Keir Starmer leadership chaos will prompt 'awkward' moment for King Charles

When King Charles's carriage rattles towards the Palace of Westminster for the State Opening of Parliament tomorrow, he will perform one of his most important constitutional duties, albeit in unusual circumstances. Following a local election "bloodbath" that has left the Prime Minister’s authority in tatters and seen more than 80 MPs demanding his departure, the King, 77, will don the Imperial State Crown and his robes of state to set out the government's planned new laws for the next Parliamentary session and beyond.

In what will be a masterclass on the challenges of the constitutional monarchy's neutrality, King Charles will deliver an agenda written by Keir Starmer for a government whose stability looks less and less certain every day.

"This is another awkward situation for the King,” former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond notes. “Mind you, he has had to announce policies in the past that he would have profoundly disagreed with. It’s just the sort of thing you have to do when you’re a constitutional monarch. But I am sure we’d all like to give him a penny for his thoughts as he reads the speech today.”

Ms Bond’s comments come after Reform MP Robert Jenrick wrote on social media platform X: "The King should not be asked to get involved in this farce”, suggesting the State Opening risks dragging the monarchy into the political mire.

While Ms Bond points out that the situation is "awkward," it is the essence of the King’s job. "Jenrick is talking nonsense. The show has to go on, and Charles has to do what he has to do," she told the Daily Express. "To call off the opening would provoke another constitutional crisis."

Joe Little, Managing Editor of Majesty Magazine, echoed this sentiment, adding that the King remains insulated by the very nature of his role. "It's a challenging time for the current prime minister, but the King, in the context of the State Opening of Parliament, has no reason to feel embarrassed about what's going on."

Mr Little added: "The speech he'll be reading from the throne in the House of Lords is on behalf of his government, not his British prime minister, and so it'll be a case of business as usual, at least in public.

When contacted for comment, Buckingham Palace made it clear that the content of the speech would be a matter for the government and that the speech would be given in His Majesty’s role as Head of State.

However, Politico reports that top palace aides privately asked whether King Charles should proceed as planned with the ceremonial State Opening of Parliament.

According to those familiar with the discussions, the king’s team made clear to Starmer’s officials the importance of protecting the monarch from any impression that he is being used for political ends. “The Palace view is ‘we do not want to be any part of this conversation — do not bring us into it.'”

Despite Starmer’s attempt to "get on with governing" as he attempts to relaunch his premiership, the speech follows Labour losing over 1,000 council seats and control of the Welsh Senedd.

While the contents of the speech remain a mystery until it is given, experts have predicted that Starmer may introduce bills to target the cost of living crisis and legislation to allow British steel to be nationalised.