Who is Black Rod and what do they do during State Opening of Parliament?

Politics
13 May 2026 • 7:41 PM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

Who is Black Rod and what do they do during State Opening of Parliament?

  • The King's Speech tradition involves Black Rod, a senior Lords officer, being sent to the House of Commons to summon Members of Parliament to the House of Lords to hear the monarch's address.
  • A key part of this centuries-old ritual is the slamming of the Commons door in Black Rod's face, symbolising the Commons' independence from the Crown, before permission is granted to enter after three knocks.
  • During this year's ceremony, Black Rod Ed Davis was heckled by a backbench MP as he performed the traditional knocking on the Commons chamber door.
  • Three backbench MPs identified the heckler as Torcuil Crichton, the Labour MP for Na h-Eileanan an Iar, who reportedly shouted "Not now Andy."
  • Following the summons, Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle led the procession of MPs to the Lords, which included prominent figures such as Sir Keir Starmer and Kemi Badenoch.

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