The Pageantry in Pictures

The State Opening of Parliament is the main ceremonial event in Parliament's year, when the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh travel up the Mall by horse-drawn carriage to deliver a speech in the House of Lords on the Government's legislative plans for the coming year. She is escorted on the short journey by the Household Cavalry, seen here preparing for duty.

The Queen arrives at the Sovereign's Entrance at 11.15am.

Her crown and mace are sent ahead of her in their own coaches, and carefully handed over once they arrive at the Palace of Westminster.

The Queen and the Duke walk to the robing room where she is helped to don on the Imperial State Crown and parliamentary robe.

The Queen and the Duke lead a procession through the Royal Gallery to take their place on golden thrones at the head the House of Lords while MPs are summoned to her presence.

Baroness Thatcher among the hundreds of peers clad in colourful robes as they wait for the official known as Black Rod to summon the MPs from the House of Commons.

The MPs stand behind the Bar of the House of Lords, at the opposite end from the Queen, to hear the Queen's Speech. Although the Queen reads it out, the content of the speech is entirely written and approved by the Government. It contains an outline of proposed new laws to be passed in the coming year.

Once the Speech is delivered, the Queen's role is done and she leaves Westminster.

This year the Queen may have been in a hurry as she travelled back up the Mall, as she had another engagement scheduled this afternoon, to open the refurbished St Pancras station.

At the window of Buckingham Palace Lady Louise Windsor, the Queen's granddaughter, waits with her mother the Countess of Wessex for a glimpse of the returning coach.