The world is burning. It was perhaps more surreal — or just sillier — than ever to watch a monarch talk about easing the cost of living while sitting on a gilded throne and wearing a golden crown encrusted by 2,868 diamonds.
But one can take a bit of comfort in knowing King Charles, the first king to conduct the state opening of the parliament in 70 years, must have hated giving the speech. The King’s Speech, while read by the reigning monarch in full regalia, is written by the government in its entirety and is through which the prime minister lays down the ruling party’s priorities for the year.
This meant that King Charles — who’s been warning the world about climate change since the ‘70s — was forced by tradition to take a neutral stance and read out Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s anti-green agenda, in particular the formal announcement of the Conservative Party’s pledge to grant new North Sea oil and gas exploration licenses every year.
But it was still ridiculous. It would’ve been a great opportunity to turn down the pomp and forgo age-old traditions to allow themselves to finally read the room. But the British Royal family likes taking its time.
“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 opened.
While royal subjects wondered about the cost of the 104-carat Stuart Sapphire gleaming at the center of his crown and why they must stick to these lavish traditions even when the masses could barely afford to survive, the King talked about making difficult but necessary decisions.
“The impact of COVID and the war in Ukraine have created significant long-term challenges for the United Kingdom, that is why my government’s priority is to make the difficult but necessary long-term decisions to change this country for the better.”
Absent in the speech were the more controversial proposals, including those concerning plans to stop councils from implementing 15-minute cities, a ban on conversion therapy or “treatments” that “cure” LGBTQ+ people, and the regulation of artificial intelligence.
While it was the first for Charles, the speech was a first, too, for the Prime Minister who took over from Elizabeth Truss just a little over a year ago. It was also the chance for Sunak to sneak in his populist-leaning, low-cost measures, as Bloomberg called them, in an attempt to address his waning popularity before the general election. The fourth session of the 58th Parliament is expected to be the last one before then, and Sunak’s Conservative Party is on the wrong side of a double-digit gap in opinion polls.
Yet, observers say, the proposals presented — 21 in all, the lowest number since 2014 — do not seem to hold much in terms of “difficult” decisions or “change.”
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