Daily Prayers in the Houses of Parliament

Today I learnt that sittings in both Houses begin with daily prayers. The prayers follow the Christian faith, and attendance is voluntary. In the Commons the Speaker's Chaplain reads the prayers and in the Lords it's a senior Bishop (Lord Spiritual). The practice is thought to have started in 1558. According to the UK Parliament website:

MPs and Peers stand for prayers facing the wall behind them. It is thought this practice developed due to the difficulty Members would historically have faced of kneeling to pray while wearing a sword.

http://www.parliament.uk/about/how/business/prayers/