Every year, without fail, the U.K.’s State Opening of Parliament sparks renewed fascination for its extravagant conventions entangled in royal tradition. The State Opening—which takes place in the House of Lords chamber in the Palace of Westminster—marks the formal opening of the parliamentary year, and sees the British monarch deliver a speech in which they outline the government’s agenda for the new season.
The State Opening is the only regular instance where the three constituent parts of Parliament are all present at once—this consists of the Sovereign, the House of Lords, and the House of Commons. But pomp tends to overshadow politics at the annual event, at least among global spectators.
“The Palace of Westminster zealously guards its traditions, many of which, to an outsider, might seem arcane,” royal historian Richard Fitzwilliams tells TIME. “The ceremonial splendor is part of what makes it so unique.”
While Wednesday’s ceremony will be King Charles III’s third time carrying out this duty, it will be his first State Opening with Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Labour government in power, following 14 years of Conservative rule. In May 2022, the King joined his son Prince William, then the Duke of Cambridge, in a joint effort as Counsellors of State, to stand in for Queen Elizabeth II, who was unable to attend the State Opening due to mobility issues. King Charles returned alone in 2023, for his first State Opening as Britain’s new monarch, following the death of the Queen in September 2022.
Expected to be outlined in the 75-year-old monarch’s speech is around 30 bills touching on renewable energy, transport, crime, workers’ rights and employment protections, among other key matters, the New Statesman reported. “There will be far more interest than there has been in recent years and, probably, more public interest,” Fitzwilliams says. “Labour’s promise, to improve living standards and public services by growth, will come under…
