United Kingdom

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

Government Sovereign Queen Elizabeth II The Crown The Privy Council Cabinet Prime Minister Gordon Brown MP Chancellor Alistair Darling MP Foreign Secretary David Miliband MP Home Secretary Alan Johnson MP Justice Secretary Jack Straw MP Full list of members Her Majesty's Civil Service Departments Executive agencies Parliament State Opening of Parliament Act of Parliament House of Lords Lord Speaker Baroness Hayman House of Commons Speaker John Bercow MP Leader Harriet Harman MP Prime Minister's Questions Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition Leader David Cameron MP Shadow Cabinet Judiciary Supreme Court of the United Kingdom Courts of the United Kingdom Courts of England and Wales Courts of Northern Ireland Courts of Scotland Constitution Human rights UK countries Politics of England English Regional Assemblies Greater London Authority Politics of Scotland Scottish Government Scottish Parliament Politics of Wales Welsh Assembly Government National Assembly for Wales Politics of Northern Ireland Northern Ireland Executive Northern Ireland Assembly Reserved matters Elections Elections in the United Kingdom Parliament constituencies Political parties Last election Next election Foreign Policy Foreign relations Politics of the European Union

Other countries · Atlas 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 prorogation 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; because the current Lord Chancellor is a Member of the House of Commons, the Lord President of the Council performed this function at the prorogation of the current Parliament on 30 October 2007. However, on the appointment in 2009 of John Bercow as Commons Speaker, the Lord Chancellor, Jack Straw MP did perform this function personally. 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.

[edit] External links

• Royal Commissions