Post by Admin on Jun 21, 2017 19:20:51 GMT
The Speech varies in length from year to year, depending on the number of actual bills and other items - such as draft legislation and foreign policy objectives - included but normally takes about 10 minutes.
The Queen, to whom the document is sent beforehand for signing, also uses the occasion to give details of upcoming visits to the UK by other heads of state and any state visits she is making overseas.
Traditions surrounding the State Opening of Parliament and the delivery of a speech by the monarch can be traced back as far as the 16th Century. The current ceremony dates from 1852, when the Palace of Westminster was re-opened after the fire of 1834.
In a nutshell, it is a list of the laws that the government hopes to get approved by Parliament over the coming year. By convention, it is announced by the Sovereign in the presence of MPs, peers and other dignitaries in the House of Lords.
The occasion marks the start of the Parliamentary year and has added resonance after a change of government, with the contents of the Speech highlighting the priorities of new ministers and setting the scene for Parliamentary battle ahead.
