King Charles III delivered his first speech as the British Monarch for the first time in over 70 years while laying out the policies of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Tuesday (Nov 7).
The annual address – known as the King’s or Queen’s Speech – is a centuries-old tradition marking a new parliamentary session. The remarks are prepared by the government and read out by the monarch.
The speech lasted for 10 minutes and covered various important issues like data protection, criminal sentences guidelines, tobacco regulations, and a plan to expand oil and gas extraction in the North Sea.
Remembers mother Queen Elizabeth II
Charles began his speech by remembering his deceased mother Queen Elizabeth II who died in in September 2022 after a 70-year reign.
“It is mindful of the legacy of service and devotion to this country set by my beloved mother, the late queen, that I deliver this, the first King’s Speech in over 70 years,” Charles said on Tuesday.
He then outlined the agenda planned by Sunak for the new parliamentary session at the House of Lords, saying that his ministers would make the “difficult but necessary long-term decisions to change this country for the better”.
“The impact of Covid and the war in Ukraine have created significant long-term challenges for the United Kingdom. That is why my government’s priority is to make the difficult but necessary long-term decisions to change this country for the better,” King Charles said in prepared remarks.”
Outlines govt’s initiatives
The British monarch also talked about government initiatives to control inflation, bolster energy security and protect consumers from hidden prices, as he outlined what Sunak hopes will be vote-winning reforms for the Conservatives.
He also voiced strong backing for allies Ukraine and Israel in their ongoing wars. He denounced “barbaric acts of terrorism against the people of Israel” but said the United Kingdom would work to facilitate humanitarian aid for Gaza.
He promoted several proposals of Sunak as “Brexit freedoms”, especially the less stringent data-protection rules.
The address touched on plans to hand out life sentences without parole to aggravated murderers as well as tougher penalties for serious sexual offenders.
