This morning, HM King Charles III delivered his first "King's Speech" to open the fourth session of the 58th Parliament. The last State Opening of Parliament was held in May 2022, when then-Prince Charles read the Queen's Speech on behalf of his ailing mother.
Officially known as the Speech from the Throne or Throne Speech, it is a moment when the reigning sovereign (or representative), reads a speech written for him by the government laying out their priorities for the legislative session.
The ceremony, which is held in the House of Lords, is filled with pomp and pageantry and steeped in tradition that goes back centuries. His Majesty wears the Imperial State Crown which symbolizes the sovereignty of the British monarch and illustrates the unique balancing act between Monarch and the Houses of Parliament as laid out in Britain's constitutional monarchy.
In another nod to the passing of the torch to the new Monarch, HM Queen Camilla wore the State Diadem (originally known as the George IV State Diadem) for the first time. This is the piece of royal jewelry that Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II normally wore to and from the State Opening of Parliament and she is featured wearing it on British currency and stamps. The Queen Consort also repurposed her coronation gown from earlier this year for this very special day.
There are several unique features to the Opening of Parliament that are vested with historic meaning and tradition, including searching the Palace of Westminster for explosives before the Sovereign arrives. The Yeomen of the Guard ceremoniously search the cellars for explosives to commemorate the 1605 "gunpowder plot" by Guy Fawkes, which was a failed attempt to blow up King James I and Parliament.
In the United States, when the President delivers the State of the Union address, a member of the Cabinet is held back to ensure continuity of government. At the opening of Parliament, someone is also "held" but for very different reasons. Due to the historic relationship between the House of Commons and the Crown, a Member of the House is ceremoniously held hostage in Buckingham Palace while the Sovereign is away to ensure his/her safe return. This comes from the time of another Charles, King Charles I, who was beheaded in 1649 at the conclusion of the First English Civil War. The hostage is usually the Vice-Chamberlain of the Household – that is, an MP whose office makes him or her officially a member of the Royal Household and, simultaneously, a junior Whip for the Government.
Today marks a very special day, in that this is one of the last "firsts" for the new Sovereign and closes out the history that was Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
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