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Queen’s Speech 2022 transcript: Full text of State Opening of Parliament address delivered by Prince Charles

The prince of wales stepped in for the state opening of parliament after the queen was forced to pull out due to mobility issues.

Prince Charles attended the State Opening of Parliament 2022 in the Queen’s place after she was forced to pull out due to “episodic mobility problems” .

The Prince of Wales delivered the Queen’s Speech instead, with Boris Johnson’s Government pledging to put forward a  bumper legislative programme  of 38Bills.

At 874 words, the address was the shortest speech at a State Opening of Parliament since 2013 and well below the average of 1,091 words of speeches during the Queen’s reign.

It took Prince Charles just eight minutes and 45 seconds to read it on Tuesday , a far cry from the 15 minutes it took the Queen to deliver 1999’s effort.

This marked the third time during the Queen’s reign that she did not deliver the speech in person, having missed the 1959 and 1963 events when pregnant with Prince Andrew and Prince Edward respectively.

Queen’s Speech 2022 full transcript

The full text of the 2022 Queen’s Speech delivered by Prince Charles is as follows:

“My lords and members of the House of Commons.

“My Government’s priority is to grow and strengthen the economy and help ease the cost of living for families.

“My Government will level up opportunity in all parts of the country and support more people into work.

“My ministers will continue to support the police to make the streets safer and fund the National Health Service to reduce the Covid backlogs.

“In these challenging times, my Government will play a leading role in defending democracy and freedom across the world, including continuing to support the people of Ukraine.

“My Government will drive economic growth to improve living standards and fund sustainable investment in public services.

“This will be underpinned by a responsible approach to the public finances, reducing debt while reforming and cutting taxes.

“My ministers will support the Bank of England to return inflation to its target.

“A Bill will be brought forward to drive local growth, empowering local leaders to regenerate their areas and ensuring everyone can share in the United Kingdom’s success.

“The planning system will be reformed to give residents more involvement in local development.

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“My Government will improve transport across the United Kingdom, delivering safer, cleaner services and enabling more innovations. Legislation will be introduced to modernise rail services and improve reliability for passengers.

“My ministers will bring forward an Energy Bill to deliver the transition to cheaper, cleaner, and more secure energy. This will build on the success of the COP26 Summit in Glasgow last year.

“Draft legislation to promote competition, strengthen consumer rights and protect households and businesses will be published.

“Measures will also be published to create new competition rules for digital markets and the largest digital firms.

“My Government will establish the UK Infrastructure Bank in legislation, with objectives to support economic growth and the delivery of net zero.

“Reforms to education will help every child fulfil their potential wherever they live, raising standards and improving the quality of schools and higher education.

“My ministers will publish draft legislation to reform the Mental Health Act.

“My Government will continue to seize the opportunities of the United Kingdom’s departure from the European Union, to support economic growth. Regulations on businesses will be repealed and reformed.

“A Bill will enable law inherited from the European Union to be more easily amended.

“Public sector procurement will be simplified to provide new opportunities for small businesses.

“New legislation will strengthen the United Kingdom’s financial services industry, ensuring that it continues to act in the interest of all people and communities.

“The United Kingdom’s data protection regime will be reformed.

“My Government will continue to champion international trade, delivering jobs across the country and growing the economy.

“Legislation will be introduced to enable the implementation of the United Kingdom’s first new Free Trade Agreements since leaving the European Union.

“My Ministers will encourage agricultural and scientific innovation at home.

“Legislation will unlock the potential of new technologies to promote sustainable and efficient farming and food production.

“My Government will protect the integrity of the United Kingdom’s borders and ensure the safety of its people.

“My ministers will take action to prevent dangerous and illegal Channel crossings and tackle the criminal gangs who profit from facilitating them.

“Legislation will be introduced to ensure the police have the powers to make the streets safer.

“A Bill will be brought forward to further strengthen powers to tackle illicit finance, reduce economic crime and help businesses grow.

“Measures will be introduced to support the security services and help them protect the United Kingdom.

“My Government will lead the way in championing security around the world. It will continue to invest in our gallant Armed Forces.

“My ministers will work closely with international partners to maintain a united Nato and address the most pressing global security challenges.

“The continued success and integrity of the whole of the United Kingdom is of paramount importance to my Government, including the internal economic bonds between all of its parts.

“My Government will prioritise support for the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement and its institutions, including through legislation to address the legacy of the past.

“My Government will ensure the constitution is defended. My ministers will restore the balance of power between the legislature and the courts by introducing a Bill of Rights.

“Legislation will prevent public bodies engaging in boycotts that undermine community cohesion.

“My Government will introduce legislation to improve the regulation of social housing to strengthen the rights of tenants and ensure better quality, safer homes.

“Legislation will also be introduced to ban conversion therapy.

“Proposals will be published to establish an independent regulator of English football.

“In this year of my Platinum Jubilee, I look forward to the celebrations taking place across the United Kingdom and throughout the Commonwealth, and to the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham this summer.

“Members of the House of Commons, estimates for the public services will be laid before you.

“My lords and members of the House of Commons, other measures will be laid before you.

“I pray that the blessing of Almighty God may rest upon your counsels.”

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Queen’s Speech 2022: key points explained

Forthcoming bills as prince charles stands in for the queen.

Boris Johnson is betting that boosting economic growth can create jobs, boost wages and level up the country in time for the next election. In a legislative programme of 38 bills, the prime minister set out plans to use Brexit freedoms to stimulate the economy and boost cutting-edge research; reforms to boost house building and infrastructure to spread opportunity around the country; and a crackdown on crime and disorder. Among the key measures are:

Economy and net zero An energy security bill will allow the energy price cap to be extended beyond next year and will hand ministers powers to direct essential power companies to secure energy supplies. It also sets new consumer standards for domestic electric heat pumps plus carbon capture and storage technology,

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Queen's Speech 2022: background briefing notes

Read the briefing notes on the announcements made in the 2022 Queen’s Speech.

Queen's speech 2022: background briefing notes

PDF , 406 KB , 140 pages

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‘We shall be worthy of our duty’: the Queen’s most memorable speeches

From wartime broadcasts to Christmas Day messages, here are excerpts from some of her best-known addresses

Princess Elizabeth’s wartime broadcast on BBC Children’s Hour, 13 October 1940

Thousands of you in this country have had to leave your homes and be separated from your fathers and mothers. My sister, Margaret Rose, and I feel so much for you as we know from experience what it means to be away from those we love most of all.

All of us children who are still at home think continually of our friends and relations who have gone overseas – who have travelled thousands of miles to find a wartime home and a kindly welcome in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and the United States of America.

My sister and I feel we know quite a lot about these countries. Our father and mother have so often talked to us of their visits to different parts of the world. So it is not difficult for us to picture the sort of life you are all leading, and to think of all the new sights you must be seeing, and the adventures you must be having.

We know, every one of us, that in the end all will be well; for God will care for us and give us victory and peace.

My sister is by my side and we are both going to say goodnight to you. Come on, Margaret. Goodnight, children.

The Queen’s first live radio Christmas broadcast, from Sandringham, December 1952

Each Christmas, at this time, my beloved father broadcast a message to his people in all parts of the world. Today I am doing this to you, who are now my people.

At Christmas our thoughts are always full of our homes and our families.

Many grave problems and difficulties confront us all, but with a new faith in the old and splendid beliefs given us by our forefathers, and the strength to venture beyond the safeties of the past, I know we shall be worthy of our duty.

Above all, we must keep alive that courageous spirit of adventure that is the finest quality of youth; and by youth I do not just mean those who are young in years; I mean too all those who are young in heart, no matter how old they may be. That spirit still flourishes in this old country and in all the younger countries of our Commonwealth.

At my coronation next June, I shall dedicate myself anew to your service. I shall do so in the presence of a great congregation, drawn from every part of the Commonwealth and empire, while millions outside Westminster Abbey will hear the promises and the prayers being offered up within its walls, and see much of the ancient ceremony in which kings and queens before me have taken part through century upon century.

Queen’s coronation day speech, 2 June 1953

The ceremonies you have seen today are ancient, and some of their origins are veiled in the mists of the past. But their spirit and their meaning shine through the ages never, perhaps, more brightly than now. I have in sincerity pledged myself to your service, as so many of you are pledged to mine. Throughout all my life and with all my heart I shall strive to be worthy of your trust.

I have behind me not only the splendid traditions and the annals of more than a thousand years but the living strength and majesty of the Commonwealth and empire; of societies old and new; of lands and races different in history and origins but all, by God’s will, united in spirit and in aim.

Therefore, I am sure that this, my coronation, is not the symbol of a power and a splendour that are gone but a declaration of our hopes for the future, and for the years I may, by God’s grace and mercy, be given to reign and serve you as your Queen.

Christmas broadcast on the topic of children’s privacy, 1958

We would like our son and daughter to grow up as normally as possible so that they will be able to serve you and the Commonwealth faithfully and well when they are old enough to do so. We believe the public life is not a fair burden to place on growing children.

Christmas broadcast, 1972

In 1972, the Queen and Prince Philip celebrated 25 years of marriage. That year there was also terrible violence in Northern Ireland, and preparations for Britain to join the European Economic Community. The Queen refers to both these news stories in her speech.

One of the great Christian ideals is a happy and lasting marriage between man and wife, but no marriage can hope to succeed without a deliberate effort to be tolerant and understanding. This doesn’t come easily to individuals and it certainly doesn’t come naturally to communities or nations.

We know only too well that a selfish insistence upon our rights and our own point of view leads to disaster. We all ought to know by now that a civilised and peaceful existence is only possible when people make the effort to understand each other.

Looking at the world, one might be forgiven for believing that many people have never heard of this simple idea. Every day there are reports of violence, lawlessness, and the disregard for human life.

Most of this is excused on purely selfish grounds. I know there are millions of kindly people throughout the world who are saddened with me for all those who suffer from these outrages.

In the United Kingdom we have our own particular sorrows in Northern Ireland and I want to send a special message of sympathy to all those men, women and children who have suffered and endured so much.

But there is a light in this tragic situation. The people are steadfastly carrying on their ordinary business in their factories and places of work.

Voluntary workers, both in and out of uniform, have struggled to keep humanity and commonsense alive. The social services have done their job magnificently. The forces of law and order continue their thankless task with the utmost fortitude in the face of appalling provocation.

Britain is about to join her neighbours in the European Community and you may well ask how this will affect the Commonwealth.

The new links with Europe will not replace those with the Commonwealth. They cannot alter our historical and personal attachments with kinsmen and friends overseas. Old friends will not be lost; Britain will take her Commonwealth links into Europe with her.

Britain and these other European countries see in the community a new opportunity for the future. They believe that the things they have in common are more important than the things which divide them, and that if they work together not only they, but the whole world will benefit.

We are trying to create a wider family of nations and it is particularly at Christmas that this family should feel closest together.

Speech delivered as UK troops are deployed to the Persian Gulf, 24 February 1991

As a nation, we are rightly proud of our armed forces. That pride has been fully justified by their conduct in the Gulf war so far. As they, with our allies, face a fresh and yet sterner challenge, I hope that we can unite, and pray that their success will be as swift as it is certain and that it may be achieved with as small a cost in human life and suffering as possible. Then may the true reward of their courage be granted- a just and lasting peace.

‘Annus horribilis’: Queen’s speech at the Guildhall to mark the 40th anniversary of her accession, 24 November 1992

1992 is not a year on which I shall look back with undiluted pleasure. In the words of one of my more sympathetic correspondents, it has turned out to be an ‘annus horribilis’. I suspect that I am not alone in thinking it so. Indeed, I suspect that there are very few people or institutions unaffected by these last months of worldwide turmoil and uncertainty. This generosity and whole-hearted kindness of the Corporation of the City to Prince Philip and me would be welcome at any time, but at this particular moment, in the aftermath of Friday’s tragic fire at Windsor, it is especially so.

I sometimes wonder how future generations will judge the events of this tumultuous year.

There can be no doubt, of course, that criticism is good for people and institutions that are part of public life. No institution – city, monarchy, whatever – should expect to be free from the scrutiny of those who give it their loyalty and support, not to mention those who don’t.

Christmas speech, 1996

In difficult times, it is tempting for all of us, especially those who suffer, to look back and say ‘if only’. But to look back in that way is to look down a blind alley. Better to look forward and say ‘if only’.

Address to the nation on the death of Diana, 5 September 1997

We have all been trying in our different ways to cope. It is not easy to express a sense of loss, since the initial shock is often succeeded by a mixture of other feelings: disbelief, incomprehension, anger – and concern for those who remain.

We have all felt those emotions in these last few days. So what I say to you now, as your queen and as a grandmother, I say from my heart.

First, I want to pay tribute to Diana myself. She was an exceptional and gifted human being. In good times and bad, she never lost her capacity to smile and laugh, nor to inspire others with her warmth and kindness.

I admired and respected her – for her energy and commitment to others, and especially for her devotion to her two boys …

No one who knew Diana will ever forget her. Millions of others who never met her, but felt they knew her, will remember her.

The Queen on her golden wedding anniversary, 20 November 1997

When Prince Philip and I were married on this day 50 years ago, Britain had just endured six years of war, emerging battered but victorious. Prince Philip had served in the Royal Navy in the far east, while I was grappling, in the ATS, with the complexities of the combustion engine and learning to drive an ambulance with care.

All too often, I fear, Prince Philip has had to listen to me speaking. Frequently we have discussed my intended speech beforehand and, as you will imagine, his views have been expressed in a forthright manner.

He is someone who doesn’t take easily to compliments but he has, quite simply, been my strength and stay all these years, and I, and his whole family, and this and many other countries, owe him a debt greater than he would ever claim, or we shall ever know.

Christmas message, 1999

As I look to the future I have no doubt at all that the one certainty is change – and the pace of that change will only seem to increase …

There are many, for example, of my age or amongst the more vulnerable in society who worry that they will be left behind. The sheer rate of change seems to be sweeping away so much that is familiar and comforting.

But I do not think that we should be over-anxious. We can make sense of the future – if we understand the lessons of the past.

Centenary of the Entente Cordiale, state banquet in Paris, 5 April 2004

If I may be allowed tonight one small British understatement, our historical relationship has not always been smooth. For centuries we fought each other fiercely, often and everywhere – from Hastings to Waterloo, from the heights of Abraham to the mouth of the Nile.

But since 1815 our two nations have not been to war. On the contrary, we have stood together, resolute in defence of liberty and democracy, notably through the terrible global conflicts of the 20th century.

We are both reminded that neither of our two great nations, nor Europe, nor the wider western alliance, can afford the luxury of short-term division or discord, in the face of threats to our security and prosperity that now challenge us all.

Of course, we will never agree on everything. Life would be dull indeed, not least for the rest of the world, if we did not allow ourselves a little space to live up to our national caricatures – British pragmatism and French elan; French conceptualism and British humour; British rain and French sun; I think we should enjoy the complementarity of it all.

I believe our two peoples understand this sometimes more clearly than our governments. Thousands of British are settling, living and working in France, and thousands of French are crossing the Channel to do the same. Millions of British holidaymakers visit France each year.

Our histories have made us frequent rivals, but like our forebears a hundred years ago, we now need to recognise that we are natural 21st-century partners in Europe and the wider world.

Vive la difference, mais vive L’Entente Cordiale.

60th anniversary D-day commemoration in Arromanches, 6 June 2004

This audience knows of the historic significance of what took place here 60 years ago: the sheer size and scope of the operation – it included the largest massed airborne landing yet attempted anywhere and successfully made; the boldness and imagination of the concept; the months of painstaking planning; the endless training and waiting; and then the ferocity of the day itself and the campaign that followed.

None of this meticulous preparation would have achieved anything without the courage and fortitude, and the dogged determination, of the hundreds of thousands of servicemen who landed on the beaches on that day, and then fought their way inland in the face of determined opposition.

After so many frustrating delays, the invasion of Europe, for which everyone in the free world had been praying, had finally started, and everyone hoped that it would lead to a speedy end to the war. My father broadcast to the nation on that day and said: “Once more a supreme test has to be faced. This time the challenge is not to fight to survive, but to fight to win the final victory for the good cause”.

There is just one thing more I want to say. What for you is a haunting memory of danger and sacrifice one summer long ago, is for your country, and for generations of your countrymen to come, one of the proudest moments in our long national history.

I take it upon myself to express the immense debt of gratitude we owe to you all. I salute you, and thank you on behalf of our whole nation.

Opening of a memorial fountain to Diana, 6 July 2004

It is sometimes difficult to believe that it is now nearly seven years since we heard the news that Diana, Princess of Wales had been killed in a car crash in Paris.

By any standard Diana’s tragic death held the attention of the world. Central to this remains the extraordinary effect Diana had on those around her. Her drive to empathise with those in difficulty, hardship or distress, her willingness to embrace a new cause, her shrewd ability to size up all those she met, allowed her not only to touch people’s lives but to change them.

This is her wider legacy. But I cannot forget – and nor can those of us here today who knew her much more personally, as sister, wife, mother, or daughter-in-law – the Diana who made such an impact on our lives. Of course, there were difficult times, but memories mellow with the passing of the years. I remember especially the happiness she gave to my two grandsons.

The Queen’s 80th birthday speech at Mansion House, 15 June 2006

As one gets older, birthdays seem to come round quicker; they are therefore less obvious excuses for wider celebration than personal moments to count one’s blessings. As Groucho Marx once said: “Anyone can get old – all you have to do is live long enough.”

Address to the UN general assembly, 2010

I believe I was last here in 1957. Since then, I have travelled widely and met many leaders, ambassadors, and statesmen from around the world. I address you today as Queen of 16 United Nations member states and as head of the Commonwealth of 54 countries.

The achievements of the United Nations are remarkable. When I was first here, there were just three United Nations operations overseas. Now, over 120,000 men and women are deployed in 26 missions across the world. You have helped to reduce conflict; you have offered humanitarian assistance to millions of people affected by natural disasters and other emergencies; and you have been deeply committed to tackling the effects of poverty in many parts of the world.

But so much remains to be done. Former secretary general Dag Hammarskjöld once said that “constant attention by a good nurse may be just as important as a major operation by a surgeon”. Good nurses get better with practice; sadly the supply of patients never ceases.

In my lifetime, the United Nation[s] has – has moved from being a high-minded aspiration to being a real force for common good. That of itself has been a signal achievement. But we are not gathered here to reminisce. In tomorrow’s world, we must all work together as hard as ever if we are truly to be United Nations.

Speech during the Queen’s first visit ever to Ireland, at Dublin Castle, 18 May 2011

Together we have much to celebrate: the ties between our people, the shared values, and the economic, business and cultural links that make us so much more than neighbours, that make us firm friends and equal partners …

Of course, the relationship has not always been straightforward; nor has the record over the centuries been entirely benign.

It is a sad and regrettable reality that through history our islands have experienced more than their fair share of heartache, turbulence and loss.

These events have touched us all, many of us personally, and are a painful legacy. We can never forget those who have died or been injured or their families.

To all those who have suffered as a consequence of our troubled past I extend my sincere thoughts and deep sympathy.

With the benefit of historical hindsight we can all see things which we would wish had been done differently or not at all.

Speech during President Barack Obama’s state visit, 24 May 2011

Mr President,

I am delighted to welcome you and Mrs Obama to London.

Your visit to this country inevitably reminds us of our shared history, our common language, and our strong intellectual and cultural links. It also reminds us that your country twice came to the rescue of the free and democratic world when it was facing military disaster. On each occasion, after the end of those destructive wars, the generosity of the United States made a massive contribution to our economic recovery. Today the United States remains our most important ally and our two nations contribute to the security and prosperity of our peoples, and of the world, through shared national interests.

But our relationship goes far beyond our military and diplomatic ties. Entertainment may not be so obviously an example of our close ties, but it forms part of the lives of a great many of our people. Over the years, we have enjoyed some of America’s most spectacular musical productions and any number of what we call films – and you might prefer to call movies. In return, British films and theatrical productions have achieved considerable success in your country. This exchange of people and projects has enlarged and invigorated our common language – although I think you will agree we do not always use it in quite the same way!

Queen’s address to the Houses of Parliament to mark her diamond jubilee, 20 March 2012

Parliament has survived as an unshakeable cornerstone of our constitution and our way of life. History links monarchs and parliament, a connecting thread from one period to the next. So, in an era when the regular, worthy rhythm of life is less eye-catching than doing something extraordinary, I am reassured that I am merely the second sovereign to celebrate a diamond jubilee.

Since my accession, I have been a regular visitor to the Palace of Westminster and, at the last count, have had the pleasurable duty of treating with 12 prime ministers.

The happy relationship I have enjoyed with parliament has extended well beyond the more than three and a half thousand bills I have signed into law.

We are reminded here of our past, of the continuity of our national story and the virtues of resilience, ingenuity and tolerance which created it. I have been privileged to witness some of that history and, with the support of my family, rededicate myself to the service of our great country and its people now and in the years to come.

Queen’s speech at the Olympic heads of government reception, 27 July 2012

Over recent months, many in these islands have watched with growing excitement the journey of the Olympic torch around the United Kingdom. As the torch has passed through villages and towns it has drawn people together as families and communities. To me, this spirit of togetherness is a most important part of the Olympic ideal; and the British people can be proud of the part they have played in keeping the spirit alive. Many sports played in these Games have their historic roots in this country; and as a nation we have an abiding passion for sport, as well as a tradition of fair play and a good-natured sense of fun.

In all our national Olympics teams there is so much of which we can be proud: groups of young men and women dedicated to excellence and achievement across numerous sporting disciplines. And these teams are ably supported by thousands of organisers, volunteers, and supporters who will be following the action not just at the Olympic venues here in the United Kingdom but throughout the world.

For all these reasons, I wish you and your countries a successful, enjoyable and memorable Games.

‘We will meet again’: Queen’s pandemic speech, recorded at Windsor Castle, 5 April 2020

I am speaking to you at what I know is an increasingly challenging time. A time of disruption in the life of our country: a disruption that has brought grief to some, financial difficulties to many, and enormous changes to the daily lives of us all.

I want to thank everyone on the NHS frontline, as well as care workers and those carrying out essential roles, who selflessly continue their day-to-day duties outside the home in support of us all.

I also want to thank those of you who are staying at home, thereby helping to protect the vulnerable and sparing many families the pain already felt by those who have lost loved ones. Together we are tackling this disease, and I want to reassure you that if we remain united and resolute, then we will overcome it.

I hope in the years to come everyone will be able to take pride in how they responded to this challenge. And those who come after us will say the Britons of this generation were as strong as any.

That the attributes of self-discipline, of quiet good-humoured resolve and of fellow-feeling still characterise this country. The pride in who we are is not a part of our past, it defines our present and our future.

The moments when the United Kingdom has come together to applaud its care and essential workers will be remembered as an expression of our national spirit; and its symbol will be the rainbows drawn by children.

It reminds me of the very first broadcast I made, in 1940, helped by my sister. We, as children, spoke from here at Windsor to children who had been evacuated from their homes and sent away for their own safety. Today, once again, many will feel a painful sense of separation from their loved ones.

This time we join with all nations across the globe in a common endeavour, using the great advances of science and our instinctive compassion to heal. We will succeed – and that success will belong to every one of us.

We should take comfort that while we may have more still to endure, better days will return: we will be with our friends again; we will be with our families again; we will meet again. But for now, I send my thanks and warmest good wishes to you all.

• Queen Elizabeth II

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