The people of Britain are famous for their dislike of revolutions. While the European continent and much of the rest of the world have been periodically convulsed by violent demands for political change, the British have largely remained impervious to revolutionary transformations; at least in form, the country's political system has survived unchanged since times immemorial.

This seemingly rock-solid record of political continuity will be on full display later this week, when Queen Elizabeth II formally opens the first session of the newly elected Parliament.