With all the pomp of the greatest occasions, Charles III traveled in a carriage between Buckingham Palace and Westminster on Tuesday to deliver his first King's Speech.. About to turn 75, Charles officially took over from Elizabeth II (in 2022 he replaced his mother when she was still alive) and went down in history as the first king to preside over the opening of Parliament sessions since 1950, when His grandfather George IV did it.

Carlos paid tribute to “my beloved mother's legacy of service and devotion”, in the only homegrown phrase with which he started the King's Speech, which basically consisted of the list of intentions of Rishi Sunak's Government in the countdown to the general elections, scheduled for the end of 2024.

As tradition dictates, King Charles read the Government's dictate. The green monarch's voice did not tremble even when announcing the new gas and oil prospecting in the North Sea anticipated by Sunak and harshly criticized by environmental groups as a “reverse” in climate action.

In just ten minutes, Carlos reviewed around twenty initiatives of the Conservative Government, from measures against anti-Semitism to the fight against inflation, including the toughening of sentences for serious crimes, a new anti-smoking law and investments in transport. .

The king made an obligatory mention of “the consequences of the brutal actions of terrorism against the people of Israel” and announced the construction of a monument in memory of the victims of the Holocaust in Victoria Tower Gardens. The monarch assured the British Government's commitment to “provide humanitarian aid to Gaza and support the cause of peace and stability in the Middle East.”

“My ministers will work closely with our international partners to support Ukraine, strengthen NATO and address the most pressing security challenges,” Carlos declared verbatim, through the Government.

In another of the most committed moments of the speech, the King anticipated the Government's plans to comply with all the provisions of the Illegal Immigration Law (without needing to mention the deportations to Rwanda stopped at the time by the courts) and combat “the dangerous and illegal” boat crossings in the English Channel.

Carlos stressed at the outset “the significant long-term challenges created by Covid and the war in Ukraine” and reiterated the Sunak Government's intention to offer “long-term solutions for a brighter future”, paraphrasing the motto with which the Premier hopes to attend the next elections.

Labor opposition leader Keir Starmer accused Sunak of politically exploiting the traditional King's Speech “with tricks, divisions and more of the same”. “The Tories can fix this country because they have already failed, with their legacy of stagnant growth, skyrocketing mortgages, skyrocketing prices and crumbling schools and hospitals,” Starmer declared.. “Sunak admits this country needs change, but this Government can't do it.”

Analysts agreed that the King's Speech was the most “politicized” in recent years, in contrast to the formality with which the Queen's Speech was normally received.. Sunak took the opportunity to draw the “dividing lines” in the next elections and put Carlos III in a compromise, with the announcement of measures that clash with his environmental creed.

The premier has, however, given the green light to the King to travel to the United Arab Emirates and deliver a long-awaited speech at the start of COP28.. A little over a year ago, Charles III was forced to cancel his plans to intervene in the COP27 in Egypt at the requests of the then Prime Minister Liz Truss, who resisted just 45 days in Downing Street.

Sunak has apparently been more respectful of the King's wishes and maintains a correct and formal relationship. Since his coronation in May, Charles has brought a turn of international diplomacy to his reign, marked by visits to Germany and France (to strengthen European ties) and by his recent trip to Kenya, where he expressed his “pain” over the abuses. committed during colonialism on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of its independence.

After 14 months of his accession to the throne and six since his coronation, Charles maintains popularity ratings well above that of politicians.. 52% of Britons today approve of his work, compared to 23% who disapprove, according to a recent YouGov poll.