The pomp and ceremony surrounding the Speech from the Throne was thankfully in full swing this year after a rather drab occasion last year.

The Royal Bermuda Regiment, in gleaming white uniforms, brought the marches and the music back after last year’s unexplained absence. The weather chose to shine, with the fashions fantastically fanciful.

Seen throughout the day were bright, bold dresses, feathers atop hats, not just the Governor’s, and accessories galore, bringing an elegance and sense of positivity.

Arianna Hodgson took the prize for most extravagant hat, a towering black bouquet, tempered by a formal cream suit with black accents.

The pearl earrings, black clutch and sharp, black patent heels finished her look perfectly.

The ladies of the Senate were united in their neutral colours.

From Ms Hodgson’s carefully orchestrated cream outfit to the flamboyantly ruffled peach dress of Lindsay Simmons and the cascading pearl necklace of Kim Wilkerson against a nude-toned silken gown and white accessories, the neutral choices were measured but far from bland.

The Reverend Emily Gail Dill bucked the Senate trend on the colour scheme, bringing a sense of festivity in her metallic, full-length gown in the colours of a peacock’s tail, not to be outdone by her dazzling, jewel-encrusted earrings and matching flats.

Many of the Progressive Labour Party male parliamentarians dressed along party lines with their green ties.

However, the vibrant hue of Jamahl Simmons’s stood out, even catching the attention of the Premier, who inquired where he had got it from. Mr Simmons [presumably] joked that he flew overseas for the sole purpose of purchasing it.

First lady Kristin Burt joined them in the green but with added feminine beauty — she wore a sheer, floor-length garment, intricately embroidered with flowers.

Kim Wilson played it straight — a white dress and jacket, black hat and shoes, and, lest we forget, a big, bright red poppy and matching clutch.

While this year’s Throne Speech event was truly a feast for the senses, more important, of course, was the content of the speech itself.

The emphasis was certainly on social services, reducing the cost of living, a new focus on mental health, and seniors, all of which received applause from the full crowd of observers.

Whether that is a nod to an imminent election or just a sign of the times, public support was there for those items that may lift the financial burden being endured by so many on our shores.