Why the King's Speech at State Opening of Parliament will be extra special this year

King Charles will give a speech at the State Opening of Parliament in the UK later today.

While it's not his first King's Speech, there are two key factors that will make it unique in the 75-year-old's reign.

Firstly, it marks his wife's birthday, with Queen Camilla turning 77 on the same day she accompanies her husband into the Palace of Westminster, where the parliament meets.

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The State Opening of Parliament is a tradition that dates back to the 14th century and marks the first day of a new parliamentary session.

Typically the monarch, clad in the Imperial State Crown and a robe of state, gives a speech in the House of Lords chamber. The speech is written by the government to be delivered by the monarch and outlines the legislative plans for the session ahead.

The State Opening of Parliament usually happens in November, with King Charles doing the first speech of his reign on November 7 last year, six months after his coronation at Westminster Abbey across the road.

So it's a rare occurrence to have the King's Speech delivered in the middle of the year – even more so on his wife's birthday.

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The previous State Opening of Parliament took place in May 2022, with then-Prince Charles and Prince William standing in on Queen Elizabeth II's behalf in their capacity as Counsellors of State.

The second reason this year's speech will be different - it marks the first time in Charles III's reign the monarch will open parliament following a general election.

His Majesty has already had three prime ministers in the less than 24 months since his accession to the throne in September 2022, following the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II.

But the first two were elected by members within the Conservative Party. This time, it's been decided by UK Voters.

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And with Labour's Keir Starmer now in the top job after 14 years of Conservative rule in the UK, it also marks the first time in 74 years the King's Speech will be delivered with a Labour prime minister in government.

The last time was in 1950, when Clement Attlee was PM and King George VI was on the throne.

Attlee was both preceded and succeeded by Conservative Party leader Sir Winston Churchill, who was prime minister from 1940 to 1945 and again between 1951 to 1955.

Churchill was Queen Elizabeth II's first prime minister of her reign, which began in 1952, and the pair were said to have forged a strong friendship over the years.

Queen Elizabeth was sovereign for 70 years, celebrating her Platinum Jubilee just months before her death.

She was the UK's longest-reigning monarch.

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