Queen's Speech 2022 - When is the State Opening of Parliament and what does it mean?
24.03.2022 - 19:13
/ manchestereveningnews.co.uk
The date of the State Opening of Parliament, which signals the formal start of a new parliamentary session, has been announced by the Commons Leader. A Parliament is the period of parliamentary time between one general election and the next.
The Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011 sets the interval between general elections at five years. Each Parliament is usually divided into five parliamentary years called ‘sessions', beginning and ending in the spring.
The last State Opening of Parliament took place on Tuesday 11 May 2021, at the start of the 2021-22 parliamentary session. The ceremonies are marked by the Queen's Speech, which sets out the government's agenda for the upcoming session.
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Parliament is set to be prorogued – temporarily shut – in the days leading up to the event.
The State Opening is full of tradition, with practices - including the delivery of a speech by the monarch - which can be traced back as far as the 16th century. This year, the event will take place just weeks before four days of celebrations – from June 2-5 – to mark the Queen’s 70 years on the throne.
So, what actually happens during the State Opening of Parliament and why does the Queen give a speech?
This year, the Queen's Speech will take place on Tuesday, 10 May 2022. Commons Leader Mark Spencer confirmed the date in a statement to MPs.
He said: “As is usual, the current session of Parliament will be prorogued ahead of the Queen’s speech, and this time will be used to enable logistical and security preparations for the state opening of Parliament.
“The likely date of prorogation will be confirmed in due course.”
State Opening is the main