2023 State Opening of Parliament

The State Opening of Parliament marks the first day of a new parliamentary session, and is usually held annually either in May or November.^[1] Following the 2022 State Opening of Parliament, which took place in May of that year, the 2022–23 parliamentary session had been expected to run until Spring 2023. However, in December 2022, and after two successive Conservative Party leadership elections, 10 Downing Street announced that the session would be extended until Autumn 2023, allowing extra time for legislation to progress through parliament and making up for parliamentary time lost because of the leadership contests.^[2] The 2023 State Opening was widely expected to be the last of the Parliament elected in 2019 as the next general election would need to occur in or before January 2025.^[3]

It would be Charles III's first State Opening as monarch, although he had stood in for Elizabeth II to open the previous session after doctors had advised her not to attend, and delivered the speech setting out the government's legislative programme on her behalf.^[4] It was also Rishi Sunak's first State Opening since becoming prime minister in October 2022.^[5][6] The governing Conservative Party, which had been in power since 2010, was behind in the polls, and Sunak was hoping the speech would improve the party's standing by showcasing some of its key policies ahead of an election. Sunak was also keen to distance himself from his Conservative predecessors, telling the 2023 Conservative Party Conference he wanted to be the "change candidate".^[3][7]

On 20 July 2023, Penny Mordaunt, the Leader of the House of Commons, confirmed the date of the State Opening of Parliament as 7 November in a statement to the House of Commons.^[8] She also confirmed Parliament would be prorogued in the days before the State Opening, with the date of prorogation to be confirmed.^[9] On 11 October 2023, the King made an Order in Council providing that Parliament be prorogued no earlier than 26 October 2023 and no later than 31 October.^[10] The prorogation took place on 26 October 2023. It was the first time that Parliament was prorogued by a king since 1951.^[11]

On 29 October, Rachel Maclean, the Minister of State for Housing and Planning, confirmed the speech would include a bill to phase out some leaseholds in England and Wales.^[12] On 4 November, a statement released by 10 Downing Street ahead of the speech said it would "set the country on the right path for the long-term".^[13] During the weekend before the speech was scheduled to be delivered, Home Secretary Suella Braverman attracted criticism from homeless charities and some Conservative MPs after a series of posts on X in which she said the government would restrict the use of tents by rough sleepers in England and Wales, but the plans were not included in the legislative programme outlined by the King.^[14]

On the morning of 7 November, Jo Churchill MP, as Vice-Chamberlain of the Household, was "taken hostage" at Buckingham Palace to ensure the King's safe return from Parliament.^[3][15] Charles III and Queen Camilla then travelled from Buckingham Palace to Westminster in the Diamond Jubilee State Coach, escorted by the Household Cavalry. Princess Anne, the Princess Royal travelled in a coach behind the King and Queen in her role as Gold Stick in Waiting, a ceremonial bodyguard role she had also played at the Coronation. The King wore the ceremonial day dress of an Admiral of the Fleet in the Royal Navy with the stars of the orders of the Garter and Thistle, as well as the former's collar, the Royal Victorian Chain and the sash of the Royal Victorian Order. During the speech he wore the Imperial State Crown. The Queen re-wore her coronation gown and wore the George IV State Diadem throughout the event.^[1][16][17]

The King and Queen entered the Palace of Westminster through the Sovereign's Entrance, reserved exclusively for the monarch, and changed into the Robes of State, before proceeding to the House of Lords, where the King would read the speech from the throne.^[1][3][15] MPs from the House of Commons were summoned to attend the Lords by Sarah Clarke, who holds the office of Black Rod. As a symbol of the House of Commons' independence from the reigning monarch, the doors to the chamber were closed upon Clarke's approach, requiring her to knock three times for it to be opened.^[3][15] Once MPs had assembled in the Lords, Charles III then read the King's Speech,^[18] beginning by reflecting on the life of his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II, and paying tribute to her "legacy and devotion to service".^[19] The speech, prepared by the UK government, set out its planned programme of legislation for the next session of parliament, and was read by the King in a neutral tone so as not to show any appearance of political support. MPs listened to the speech in silence, before returning to the Commons, where a debate on the speech began two hours or so later.^[3][15]

The 2023 State Opening of Parliament was the first time a King's Speech had been presented since November 1951, during the reign of George VI.^[20] It was also the first full military State Opening ceremony to occur since before the COVID-19 pandemic, with around 1,400 British Armed Forces personnel taking part.^[21] At 1,223 words, the speech delivered by Charles III was the longest monarch's speech at a State Opening of Parliament since 2005,^[4] when Elizabeth II had presented a 1,248 word speech.^[22]

The legislative programme announced for the year ahead included some bills that were carried over from the previous session, as well as new legislation.^[23] Legislation tackling crime was a key feature of the proposed laws outlined in the speech. Announcements included a Sentencing Bill to implement tougher sentences in England and Wales for the most serious crimes, with those convicted of murder where there is a sadistic or sexual element to the crime receiving a whole life tariff, and a Criminal Justice Bill to require convicted criminals to attend their sentencing hearings, with "reasonable force" being applied to compel them to attend court and an extra two years in prison if they do not attend. Plans were also announced to phase out the sale of cigarettes in England, to regulate pedal-powered taxicabs in London, to issue licences annually for offshore oil and gas projects in the North Sea, and to establish an independent regulatory body for the top five tiers of football in England.^[3][24] In addition, the King said that ministers would "address inflation and the drivers of low growth over demands for greater spending or borrowing" by "the Bank of England to return inflation to target by taking responsible decisions on spending and borrowing".^[25] The full list of proposed legislation is as follows:

• The Sentencing Bill requiring a whole life sentence for murder where there is a sadistic or sexual element.^[26] The bill will also make provisions for shorter prison sentences to be served in the community.^[23]
• The Criminal Justice Bill 2023 will require criminals to attend court for sentencing hearings and for "reasonable force" to be used if they refuse to do so. An extra two years in prison can also be added for refusal to attend.^[26] Police will also have powers to enter a premises without a warrant to retrieve stolen goods.^[26]
• The Victims and Prisoners Bill, which had already been published, will prevent certain prisoners from getting married,^[23] and implement Jade's Law, automatically suspending parental rights of a person convicted of the murder or voluntary manslaughter of a person with whom they share parenting responsibilities.^[27] The bill will also provide new rights for victims.^[23]
• The Investigatory Powers (Amendment) Bill will ensure the UK's intelligence services have the power to tackle evolving threats and advances in technology.^[26]
• The Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Bill will be extended to include Martyn's Law, requiring venues to draw up anti-terrorism plans.^[23]
• The Leasehold and Freehold Bill will abolish leases for new houses in England and Wales, but will not apply to new flats, while extending the standard lease period from 90 to 990 years.^[23][28]
• The Renters (Reform) Bill will be extended to include a ban on "no faults" evictions, but reform to the courts is required before this can be implemented.^[23]
• The Offshore Petroleum Licensing Bill will allow licences to be awarded for North Sea oil and gas projects annually.^[23]
• The Animal Welfare (Livestock Exports) Bill will ban the export of cattle from Great Britain for the purposes of fattening and slaughter.^[23]
• The Automated Vehicles Bill will make provisions for self-driving vehicles on UK roads, and also exempt passengers from prosecution for anything that goes wrong with a self-driving vehicle.^[26]
• The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill will strengthen the rights of consumers making online purchases, and deal with the problem of fake product reviews.^[23]
• The Data Protection and Digital Information Bill will replace existing EU legislation by creating a new framework for data rights in the UK.^[23][26]
• The Media Bill proposes major deregulation of commercial radio and support for radio stations on smart speakers.^[29]
• The Tobacco and Vapes Bill will legislate for a proposed phased ban on the smoking of cigarettes in England, expected to start from 2027 and raise the legal smoking age by one year each year. Restrictions will also be introduced on the packaging and marketing of vapes.^[23][30]
• The Football Governance Bill will establish an independent regulator for the top five tiers of English football.^[31]
• The Pedicabs (London) Bill will give Transport for London the authority to regulate pedal-powered taxis operating in London.^[23]
• The Arbitration Bill will modernise the arbitration process as recommended by the Law Commission for England and Wales.^[26]
• The Trade Bill 2023 will set out provisions for the UK to join the CPTPP trade pact with 11 Asian and Pacific nations.^[23]
• The Holocaust Memorial Bill will legislate to build a UK Holocaust Memorial in Victoria Tower Gardens.^[23]
• The Economic Activity of Public Bodies (Overseas Matters) Bill will prohibit public sector organisations from being able to boycott Israel.^[23]
• The Rail Reform Bill will create a new public body to oversee railways in Great Britain, but is only included in draft format.^[23]