Olympic Games ceremony a standard 18-event program was established. In order to open a Games in ancient Greece the organizers would hold an Inauguration Festival. This was followed by a ceremony in which athletes took an oath of sportsmanship. The first competition, an artistic competition of trumpeters and heralds, concluded the opening festivities. The Olympic opening ceremonies represent the official commencement of an Olympic Games. In recent Olympics, athletic competition began prior to the opening ceremonies. For example, the football competitions for both men and women at the 2008 Summer Olympics began two days prior to the opening ceremonies. The 2014 Winter Olympics
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