“The Queen Agrees” 7/13

This morning I had a tour of the Houses of Parliament, which was awesome, because our tour guide was amazing. We started in the part of Parliament that used to be a palace, and I was amazed at how luxurious it seemed, with gilt paintings all over the walls, and beautiful mosaic floors. It seemed odd how many statues and paintings of royals adorned the building. There were statues of Queen Anne, William III, and a variety of others. In the room used for the queen to prepare herself to address Parliament, frescos depicting King Arthur fame the room. I was also amused to see that there’s a small, hidden bathroom in that room, in case the Queen needs a private moment before her speech. Practical, that.

Some of the traditions I learned about the British government surprised me. For example, in recognition of the Gunpowder Plot, the night before the Queen visits, men in Tudor-era costume search the basement of Parliament with lanterns. So that happens.

We had a tour of the House of Lords, but I still don’t understand how they work, so I’ve sent an appeal to my book club, and hopefully they can explain it. They don’t really make law, but they can hold laws up in committee? Or something?

In comparison to the House of Lords, the House of Commons is quite a bit plainer. It was rebuilt after the bombings of WWII, and it has more of an administrative feel to it. The statutes there are of former prime ministers, like Winston Churchill.

The relationship between the Queen and the members of the Commons is interesting. The latter cannot assume their place in the Commons without taking an oath of loyalty to the queen, yet she is forbidden from entering the Commons, since a previous ruler tried arresting some of their number. Instead, she invites them into the House of Lords to address them, an invitation they initially slam the door in the face of. The Queen also must sign bills into law, writing on them, “The Queen Agrees.” Apparently, the Queen has never disagreed. I wonder what would happen if she did?

Perhaps stranger than that relationship is the way that voting works for Parliament. When a vote is called, members have eight minutes to report to vote, and to signal that, a bell is rung, not only in Parliament, but also in local pubs and even a nearby sushi restaurant. Our tour guide joked about MPs slamming a pint before racing off to vote. The reason that MPs must report to vote is that voting is one by physically walking down a hall. Those who vote “Yea” walk through one hall, having their name recorded upon entry, and those who vote “Nay” walk through an identical hall on the opposite side of the hall.

When I appealed to my online book club (which contains a lot of British members) to explain this strange way of voting, one person cheekily responded by sending me a link to the youtube video of Fiddler on the Roof’s “Tradition.” Thanks, guys.

After Parliament, we made our way to Trafalgar Square, where the “Get Reading!” program was being held. It was a fundraiser for Beanstalk, a nonprofit that strives to promote literacy in children, by uniting volunteers with students who need reading assistance. Celebrities and authors read aloud in the square, interspersed with musical numbers for children. Both Beanstalk and the Creepy House reading project were promoting information about their programs, and the National Art Gallery hosted its own storytimes. It was a great celebration to see, considering that I’m writing my paper about childhood literacy programs.