King Charles expected to pay tribute to the late Queen at his first State Opening of Parliament
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King Charles is expected to pay tribute to his late mother when he delivers his first State Opening of Parliament speech as monarch on Tuesday.
The event, known for its pomp and pageantry, was cancelled in 2020 and scaled back in 2021 due to the Covid pandemic.
Last year, the King and the Prince of Wales stood in for the ailing Queen Elizabeth II as Counsellors of State during a reduced ceremony.
On Tuesday, as tradition is restored, the King is expected to wear the heavy Imperial State Crown, which the late Queen last wore for the 2016 State Opening of Parliament.
After that, due to its weight, it was instead carried on a cushion and placed on a table nearby.
The 74-year-old is expected to travel to the Houses of Parliament in the ornate Irish State Coach, escorted by members of the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment.
He will be preceded by a coach carrying the royal regalia – the Imperial State Crown, the Cap of Maintenance and the Sword of State.
For the first time in four years, the Chamber will be packed with 600 guests, ready to listen to the first King’s Speech in more than 70 years.
It will be delivered by the monarch from the throne in the House of Lords before he returns to Buckingham Palace in a grand carriage procession.
When the late Queen gave her first State Opening of Parliament speech on Nov 4 1952, she paid tribute to her father’s “selfless devotion to his duties” and the example he set. She said it would be her “constant endeavour to follow” that standard.
