APPENDIX K~~
INTRODUCTIONS
The Lord Speaker sits on the Woolsack, wearing court
dress and a black gown. In the absence of the Lord Speaker, a
Deputy Speaker wearing a parliamentary robe occupies the Woolsack.
The newly created peer and two supporters, all in
their Parliament robes,[590]
with Garter Principal King of Arms[591]
and Black Rod, assemble in Peers' Lobby. Garter and Black Rod
are sometimes represented by deputies. A procession is formed,
which enters the Chamber in the following order:
1. Black Rod
2. Garter, carrying the peer's Letters Patent
3. junior supporter
4. new peer, carrying his or her writ of summons
5. senior supporter.[592]
At the Bar each member of the procession bows in
turn to the Cloth of Estate. They enter the House on the temporal
side and proceed towards the Table.
Black Rod passes in front of the Cross Benches, goes
behind the Clerks' seats and stands on the spiritual side. Garter
hands the new peer's Letters Patent to the Reading Clerk who has
taken up a position by the first gangway on the temporal side.
Garter then proceeds behind the Clerks' seats and stands next
to Black Rod.
The junior supporter moves down the temporal side
to a position beyond the Table by the second gangway. The Reading
Clerk, the new peer and the senior supporter follow the junior
supporter. On arrival at the Table, when the Reading Clerk has
reached the Despatch Box, the procession halts and turns inwards.
The new peer hands his or her writ of summons to the Reading Clerk.
The Reading Clerk reads the Letters Patent and administers
the oath of allegiance or the solemn affirmation to the new peer,
who then signs the Test Roll upon the Table. The new peer then
signs an undertaking to abide by the House of Lords Code of Conduct.
The new peer and the supporters then process in front
of the Cross Benches and turn to face the Woolsack: the senior
supporter on the spiritual side, the new peer in the centre and
the junior supporter on the temporal side. Meanwhile, Black Rod
and Garter have moved to the spiritual side of the House between
the Table and the government front bench, facing the three peers.
Together, the new peer and the supporters bow to the Cloth of
Estate.
The procession then moves up the spiritual side of
the House towards the Woolsack, with Black Rod leading, followed
by Garter, the senior supporter, the new peer and the junior supporter.
On reaching the Woolsack, the new peer shakes hands with the Lord
Speaker. The procession passes into the Prince's Chamber through
the door on the spiritual side of the House.
The new peer and the two supporters, without robes,
then return to the Chamber, and the new peer sits for the first
time in that part of the House where he or she intends to sit
in the future.
Lords Spiritual
The ceremony of introduction of an archbishop or
bishop~ is broadly the same as for Lords Temporal, but Lords Spiritual
are not preceded by Garter or Black Rod and have no Letters Patent
to present.
The new bishop, in his or her episcopal robes (white
rochet with black wrist bands, black chimere and scarf) and carrying
his or her writ of summons, enters the Chamber, preceded and followed
by a supporting bishop, the junior in front and the senior behind,
likewise in their robes.
At the Bar the three bishops bow in turn to the Cloth
of Estate. They then enter the House, on the temporal side, and
proceed towards the Table. The junior bishop moves to a position
beyond the Table by the second gangway. The new bishop hands his
or her writ to the Reading Clerk who has moved from the first
gangway to the Table. The senior bishop halts by the first gangway.
The Reading Clerk reads the writ and administers
the oath of allegiance to the bishop, who then signs the Test
Roll upon the Table. The bishop then signs an undertaking to abide
by the House of Lords Code of Conduct.
The new bishop and his or her supporters then process
in front of the Cross Benches and turn to face the Woolsack: the
senior bishop on the spiritual side, the new bishop in the centre
and the junior bishop on the temporal side. Together, they bow
to the Cloth of Estate.
The three bishops then move up the spiritual side
of the House towards the Woolsack. On reaching the Woolsack, the
new bishop shakes hands with the Lord Speaker. The three bishops
then immediately[593]
take their seats on the appropriate bench, led by the junior bishop.
590 Knights of Orders also wear their Collars. Back
591
Under SO 4, the Heralds may not charge a Lord any fee upon his
introduction into the House. Back
592
The seniority of supporters is determined by the House of Lords
Precedence Act 1539: Procedure 2nd Rpt 1992-93. Back
593
Unlike new Lords temporal, who exit the Chamber, disrobe and then
return to take their seat upon the appropriate bench. Back
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