The speech was ideal for the occasion and there was a good feel to the whole ceremony.  It was the usual pomp and pageantry, but without being over the top.  Indeed, the thing that struck me about the day was that it was otherwise just a normal day – in so far as there is such a thing in Parliament.  There was not all the security and changes that accompany State Opening.  Traffic continued flowing, there wasn’t the closure of the car park or additional street barriers.  After the ceremony, there was a reception in the Royal Gallery, but once that was over – and the Queen and Prince Philip had gone down in the lift to be driven off – we reverted to normal: the House met half-an-hour later than usual, but otherwise it was business as usual.  

It was a great occasion without being extravagant, which I suspect was how the Queen wanted it.

The Hall dates back to the 11th Century: it was completed in time for William Rufus to celebrate Whitsun on 29 May 1099.  It provided a place for feasting and receiving foreign heads of state.  The king’s throne was on the dais at the southern end (facing you in the picture).  Monarchs were seated here for the coronation breakfast and from 1189 to 1821 the hall was used for coronation banquets following the coronation service in Westminster Abbey. 

The Hall became more regularly used for judicial purposes, with the first judges sitting there by 1178.  Judges sat on stone benches, hence the name.   Sir Thomas More was tried in the Hall (as portrayed in the film A Man for all Seasons), as was Charles I; both were tried for and convicted of treason.   The courts continued to sit in or adjacent to the Hall until 1883.

There was a major remodelling of the Hall between 1393 and 1401, with stone towers being added to the north facade.  A new roof was added, the hammer beam construction being seen as a masterpiece of medieval English carpentry.   It remains an amazing sight.

Nowadays, the Hall is used for the occasional exhibition as well as for major events such as an address by a visiting dignitary, such as Nelson Mandela, the Pope and Barack Obama, and for lying in state of monarchs, Queen Consorts, and two statesmen – Gladstone and Churchill.  The most recent lying in state was that of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother in 2002.  It is also now the principal entrance for visitors to the Palace. 

I was able to brush up on my knowledge of the Hall because most of the detail was printed on the programme for President Obama’s address – and we did have rather a long time to occupy ourselves prior to his arrival.  The doors to the Hall were open at 1.30 p.m. and the President was not scheduled to arrive until 3.30.  Still, it was well worth waiting for.

Me being introduced to the President

The address by President Obama in Westminster Hall last Wednesday was certainly an historic occasion, the first time a President of the United States has spoken in the Hall to members of both Houses of Parliament.   The speech has received something of a mixed press, but I thought its content was well crafted for the occasion and a tribute to the UK.

The Hall was ideal for the occasion.   There was an appropriate mix of pomp and informality or at least an absence of too much formality.   The fanfare by the State Trumpeters heralded the President’s arrival.  The Trumpeters were on a ledge in front of the magnificent South Window: I hadn’t even realised that such a ledge existed. 

The President made a couple of slips in his opening remarks.  Ken Clarke, sat quietly on the platform, must have been surprised when the President opened with ‘Lord Chancellor’.  The Lord Speaker, who had just shown the President round the House of Lords, may also have been a tad surprised as well.   There was also a little unexpected excitement at the back of the Hall when, about half way through the proceedings, an MP collapsed and had to be attended by Baroness Finlay of Llandaff, a doctor, before being rushed out in a wheelchair.

Following his speech, the President left by the North Door, which meant walking the length of the Hall.  In so doing, he spent a good deal of time meeting parliamentarians at the end of each row of seats.  Since I was sat at the end of a row, I was introduced to him.   Given that the Archbishop of York was sat in front of me, and the Lords Heseltine and Carrington sat behind, I thought there was a chance I might miss out, but in the event I got to meet him. 

The sense of history was reinforced by Lord Carrington who, before proceedings got under way, reminisced about the time when President de Gaulle addressed members of both Houses in the Hall in 1960.  Lord Carrington was present and was impressed by the fact de Gaulle delivered his speech, word for word as on the printed text circulated in advance, without a note. 

This week’s quiz questions:

1.  Where did the two Houses occasionally meet, other than in the Palace of Westminster, during the Second World War?

2. What name, other than its formal name, was given to this alternative venue?

3. When the Commons moved into the chamber of the House of Lords, where did the Lords move to in the Palace?

4. Who was the Leader of the House of Lords for the longest period (1942-45) during the Second World War?

As usual, the first two readers to supply the correct answers will be the winners.

The atrium in Portcullis House is an important social space within the Palace.  It is spacious, light and attractive and there are plenty of tables.  It is an area where parliamentarians can meet staff or chat to guests.   It is extremely busy during the day, especially around lunchtime.   Like the Bishops’ Bar, about which I have previously written, it constitutes a useful place for strategic dining.  I like to use it, not least because the Despatch Box does a good cup of tea, but also because it is a good spot to interact with other parliamentarians and with others who work in the Palace.   I was there this afternoon and was interrupted twice, once by an MP – we arranged to meet later to discuss important business – and once by a colleague from the Lords.  Watching the comings and goings gives one a good feel for the place. 

Like a number of catering outlets, the Despatch Box will be open throughout the summer.  Though there will be less activity than when Parliament is sitting, there will be people working throughout the recess.  Having said that, catering arrangements during the summer appear premised on the assumption that no one wants to eat in the Palace in the evening.  The catering outlet that will stay open the latest is Jubilee Cafe, the public cafe in Westminster Hall.