I had the pleasure of seeing a fascinating piece of Parliamentary history recently: the original lantern carried by Guy Fawkes when he tried to blow up Parliament! The lantern was displayed at a reception held by Camelot, the operator of The National Lottery.
The lantern, which belongs to The Ashmolean Museum in Oxford, was in Parliament for the first time since Guy Fawkes himself used it in the cellars of the Palace of Westminster when trying to blow up Parliament over 400 years ago at a State Opening.
Bonfire night of course commemorates the failure of the November 1605 Gunpowder Plot in which Guy Fawkes and his fellow conspirators manged to smuggle 36 barrels of gunpowder into a cellar of the House of Lords. Fortunately, Guy Fawkes was caught at the last minute by a group of guards. The lantern that he carried with him was subsequently confiscated by one of the guards who arrested him and was later given to the Ashmolean Museum by that guard’s brother. It has been kept in marvellous condition to this day. I enjoyed seeing the lantern which symbolises such an important day for Parliament and for the country 411 years on from the event.