King announces replacement for Wolverhampton-born Black Rod
Lieutenant-General Ed Davis has been announced as parliament's next Black Rod, succeeding Wolverhampton-born Sarah Clarke in July.
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The Gentleman or Lady Usher of the Black Rod, formally appointed by the Crown, is a senior officer in the House of Lords, responsible for the major ceremonial events at Westminster, including the State Opening of Parliament.
Black Rod is also responsible for controlling access to and maintaining order within the House.
Lt-Gen Davis served for 35 years in the Royal Marines before transferring to the Foreign Office.
He was appointed by the late Queen as the 67th Governor and Commander-in-Chief of Gibraltar in January 2016, a post he held for four years.
Lt-Gen Davis said: “I am profoundly humbled and extremely delighted to have been appointed by His Majesty to be the Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod for the House of Lords, a role that stretches back 670 years.
“I take on this great honour with a deep sense of responsibility to serve the King and the House of Lords with a steadfast commitment and unwavering determination to uphold the excellence of my predecessors who have held this unique and remarkable position.
“Together with Black Rod’s team, I look forward, with relish and excitement, to rising to the opportunities and challenges ahead by building on Sarah Clarke’s inspiring legacy.”
He replaces Miss Clarke, a former pupil of Wolverhampton Girls High School who held the post since 2017.
During her three terms of office, she and her team have served at many major ceremonial events in the Palace of Westminster.
In September 2022, she had overall responsibility for organising the Lying-in-State in Westminster of the late Queen, and also took part in the state funeral. The following year, she had a role in the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla.
Miss Clarke has organised and taken part in a total of six State Openings of Parliament, a number of which marked a significant departure from the traditional ceremony, including the special arrangements at the opening in 2021 amid the Covid-19 pandemic, and the 2022 event, when the then Prince of Wales and Duke of Cambridge stood in for the late queen.
Before taking up the role, she had previously served as who Championships Director at the All England Lawn Tennis Club.
Lord McFall of Alcluith, the Lord Speaker, said: "I am delighted to welcome Ed Davis as the next Black Rod. Ed will bring a breadth of experience to this high-profile and demanding role, including 35 years’ service as a Royal Marine and four as Governor of Gibraltar.
"As Black Rod, Ed will help to ensure the heart of our democracy runs smoothly on a daily basis as well as leading a team delivering major ceremonial events, such as the State Opening of Parliament. I look forward to working with him and wish him well in his post."
