Letters Patent - Commission for Opening Parliament [2019-12-17]

Letters Patent - Commission for Opening Parliament [2019-12-17]

Parliament

Delegating Powers

Commission of Queen Elizabeth II empowering several peers to open Parliament on her behalf.

Queen Elizabeth II

FOI request

2019-12-17

T. Onslow

ELIZABETH THE SECOND by the Grace of God of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of Our other Realms and Territories Queen Head of the Commonwealth Defender of the Faith To all to whom these Presents shall come Greeting Whereas by the advice of Our Council for certain arduous and urgent affairs concerning Us the state and defence of Our United Kingdom and the Church We have ordered a certain Parliament to be holden at Our City of Westminster on Tuesday the seventeenth day of December instant and forasmuch as for divers causes and considerations We cannot conveniently be present in Our Royal Person in Our said Parliament upon the said Tuesday the seventeenth day of December Know Ye that We trusting in the fidelity discretion and care of The Most Reverend Father in God and Our faithful Counsellor Justin Portal Archbishop of Canterbury Primate of All England and Metropolitan Our well beloved and faithful Counsellor Robert James Buckland Chancellor of Great Britain and others Our Counsellors hereinafter mentioned by the advice of Our said Council Do give and grant by the tenor of these Presents unto the said
Justin Portal Archbishop of Canterbury
Robert James Buckland, Chancellor of Great Britain
Peter Norman Lord Fowler Lord Speaker
Natalie Jessica, Baroness Evans of Bowes Park, Lord Privy Seal
Richard Mark Lord Newby
Igor Lord Judge
Angela Evans Baroness Smith of Basildon
or any three or more of them full power in Our name to begin and hold Our said Parliament and to open and declare and cause to be opened and declared the causes of holding the same and to proceed upon the said affairs in Our said Parliament and in all matters arising therein and to do everything which for Us and by Us and for the good government of Our said United Kingdom and other Our dominions thereto belonging shall be therein to be done and also if necessary to continue adjourn and prorogue Our said Parliament Commanding also by the tenor of these Presents with the assent of Our said Council as well all and every the Archbishops Bishops Lords Baronets and Knights as all others whom it concerns to meet in Our said Parliament that to the same ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY CHANCELLOR OF GREAT BRITAIN and others Our Counsellors aforesaid or any three or more of them they diligently intend in the premises in the form aforesaid IN WITNESS whereof We have caused these Our Letters to be made Patent WITNESS Ourself at Westminster the seventeenth day of December in the sixty-eighth year of Our Reign

BY THE QUEEN HERSELF SIGNED WITH HER OWN HAND

HEATON

Sign Manual

Printed in Times New Roman.

Royal name is in boldface, begins with a drop cap, and in capital letters.

Titles of the Archbishop of Canterbury and Lord Chancellor and concluding incipits are capitalized.

This Commission relates to the formalities at the very start of a Parliament before the State Opening. Like Royal Approbation, Prorogation, and Royal Assent, the Monarch invariably entrusts this duty to Lords Commissioners.

The Commissioners tell peers and MPs that, as soon as both Houses have been sworn, the Monarch will explain why they have convened the Parliament (i.e. deliver the Speech from the Throne). They also instruct MPs to choose a Speaker and present them for Royal Approbation.