Numerous dozen protesters outside parliament chanted “Not my monarch” and “What a squandering of funds,” as Charles spoke to lawmakers in the diamond-encrusted Imperial State Crown, a lengthy scarlet robe, and Royal Navy attire.
“It is with the memory of the tradition of duty and dedication to this nation established by my cherished mother, the departed Queen, that I present this, the initial King’s Speech in more than 70 years,” stated Charles, commencing the address at the formal commencement of the UK parliament.
Protest Outside UK Parliament
The ceremonial speech marked Charles’s premier as head of state, notwithstanding he had a practice session standing in for his mother Queen Elizabeth II in May the previous year.
The Monarch´s Address marks the commencement of a fresh legislative year and was most recently presented by a male ruler in 1951 — albeit not in person, as Charles´s grandfather, King George VI, was indisposed.
On Tuesday, the ruler journeyed to the Houses of Parliament via carriage from Buckingham Palace.
Approximately 1,400 members of the armed forces, along with 124 horses and marching bands, participated in the proceedings, which featured a 41-gun salute.
Princess Anne, Charles´s sibling, rode in the procession, fulfilling the ceremonial duty of the Monarch’s “guardian”, formally referred to as Gold Stick in Waiting.
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In keeping with custom, an MP was symbolically detained to ensure the monarch’s secure return.
Royal bodyguards conducted a ritual search of the basement of the Palace of Westminster for explosives — a reminder of the unsuccessful plot by Catholics to detonate parliament in 1605.