A scene from the throne room

I welcome the delegations that have not arrived, with chairs for all nine of them and an apology in the traditional form of a cold biscuit. Let us conduct the whole ceremony facing Rennick's Passage, so the neighbours can hear what they missed.

Then we are not short of guests, we are rationed in them — one witness is a monopoly, and I like a monopoly. File the eight empty chairs as ambassadors, give each a portfolio, and hand the spare biscuit to whoever's late.