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What is the Queen's Speech?
Find out more about the Queen's Speech: who writes it, what the process is and what happens after the Queen delivers it.
It’s part of the State Opening of Parliament
The Queen’s Speech is the central part of the State Opening of Parliament , which happens when Parliament reassembles after a general election and then at the start of each Parliamentary session.
Only the monarch can call a Parliament together and no business can happen until the Queen reads her speech.
This Parliamentary session will be double the usual length
The Parliamentary session that follows the 2017 Queen’s Speech will be two years long. This is double the normal length, to allow both Houses of Parliament more time to discuss Brexit legislation.
It’s delivered at Parliament
To give the Speech, the Queen travels by car from Buckingham Palace to Westminster. The Imperial State Crown is transported ahead of her.
The Queen gives the Speech in the presence of members of both Houses. The Commons are summoned to hear the speech by an official known as ‘Black Rod’ .
It’s written by the government
Although the Queen delivers the Speech, the content is written by the government and approved by the Cabinet. It sets out the government’s policies and the proposed legislative programme for the new Parliamentary session.
It’s followed by a debate
Following the State Opening, the government’s plans are debated by both Houses. In the Commons, the first motion is that the House send an address to the Queen thanking her for the speech.
The debate that follows, which lasts several days, is a chance for MPs to speak on any matter of government.
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Queen's speech
- 1.1.1 Usage notes
- 1.1.2 Related terms
- 1.1.3 Translations
- 1.2 Further reading
Queen 's speech ( plural Queen's speeches )
- An address to the people of the United Kingdom and British Commonwealth broadcast on radio and television by the Queen on Christmas Day
- An annual statement made by the Queen in the House of Lords to the assembled members of both houses of parliament outlining the government's proposed legislation programme for the next twelve months.
Usage notes
- Officially, the "Royal Christmas Message" (sense 1).
- This term is used when there is a queen on the throne.
Related terms
- King's speech
Translations
Further reading
- “ Queen's speech ”, in Lexico , Dictionary.com ; Oxford University Press , 2019–2022 .
- English lemmas
- English nouns
- English countable nouns
- English multiword terms
- Pages with 1 entry
- Translation table header lacks gloss
- Terms with Faroese translations
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What does the Queen’s Speech really tell us?
Tuesday 10 May 2022 21:32, UK
The government has set out its legislative agenda for the new parliamentary session in the Queen’s Speech. It contains 38 laws on topics ranging from spying, human rights, Brexit freedoms and disruptive protesters. For the first time in 59 years, the Queen was forced to ask her son, the Prince of Wales, to deliver the speech in parliament. But what does it tell us about the government’s plans?
On the Sky News Daily podcast, Sam Coates, our deputy political editor, is joined by Rhiannon Mills, our royal correspondent. He also speaks to Jon Craig, chief political correspondent, and Dr Alice Lilly, senior researcher at the Institute for Government.
Also, in parliament Sam catches up with Lisa Nandy, Labour's shadow levelling up secretary, Christine Jardine, the Liberal Democrats' Treasury spokeswoman, and Sir Desmond Swayne, the Conservative MP for New Forest West.
Follow the Daily podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Spreaker
Producers: Soila Apparicio and Tom Larkin Editor: Philly Beaumont
Related Topics
- Daily Podcast
- HMS Queen Elizabeth
IMAGES
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COMMENTS
In the United Kingdom, the speech is known as His Majesty's Most Gracious Speech, the Gracious Address, or, less formally, the King's Speech (or Queen's Speech, when the reigning monarch is female).In Canada, it is known as the Speech from the Throne (often shortened to Throne Speech) (in French: Discours du Trône).Since 1973, the lieutenant governor of Quebec has delivered a short inaugural ...
Coordinates: 51.499°N 0.125°W. The 2023 State Opening of Parliament. The State Opening of Parliament is a ceremonial event which formally marks the beginning of each session of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. At its core is His (or Her) Majesty's "gracious speech from the throne" (also known as the King's or Queen's Speech), [ 1] which ...
The King's Christmas message (or The Queen's Christmas message in a queen's reign, formally as His Majesty's Most Gracious Speech, [1] [2] and informally as the Royal Christmas message) is a broadcast made by the sovereign of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms to the Commonwealth of Nations each year at Christmas.The tradition began in 1932 with a radio broadcast by King ...
The Queen's Speech sets out the Government's agenda for the coming session, outlining proposed policies and legislation. Although she reads it, the speech is actually written by the Government.
The Queen's Speech takes place at the start of each Parliamentary session and forms the central part of the State Opening of Parliament. It sets out the government's policies and proposed ...
May 10, 2022 at 6:58 AM EDT. Save. This article is for subscribers only. Here is the full text of the Queen's Speech, delivered by the Prince of Wales. "My lords and members of the House of Commons.
The Queen's Speech is the central part of the State Opening of Parliament, which happens when Parliament reassembles after a general election and then at the start of each Parliamentary session.
The Queen's Speech - what you need to know in two minutes. Didn't catch the Queen outlining what the government wants to do over the coming year? Don't worry, we got you. UK Parliament.
The Queen and Prince Philip left Australia on Gothic, and as the royal yacht was slowly making its way out of the Swan River into the Indian Ocean, the Queen left the top deck to make her farewell broadcast to Australia and its people. All ABC stations broadcast the speech throughout Australia, and the Queen's voice was heard between 7:30 and 8 ...
Queen's Speech 2021 (1 MB , PDF) The State Opening of Parliament is scheduled to take place on 11 May 2021. Parliament was prorogued on Thursday 29 April 2021, bringing the 2019-21 Session to an end. The State Opening marks the beginning of the parliamentary session. Its main purpose is for the monarch to formally open Parliament and, in the ...
The Queen's Speech is a ceremonial occasion which sets out laws the government wants to pass and highlights its priorities for the months ahead. It is the first time since 1963 that the Queen will ...
Formally called the Speech from the Throne, Charles gave his first King's Speech in November 2023. He also delivered the Queen's Speech on behalf of his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth, in May 2022.
Language links are at the top of the page across from the title.
Politics. Royal. Tuesday 10 May 2022, 2:30pm. The Queen's Speech is one of her most important annual engagements. Credit: PA. By Westminster Producer Lewis Denison. Her Majesty has missed the ...
Royal Christmas Message. Queen 's speech (plural Queen's speeches) An address to the people of the United Kingdom and British Commonwealth broadcast on radio and television by the Queen on Christmas Day. An annual statement made by the Queen in the House of Lords to the assembled members of both houses of parliament outlining the government's ...
21st birthday speech of Princess Elizabeth. On 21 April 1947, Princess Elizabeth, the heir presumptive to the British throne, gave a speech that was broadcast to the British Commonwealth on her 21st birthday. Elizabeth was accompanying her parents, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, on a tour of southern Africa. It was her first overseas tour.
Advertisement. The government has set out its legislative agenda for the new parliamentary session in the Queen's Speech. It contains 38 laws on topics ranging from spying, human rights, Brexit ...