The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the lower house,the House of Commons,it meets in the Palace of Westminster in London,England. One of the oldest institutions in the world,its origins lie in the early 11th century and the emergence of bicameralism in the 13th century.
The Most Noble Order of the Garter is an order of chivalry founded by Edward III of England in 1348. The most senior order of knighthood in the British honours system,it is decoration outranked in precedence only by the Victoria Cross and the George Cross. The Order of the Garter is dedicated to the image and arms of Saint George,England's patron saint.
Valerie Ann Amos,Baroness Amos,is a British Labour Party politician and diplomat who served as the eighth UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator. Before her appointment to the UN,she served as British High Commissioner to Australia. She was created a life peer in 1997,serving as Leader of the House of Lords and Lord President of the Council from 2003 to 2007.
The usher of the Black Rod is an official in the parliaments of several countries of the Commonwealth of Nations. The title is often shortened to Black Rod,and in some countries,formally known as Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod if male,or Lady Usher of the Black Rod if female. The position originates in the House of Lords in the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Equivalent positions also exist in Australia,Canada and New Zealand.
The Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle is an order of chivalry associated with Scotland. The current version of the order was founded in 1687 by King James VII of Scotland,who asserted that he was reviving an earlier order. The order consists of the sovereign and sixteen knights and ladies,as well as certain "extra" knights. The sovereign alone grants membership of the order;they are not advised by the government,as occurs with most other orders.
The State Opening of Parliament is a ceremonial event which formally marks the beginning of each session of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. At its core is His Majesty's "gracious speech from the throne",which is read by the monarch but written by HM Government. In the speech the monarch gives notice of forthcoming state visits,before setting out the government's legislative programme for the new parliamentary session. No business of either House of Parliament can proceed until the Sovereign’s speech has been delivered.
A serjeant-at-Arms,or sergeant-at-arms,is an officer appointed by a deliberative body,usually a legislature,to keep order during its meetings. The word "serjeant" is derived from the Latin serviens,which means "servant". Historically,serjeants-at-arms were armed men retained by English lords and monarchs,and the ceremonial maces which they are associated with were originally a type of weapon.
The introduction is a ceremony in the House of Lords of the United Kingdom by which a new member is "introduced" to the existing membership. Introductions in the Lords are more elaborate than those in the House of Commons.
The University of Roehampton,London,formerly Roehampton Institute of Higher Education,is a public university in the United Kingdom,situated on three major sites in Roehampton,in the London Borough of Wandsworth. The University traces its roots to four institutions founded in the 19th century,which today make up the university's constituent colleges,around which student accommodation is centred:Digby Stuart College,Froebel College,Southlands College and Whitelands College.
Lieutenant General Arundell David Leakey,is a former British Army officer. He was Director General of the European Union Military Staff in the Council of the European Union,Brussels. In 2010 he was appointed Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod,a role he held until February 2018.
The Lord Speaker of the House of Lords is the presiding officer,chairman and highest authority of the House of Lords in the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The office is analogous to the Speaker of the House of Commons:the Lord Speaker is elected by the members of the House of Lords and is expected to be politically impartial.
Sir Michael Alan Willcocks,is a retired officer of the British Army and former Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod for the Parliament of the United Kingdom's House of Lords.
Gentleman Usher and Lady Usher are titles for some officers of the Royal Household of the United Kingdom. For a list of office-holders from the Restoration of the monarchy in 1660 up to the present day see List of Lady and Gentleman Ushers.
Sir Charles Edward Webb Jones,was a senior officer in the British Army. He served as Quartermaster-General and as Britain's military representative to the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO). He retired from the Army in 1995 to become Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod in the British Parliament's House of Lords,serving in that office until 2001.
Pauline Perry,Baroness Perry of Southwark is an educator,educationist,academic,and activist. She is a Conservative politician and was for 25 years a working member of the British House of Lords. In 1981 she became Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools in England. In 1986 she became Vice-Chancellor of South Bank Polytechnic,and serving during its transition to a university,became the first woman in history to run a British university.
Sandip K. Verma,Baroness Verma known until 1977 as Sandip K. Rana,is an Indian-British politician in the United Kingdom. An appointed member of the House of Lords,she is Ministerial Champion for Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls Overseas,a role who chairs the UN Women's national committee. Verma was the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for International Development,from 2015 to 2016.
The Royal Households of the United Kingdom are the collective departments that support members of the British royal family. Many members of the royal family who undertake public duties have separate households. They vary considerably in size,from the large household that supports the sovereign to the household of the Prince and Princess of Wales,with fewer members.
The Serjeant at Arms of the House of Commons is a parliamentary official responsible for order in the House of Commons. The office dates to 1415 and traditionally included responsibility for security. The role is now mainly ceremonial.
The State Opening of Parliament includes a State Procession,a formal display of the Sovereign,dignified by a sizeable entourage made up of Great Officers of State and members of the Royal Household. The State Procession is now confined to the interior of the Palace of Westminster,but in earlier centuries it followed an outdoor route to and from Westminster Abbey.
