HOUSE OF LORDS - United Kingdom Parliament

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 in his
parliamentary robe occupies the Woolsack.
The newly created peer and his two supporters, all in their Parliament
robes, 1 with Garter Principal King of Arms 2 and Black Rod, assemble in
the 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 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 writ of
summons to the Reading Clerk.
1 Knights of Orders also wear their Collars.
2 Under SO 4, the Heralds may not charge a Lord any fee upon his introduction into the
House.
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