00.html. Retrieved 2008-03-26. 
  11. ^ "1960: Action This Day". The Churchill Centre. http://www.winstonchurchill.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=235. Retrieved 2008-03-26. 
  12. ^ The speech was to commemorate the 700th anniversary of the Parliament of Simon de Montford.
  13. ^ "Unsmiling Comrade". Time. 1967-02-17. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,839445-1,00.html. Retrieved 2008-03-26. 
  14. ^ The speech was the Queen's Silver Jubilee address to Parliament.
  15. ^ "Historic speeches". British Monarchy Media Centre. 1977-05-04. http://www.royalinsight.gov.uk/output/Page4103.asp. Retrieved 2008-03-26. 
  16. ^ "Address to Members of the British Parliament". The American Presidency Project. 1982-06-08. http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=42614. Retrieved 2008-03-26. 
  17. ^ "Spanish King Addresses British Parliament". New York Times. 1986-04-28. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9A0DEEDA1631F937A15757C0A960948260. Retrieved 2008-03-26. 
  18. ^ The speech was to commemorate the Tercentenary of the Revolution of 1688–89 and the Bill of Rights.
  19. ^ Cameron Duodo (2007). "Should Mandela statue be in UK's Parliament Square?". New African. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa5391/is_200710/ai_n21296872. Retrieved 2008-03-27. 
  20. ^ The speech was to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Victory in Europe.
  21. ^ "U.S., U.K reaffirm joint commitment to democracy - Pre. Bill Clinton - Transcript". US Department of State Dispatch. 1995-12-04. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1584/is_n49_v6/ai_18089601. Retrieved 2008-03-26. 
  22. ^ "UK Politics - Hall opens for 900th birthday celebration". BBC News. 1999-07-30. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/408023.stm. Retrieved 2008-03-26. 
  23. ^ Louise Jury (1996-07-17). "Dalai Lama urges UK to help Tibet". The Independent. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_19960717/ai_n14058092. 
  24. ^ The speech was the Queen's Golden Jubilee address to Parliament.
  25. ^ "Queen pledges to stay on throne". BBC News. 2002-04-30. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/1958891.stm. Retrieved 2008-03-26. 
  26. ^ a b "Lord Speaker news: May 2007". www.parliamant.uk. British Parliament. http://www.parliament.uk/about/how/principal/lord_speaker/lordspeaker_may.cfm. Retrieved 2008-03-26. 
  27. ^ "Sarkozy: We are stronger together". BBC News. 2008-03-26. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7313570.stm. Retrieved 2008-03-26. 
  28. ^ "Papal address in Westminster Hall". www.parliamant.uk. UK Parliament. 2010-09-17. http://www.parliament.uk/business/news/2010/09/papal-visit/. Retrieved 2010-09-17. 
  29. ^ "President Obama addresses MPs and Members of the Lords". www.parliamant.uk. UK Parliament. 2011-05-25. http://www.parliament.uk/business/news/2011/may/us-president-address/. Retrieved 2011-05-25. 

External links