Accession : Injected with a Poison

Administering the Oath = Injected with a Poison

 The process is, if you choose to swear the oath, they ask you "Do you wish to Swear or Affirm?"

Wednesday 21 October 1964

"At 11.30 I had to go to the Privy Council Office for a rehearsal of the ceremony of admission into the Privy Council. 

We were greeted by the most awful stoogey-looking people, real Crown Office - House of Lords types.

Among those there were Peggy Herbison, Kenneth Robinson, Roy Jenkins, Charlie Pennell and Elwyn Jones. I asked Elwyn if he was going to be knighted. He said yes, and I said, I'm sorry to hear it.'

We were summoned in one by one to the Queen's drawing room and she shook us by the hand. Then we stood in a row and the oath was administered to those who were swearing, whereas Kenneth Robinson, Charlie Parnell and I affirmed I think they are atheists. I did it because I disapprove of a religious oath for any but religious purposes and because I wanted to pay a tribute to Charles Bradlaugh, who had fought four elections to establish this right.

We then went up to the Queen one after another, kneeling and picking up her hand and kissing it, and then bowing. I did the most miniature bow ever seen and returned to my line. 

When it was over she made a couple of remarks and we all walked by and shook hands. 

After that I had the oath of the Postmaster General administered to me. I left the Palace boiling with indignation and feeling that this was an attempt to impose tribal magic personal loyalty on people whose real duty was only to their electors."

If you say affirm, they just read it to you, and you can say (as Wedge did) "Well, I don't agree with it!"

And they say "It's alright, you don't have to - we have administered the oath."