It is illegal to wear a full suit of armour in Parliament

The Short Answer

The Statute forbidding Bearing of Armour decrees that no person may come to Parliament or any other Assembly in the Realm of England wearing any "Force and Armour." The statute applies to all members and visitors to Parliament and makes wearing a full suit of armor an offense.

The Full Story

Following a tumultuous period in English history during the reign of Edward II, Parliament was threatened by armed nobles and magnates who attended sessions with full retinues. The catalyst came when the King's favorite, Piers Gaveston, returned from exile and infuriated the kingdom's senior nobles with contempt and crude nicknames. When the barons refused to attend parliaments, Edward attempted to placate them but they responded by raising armed retinues and appearing fully armored before the king in open defiance.

The 1313 statute was Edward II's response to maintain parliamentary order and prevent violence between factions. It followed an earlier period where nobles had imposed the Ordinances of 1311 on the king to restrict his power. The statute represented an attempt to establish Parliament as a peaceful deliberative body where matters of state could be discussed without the threat of armed confrontation.

Notably, Parliament has red lines (literally) in its chamber—two sword-lengths apart on the carpet—which serve as a visual reminder of this historical prohibition, preventing members from reaching each other with drawn swords during heated debates.

Common Misconceptions

The statute does not only prohibit armour in Parliament -- it covers all parliaments, treaties, and assemblies throughout England. It also bans all weapons, not just suits of armour. The Crown Prosecution Service has confirmed the law remains in force but is unaware of any modern prosecutions under it.

Actual Legal Text

The Statute forbidding Bearing of Armour 1313 (7 Edw. 2, St. 1), also known as the Coming Armed to Parliament Act 1313, decrees "that in all Parliaments, Treatises and other Assemblies, which should be made in the Realm of England for ever, that every Man shall come without all Force and Armour, well and peaceably."