The Speech from The Throne is one of these traditions that began with the British.  We have inherited this monarchist constitution which has the Queen as the Head of State of The Bahamas.  Her representative in The Bahamas is Arthur Hanna, the Governor General.  He carries out the executive functions on her behalf in The Bahamas.  The reality is that both of them, the Governor General and the Queen are simply surrogates for the elected Government.  Perry Christie, the Prime Minister actually writes the Speech from the Throne.
    The speech from the Throne speech lays out the policies of the Government over the next session.
    The occasion of a state opening of Parliament is full of symbolism.  The Governor General, the Queen’s representative, sending for the House, and the House closing the door in the face of her representative, and then opening it after his knocking.  This to record who has the power in history, the Parliament is superior to the monarchy.
    His Excellency the Governor General the Hon. Arthur D. Hanna is shown seated, receiving the Speech from the Throne from Prime Minister Perry Christie at the Opening of Parliament on Wednesday, February 15, 2006.
    What follows below are some of the sights from the occasion as recording through the lense of photographer Peter Ramsay.