The state opening will begin at 09:30 when the royal bodyguards, known as the Yeoman of the Guard, conduct a ceremonial search of the cellars of the Palace of Westminster for explosives.
This commemorates the Gunpowder Plot of 1605 in which a group of English Catholics failed to blow up Parliament and kill the Protestant king.
An MP will also be ceremonially taken “hostage” in Buckingham Palace while the King attends Parliament. This is designed to ensure the monarch’s safe return.
A government whip known as the vice-chamberlain of the household traditionally performs this task and the position is currently held by Labour MP Sir Nic Dakin.
The royal procession travels from Buckingham Palace to the Sovereign’s Entrance at Parliament, with a military escort.
In 2024, the Ministry of Defence said more than 1,100 military personnel and almost 200 horses took part.
The King will later lead the royal procession to the chamber of the House of Lords and he will deliver the speech, usually at around 11:30.
Before he starts, Black Rod – a senior officer in the Lords – will be sent to the House of Commons to summon the MPs.
The door to the Commons chamber is shut in Black Rod’s face and he will strike it three times before it is opened, a tradition said to symbolise the independence of the Commons from the monarch.
MPs will file through Central Lobby to the Lords, with as many as possible watching the King’s Speech from the bar of the House – a railing marking the boundary beyond which visitors may not pass when the House is at work.
Other MPs will stay behind in the Commons, with some watching the speech on their phones or tablets.
MPs will hold several days of debate on the King’s Speech from 14:30 on Wednesday.
A long-serving MP and a relative newcomer to the Commons usually make speeches, with Conservative Party leader Badenoch third up before Sir Keir addresses the chamber.
It will be the first opportunity for MPs to attempt to question the PM in the Commons since last week’s elections.
