The Queen leaves Buckingham Palace at 11am,. The procession goes down The Mall to Horse Guards, passes through to Whitehall and then travels past the Cenotaph to Parliament Square. At 11.15 a cannon is fired in Hyde Park.
History
The government of our country used to be in the hands of the sovereign and his/her council of nobles, who met as and when required. They gathered usually on the great feast days of Easter, Whitsun, and Christmas.
The year 1265 saw the beginning of the end of absolute control by the Monarch, but it was not until 400 years later that Parliament took control of the country and democracy ruled.
The Declaration of Rights (later 'Bill of Rights') of 1689 is reflected in the ceremonial State Opening of Parliament. It was an important step in England's progress towards a constitutional monarchy and made Parliament the ruling power of England (and later the rest of the UK) ever since.
The official name of the Bill of Rights is:
"An Act Declaring the Rights and Liberties of the Subject and Settling the Succession of the Crown".The ceremony of the of the State Opening takes place in the House of Lords not the House of Commons (the democratically elected house of the UK Parliament). No Monarch has entered the House of Commons since Kings Charles I did in 1642.
Before the Royal Procession sets out from Buckingham Palace, the cellars of the Houses of Parliament are searched by the Yeomen of the Guard. This dates back to 5th November 1605, when the famous villian Guido Fawkes, as part of the Gunpowder Plot, attempted to blow up the Houses of Parliament and their occupants.
Further learning links
What is Parliament?
What is the difference between Parliament and Government?
http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/customs/royal.html
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