Charles III appeared studiously dispassionate, resisting a trademark grimace as he announced bills he almost certainly disagrees with. Photo/ AP
Charles III appeared studiously dispassionate, resisting a trademark grimace as he announced bills he almost certainly disagrees with. Photo/ AP
The first king’s speech in more than 70 years was always going to be a moment in history.
The King had delivered the speech to Parliament before but as Prince of Wales on behalf of his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II.
After seven decades of playing second fiddle, finally, the moment had come for Charles III to wear the Imperial State Crown as he set out his government’s legislative agenda.
He acknowledged his mother as he referenced the fact he was the first male monarch to deliver the speech from the throne in the House of Lords chamber since his grandfather King George VI in 1950. (The late king was too ill to deliver it in 1951, dying less than three months later).
“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,” he said.
Members of the House of Lords wait for the start of the state opening of Parliament. Photo / AP
Having been accused of political “meddling” as heir apparent thanks to his legendary “black spider memos” to MPs, it was essential the once-outspoken royal adopted a resolutely neutral tone.
He appeared studiously dispassionate as he spoke the prime minister’s words in his distinctive Upper Received Pronunciation, resisting a trademark grimace as he announced bills he almost certainly disagrees with, such as the one ensuring there are annual North Sea oil and gas licensing rounds every year.
Even when referencing his Government’s controversial climate climbdown, which has dismayed his fellow eco-warriors, the King steadfastly refused to betray even a hint of adverse emotion.
“Legislation will be introduced to strengthen the United Kingdom’s energy security, and reduce reliance on volatile international energy markets and hostile foreign regimes,” he deadpanned.
“This bill will support the future licensing of new oil and gas fields, helping the country to transition to net zero by 2050 without adding undue burdens on households.”
King Charles and Queen Camilla at the state opening of Parliament. Photo / AP
He was similarly poker-faced as he spoke of his Government’s desire to stop “criminal gangs deciding who comes to this country” with a Rwanda plan he has reportedly privately described as “appalling”.
Little wonder Rishi Sunak appeared nervous as he stood listening intently in the style of a head boy taking part in his last school assembly.
For even the King could not have failed to have internally registered a note of scepticism as he was made to repeatedly refer to the “long-term” decision-making of an administration seemingly on its last legs.
“By taking these long-term decisions, my Government will change this country and build a better future,” he said, conveying the conviction of the Tory Party - if not the pollsters.
Members of the Honourable Artillery Company fire a Gun Royal Salute at the Tower of London, to mark Accession Day, the first anniversary of King Charles III accession to the throne. Photo / Getty Images
It is fair to say that the Whitehall welcome could have been warmer, with hundreds of anti-monarchy protesters greeting the royal carriage procession with loud boos. Displaying his late mother’s magnanimity, he greeted them with a royal wave.
Activists from Republic claimed 500 had turned out to wave yellow banners emblazoned with the slogan “Not my King” but observers on the ground suggested this was rather overstating the scale of the rebellion.
Having been similarly barracked during the coronation, the King wisely deployed his secret weapon, the Princess Royal, to keep the show on the road.
By personally appointing his sister to take on the role of Gold Stick In Waiting - the sovereign’s key “protector”, the 74-year-old grandfather clearly wasn’t taking any chances with his personal safety.
Upon their return from Parliament, Their Majesties observe military personnel march past in the Quadrangle of Buckingham Palace. pic.twitter.com/J0gCpEndWW
Steely Anne, 73, carried out the same role during the coronation in May, riding on horseback from Westminster Abbey to Buckingham Palace.
The touching move also spoke to the Princess’ growing stature as the King’s other “right-hand woman”. Along with Queen Camilla, she entered the chamber with her brother - the first time she is thought to have accompanied the monarch to a state opening since 1985 when she joined her late mother.
Echoing both royal women’s love of thrift, not to mention her husband’s environmentalism, Camilla recycled her embroidered white coronation gown for the ceremony, which she paired with her late mother-in-law’s George IV State Diadem crown and necklace.
Designer Bruce Oldfield later suggested the cost of living crisis had been foremost in the Queen’s thinking, saying: “Nobody wants to be profligate in a moment like this. Everybody wants to be seen as somebody who thinks about such things.”
Despite the dissent outside, and indeed, the slightly “end of days” vibe inside the so-called Mother of Parliaments, the King’s first speech was suitably patriarchal.
By adopting the evenhanded tone of a father without any favourites, he not only wore the crown more comfortably than during the coronation - but with graveness that gave him the gravitas of being distinctly above the current political fray.
