Charles delivers first King's Speech as monarch

Britain’s King Charles III on Tuesday delivered his first opening address of parliament since taking the throne, laying out the government’s policy priorities in areas spanning the economy, foreign policy and criminal justice.The annual address – known as the King’s or Queen’s Speech – is a centuries-old tradition marking a new parliamentary session. The remarks are prepared by the government and read out by the monarch.The 74-year-old monarch was joined by Queen Camilla for the ceremonial State Opening of Parliament, which symbolises the independence of the House of Commons through its royal pageantry in the House of Lords.
The speech, which Charles began with a tribute to his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II, marked several firsts – including the first under the premiership of Sunak, Britain’s first Prime Minister of Indian heritage. It also marks the first time a King has opened the British Parliament in more than 70 years, the last being Charles' grandfather and Queen Elizabeth II's father George VI in 1950.The ceremony could be the first and last time for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to make his legislative case to the people. His Conservative Party will face a tough test in a general election expected next year from the rival Labour Party, which is up in the polls and could unseat him.
Charles spoke of government initiatives to tame inflation, bolster energy security and protect consumers from hidden prices, outlining what Sunak hopes will be vote-winning reforms for the Conservatives.The monarch also voiced strong backing for allies Ukraine and Israel in their ongoing wars. He denounced “barbaric acts of terrorism against the people of Israel” but said the United Kingdom would work to facilitate humanitarian aid for Gaza.The 10-minute speech touched on a range of hot-button issues – from data protection to criminal sentences guidelines and tobacco regulations.Several proposals were touted as “Brexit freedoms”, enabled by the UK’s exit from the European Union, such as less stringent data-protection rules.