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,
with Garter Principal King of Arms
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.
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 take their seats
on the appropriate bench, led by the junior bishop.
