Along with Queen Camilla, Charles III travelled to Westminster in the Diamond Jubilee State Coach and was accompanied by the Household Cavalry, the first time a full military procession had taken place for the ceremony since before the COVID-19 pandemic.

2023 also marked Rishi Sunak's lone State Opening of Parliament since his election as Conservative party leader and appointment as UK Prime Minister a year earlier.

Keen to showcase Conservative Party policy ahead of a general election and present himself as the "change candidate", Sunak set out an agenda of 21 pieces of legislation, with crime a key focus.

There was also legislation to introduce a phased ban on smoking in England, to award annual licences for oil and gas projects in the North Sea and to create an independent regulator for English football.

Gordon Rayner of The Telegraph described Sunak as having "served up meagre rations of innovation and large helpings of more of the same", while BBC News's Chris Mason suggested it was "iterative, rather than explosive".

[13] During the weekend before the speech was scheduled to be delivered, Home Secretary Suella Braverman attracted criticism from homeless charities and some Conservative MPs after a series of posts on X in which she said the government would restrict the use of tents by rough sleepers in England and Wales, but the plans were not included in the legislative programme outlined by the King.

[3][15] Charles III and Queen Camilla then travelled from Buckingham Palace to Westminster in the Diamond Jubilee State Coach, escorted by the Household Cavalry.

[3][15] Once MPs had assembled in the Lords, Charles III then read the King's Speech,[18] beginning by reflecting on the life of his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II, and paying tribute to her "legacy and devotion to service".

[19] The speech, prepared by the UK government, set out its planned programme of legislation for the next session of parliament, and was read by the King in a neutral tone so as not to show any appearance of political support.

Labour also expressed concerns about the plans for the awarding of annual licences for oil and gas projects in the North Sea, something that already occurred, but which ministers would be legally required to do under the new legislation.

[3] Sir Ed Davey, the Leader of the Liberal Democrats, claimed the government was "out of touch and out of ideas", and said the speech failed to address issues such as the cost of living crisis and the National Health Service.

[34] Chris Mason, political editor at BBC News, suggested the speech "felt very Sunakian: iterative, rather than explosive, but with an emphasis on ideas he is personally passionate about, like banning young people from smoking".

[3] The Equality and Human Rights Commission said it was "disappointed" that a ban on conversion therapy, first suggested in 2018, was not included, while Robbie de Santos, Director of External Affairs at Stonewall, claimed the government had "given the green light for the abuse against LGBTQ+ people to continue unchecked".

ITV News's deputy political editor, Anushka Asthana, suggested Cameron's appointment would make it more difficult for Sunak to argue he was a change candidate.

[45] The Tobacco and Vapes Bill was abandoned after Sunak called the 2024 general election, but was revived by the succeeding Government of Keir Starmer and announced as part of Labour's legislative programme during the 2024 State Opening of Parliament.