The King's Speech: What happens at the State Opening of Parliament?

The State Opening of Parliament is an important ceremonial occasion for the King or Queen of the United Kingdom, as well as for the UK government.

The King's Speech is the centrepiece of the event and is a tradition that goes back hundreds of years.

It's the official way in which the government re-opens parliament after a break and sets out their plans for what they want to achieve.

This year, the King's Speech - delivered by King Charles III - will take place in the House of Lords on Wednesday 13 May.

Here's what you need to know.

The King's Speech is part of what is called the State Opening of Parliament.

It's a bit like the start of a new school year for politicians. The proper name given to this is the start of a parliamentary session.

The King's Speech explains the government's plans for the coming year.

Although the government writes the speech, King Charles reads it out in front of members of the House of Commons and House of Lords.

There is normally one King's Speech every year.

The ceremony can be traced back to the 15th century.

It is designed to bring together different parts of parliament - the Crown, Peers and MPs.

Traditionally the monarch rides in a grand state coach from Buckingham Palace to the House of Lords in Westminster with all sorts of parades and military bands performing.

But in recent years these ceremonial elements have been scaled back.

When the King enters the House of Lords, everyone stands up.

The King will wear ceremonial robes, including the Imperial State Crown and the Robe of State.

After leaving a room known as the robing room, the King leads a royal procession through the gallery of the Houses of Parliament before sitting on a throne in the House of Lords.

There he says, "My Lords, pray be seated".

The Black Rod - the King's messenger - then walks to the door of the House of Commons, where elected Members of Parliament (MPs) work.

As part of the ceremony, the Black Rod knocks on the door, but the door is slammed in their face.

It might seem a bit rude but it's believed it shows that the House of Commons is independent of the monarchy.

The Black Rod knocks on the door three times with their stick.

They then enter the House of Commons and ask the attending MPs to come to the Lords Chamber to listen to the King.

An official known as the Lord Chancellor then hands the speech to the King, and he reads it aloud.

The King's Speech is expected to include more than 35 bills and draft bills, on a range of topics including the environment, the economy and health.

The government is expected to complete the Representation of the People Bill, which will reduce the voting age to 16 at general elections.

At the moment, you can only vote in a general election if you're 18 or older.

Other proposals expected to be in the speech include legislation to replace water regulator Ofwat with a new single regulator responsible for tackling pollution across the water system in England.

Regulation is a way of keeping water companies in check to make sure they deliver for billpayers and the environment.

And the government has said it will introduce legislation to limit the service fees charged by resale platforms for music tickets.

Major artists, including Dua Lipa and Coldplay, have backed proposals to change the law, although many in the industry say that the plans do not go far enough.

When the King finishes the speech and the State Opening is over, he leaves and returns to Buckingham Palace.

In the afternoon, the government's plans - which were shared in the speech - are debated in the House of Commons, and MPs will eventually have the chance to vote on them.

They will also have an opportunity to attempt to question the prime minister in the Commons for the first time since last week's elections.