page_title: State Opening of Parliament
section_title: Sequence of events
hierarchical_section_title: State Opening of Parliament / Sequence of events
caption_attribution_description: English: The Palace of Westminster in London, the meeting place of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.
context_page_description: The State Opening of Parliament is an event which formally marks the beginning of a session of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It includes a speech from the throne known as the Queen's Speech. The State Opening is an elaborate ceremony showcasing British history, culture and contemporary politics to large crowds and television viewers.
  It takes place in the House of Lords chamber on the first day of a new session, which is usually in May or June, and traditionally in November, but can occur at any time of year depending on the timing of General Elections and parliamentary session start dates. It takes place in front of both Houses of Parliament. The monarch, wearing the Imperial State Crown, reads a speech that has been prepared by his or her government outlining its plans for that parliamentary year. In 1974, when two general elections were held, there were two State Openings.
  Queen Elizabeth II has opened every session of Parliament since her accession, except in 1959 and 1963 when she was pregnant with Prince Andrew and Prince Edward respectively. Those two sessions were opened by Lords Commissioners, headed by the Archbishop of Canterbury, empowered by the Queen.
context_section_description: The ceremonial surrounding the opening of parliament can be broken down into several parts:
caption: The Palace of Westminster is home of the two houses of the British Parliament. It is here where the monarch travels to open parliament.
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