2004 Summer Olympics opening ceremony Bowl Halftime Show. But the negative reaction was lukewarm at best since the Greeks presented the float as part of an exhibit. 2004 Summer Olympics opening ceremony The opening ceremony of the 2004 Summer Olympic Games was held on August 13, 2004 at the Olympic Stadium in Maroussi, Greece, a suburb of Athens. 72,000 spectators attended the event, with approximately 15,000 athletes from 202 countries participating in the ceremony as well. It marked the first-ever international broadcast of high definition television, undertaken by the U.S. broadcaster NBC and the Japanese broadcaster NHK. The opening ceremony began with a twenty-eight second
State Procession at the State Opening of Parliament Queen in The Duke of Edinburgh's absence). Since 2013 the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall have been in regular attendance. Prior to the passing of the House of Lords Act 1999, other members of the Royal Family who were Peers or Peeresses (including Dowagers) often used to attend the State Opening; they, however, were seated on the benches of the chamber with their peers and did not form part of the Procession. State Procession at the State Opening of Parliament A State Procession is a formal display of the Sovereign, dignified by a sizeable entourage made up