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Queen Elizabeth II spoke from the throne at the House of Lords Tuesday during the state opening of Parliament. Wearing her crown and regal robes, the Queen gave her speech in regards to Britain’s new but rare coalition government, which formed after this month’s narrow elections.
 AP Photo/ Leon Neal/Pool Among the many things she spoke about were cuts to public spending and changes to the country’s centuries-old political system.
“The first priority is to reduce the deficit and restore economic growth,” the monarch said, reading from a speech drafted by government officials. “Action will be taken to accelerate the reduction of the structural budget deficit. A new Office for Budget Responsibility will provide confidence in the management of the public finances.”
She also confirmed the unpopular 5.1-billion-pound ($7.3 billion) plan for national identity cards will not take place. An initial package of 6 billion pounds ($8.7 billion) in other spending cuts were mentioned.
“Measures will be brought forward to introduce fixed term Parliaments of five years,” the Queen said about political changes. “A Bill will be introduced for a referendum on the Alternative Vote system for the House of Commons (the lower house) and to create fewer and more equal sized constituencies.”
The way things are now, it is the Prime Minister who decides when to hold elections and end parliamentary sessions.
Also in the speech were about the United Kingdom’s new relations with the European Union – “My Government will introduce legislation to ensure that in future this Parliament and the British people have their say on any proposed transfer of powers to the European Union” - and changes to its immigration policy.
“My Government will limit the number of non-European Union economic migrants entering the United Kingdom, and end the detention of children for immigration purposes.”
Sources: Christian Science Monitor, AP
Despite economic problems in the U.K., full scale pageantry was on display today as Queen Elizabeth II opened Parliament at the Palace of Westminster. This was the final Parliament session before elections in 2010.
 AP Photo/Paul Edwards, pool The Queen arrived at Westminster in horse and carriage with her husband, Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. She was dressed in full royal regalia – gown, jewels, fur wrap, ermine robes and of course, the Imperial State Crown, which the Queen put on once she arrived at the Palace.
From the throne, Queen Elizabeth read the speech that was written for her by the government. The speech outlined the economic and financial struggles the British government has dealt with over the year, and how it will tackle it in the months to come.
“My government’s overriding priority is to ensure sustained growth to deliver a fair and prosperous economy for families and businesses, as the British economy recovers from the global economic downturn,” the Queen said.
“My government will continue to reform and strengthen regulation of the financial services industry to ensure greater protection for savers and taxpayers,” she went on to say. “Legislation will be brought forward to enhance the governance of the financial sector and to control the system of rewards.”
Also mentioned in the speech was legislation to protect communities from flooding, European collaboration on climate change, tackling discrimination at the workplace, and salary differences between male and female workers. Furthermore, the conflict in Afghanistan and peace in the Middle East were touched on.
This was the Queen’s 57th speech that opened Parliament – and one of the shortest. In June 2010, there will be Parliamentary elections. The Labour party has been in charge since 1997. According to some polls, that may change next year.
Like any other constitutional monarch, Japan’s Emperor Akihito does not ever voice his politics. Even when he opens Parliament, or the Diet, as he did back in September, his speech is written for him by the Cabinet and approved of by the government.
 AP FILE But now, the Foreign Minister would like to change that a bit. Katsuya Okada told members of the Cabinet in an informal conversation about “whether we can make efforts to have the wording reflect the Emperor’s thoughts, even if it’s just a little bit.”
“I want it (the agency) to consider arranging things so we are given words in which the Emperor’s feelings are included to some degree,” Okada told reporters.
Okada also pointed out that Emperor Akihito’s words rarely change from each session opening.
According to Kyodo News Agency, the Emperor has described this duty as a “great pleasure to gather with one and all who represent the whole nation,” and also, “It is my sincere hope that in dealing with domestic and international problems we face, the Diet as the highest organ of state power will fully accomplish its mission and comply with the trust of the people.”
 Maghreb Arabe Presse The King of Morocco officially opened the country’s Parliament in its capital of Rabat on Friday. In his speech to the Parliament’s two houses, King Mohammed VI stressed the need for legal framework for economic and social council.
“The aim is to develop a model Moroccan economic and social council that serves as an expert constitutional institution thanks to the quality of the advice and recommendations it gives regarding the nation’s chief economic issues,” he said.
The King also called for the council members to come from a diverse background. In other words, there should a substantial number of women, those from civil society and members of higher institutions.
King Mohammed added that the council must be open to all competent citizens, “in accordance with my wish to involve in the council all skilled Moroccans, wherever they may be.”
Furthermore, the Council should “give priority to drawing up – in the foreseeable future – the new social charter I have called for, and to give its opinion on the coordination and interplay between development plans and sector-based policies” and should seek to give concrete substance to the regional dimension of those plans.
“The setting up of this new council is a further step towards good governance in the area of development. I want the latter to be a pillar of our action to consolidate the dignity of our people and contribute to effective citizenship,” said King Mohammed.
The King of Norway opened the 2009-2010 session of Parliament Friday with a speech from the throne. The speech outlined the government’s plans for the country, in the midst of a economic downturn.
 Scanpix With his wife, Queen Sonja, by his right hand, and his son and heir, Crown Prince Haakon, at his left, King Harald V said to Norway’s politicians:
“Over the past year the world economy experienced the most powerful recession since World War II. Many countries have experienced sharply increasing unemployment and fall in production. Land of our closeness, as Iceland and the Baltic countries, has been particularly hard hit. The world economy contributed to the clearly lower growth in the Norwegian mainland economy last year. Rebound increase in force throughout the fall and led eventually to a marked increase in the number of unemployed.”
“To help reduce the impact of employment and unemployment Government conducted early this year comprehensive fiscal measures. In addition, it was from last fall initiated a series of measures to improve the situation in money.”
The King went on to talk about the state of Norway’s money, banks and employment rates. He also discussed how his country is a driving force in fighting poverty and improving health for those in Third World countries.
“Vaccination of children in the poorest countries is one of the main priority. The government has extended this commitment to include maternal health. Norway is now a driving force internationally to ensure that when a UN Millennium Development Goals for maternal and child health.”
Norway is one of the NATO countries that has troops in Afghanistan. King Harald touched on that issue in his speech.
“Afghanistan is still the most important target area for the Norwegian military and civilian participation in international operations. The military effort is continued at a high level, and is increasingly oriented towards training and supporting Afghan security forces. The civilian effort has been the stairs up considerably, in line with Norway’s view that no country can be stabilized by military means alone.”
Also mentioned was Norway’s steps towards allowing paternity leave for fathers, child welfare cases, and one of the country’s biggest industries, oil.
The King’s speech also spoke of the Norwegian foreign policy with Somalia, Zimbabwe and the Mideast peace process.
As the speech came to a close, King Harald returned to the subject of the economy, which is on the minds of every Norwegian, as it is elsewhere in the world.
On October 22nd, there were a dinner for the members of Parliament given by King Harald and Queen Sonja.
The entire Danish royal family gathered yesterday for the annual opening of Parliament at the Christianborg Palace in Copenhagen. The women, in particular Crown Princess Mary and Princess Marie, were dressed fashionably with their lovely coats and hats. They also carried bouquets of autumn colored flowers.
 Hanne Juul/Billed Bladet Princess Benedikte, the younger sister of Queen Margrethe II, arrived first at about 11:45am. She was followed by Prince Joachim and Princess Marie, then by the Crown Princely couple. Last but not least to arrive was the Queen and her husband, Prince Henrik. She was greeted by Thor Pedersen, the Speaker of Parliament.
At noon, everyone went inside and sat in their box to watch the opening session. This year was a more special year since it was Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen’s first time opening Denmark’s Parliament.
Despite that, the royal family, even Queen Margrethe, looked noticeably bored during the session. Some members even looked like they were ready to fall asleep.
 AP Japan’s Emperor Akihito officially opened the Diet, or Parliament, on Friday. He did this from the gilded Chrysanthemum Throne in the upper halls of the Diet.
This Parliament opening is a closely watched, due to the brand new Cabinet under the newly elected Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama.
Hatoyama was voted into Parliament with high hopes that he would fix the worst recession the country has faced since World War II.
Japan has the second largest economy after the United States.
Yesterday, the Emperor formally appointed Hatoyama as the new Prime Minister.
 SvenskDam Tuesday, September 15th was the official opening of Swedish Parliament. The event was attended by the country’s head of state, King Carl XVI Gustaf and his family.
In the morning, there was a church service at Stockholm Cathedral. At 1pm with folk dancers and music performing right outside the Parliament building. An hour later, the royal family arrived by horse and carriage.
The first carriage carried the King and his wife, Queen Silvia. The second had their three children – Victoria, Carl Philip and Madeleine.
Once everyone was settled inside the Riksdag, the King gave a short formal speech which officiated the Opening of Parliament. He then joined Queen Silvia and Crown Princess Victoria on the floor to watch the Prime Minister do his part.
Prince Carl Philip and Princess Madeleine sat in the balcony during the event.
 SvenskDam The newspaper, Expressen, noted that while Madeleine listened closely to everything, her brother seemed distracted and lost in thought for much of the time.
Everyone was dressed in dark clothing, which is a nod to old court attire that was the rule until 1974, the year King Carl Gustaf ascended to the throne.
Between 1975 to 1982, formality was taken away from the ceremonies, such as the dark clothing and royal carriages. But in 1983, they were reintroduced to the Parliamentary Opening.
It is a wonder when Victoria becomes Queen, if she would continue the formal traditions, or take them away.
 Reuters Yesterday, Dutch Queen Beatrix opened the parliamentary year with a speech from the throne. From there, she told the Netherlands about the budget cuts to be made in the economy due to the world economic crisis.
“People are losing their jobs, the number of bankruptcies is rising quickly, assets built up over years are shrinking and government finances are unavoidably showing large deficits,” the Queen said at the Hall of Knights in The Hague. Her speech – the 30th time she has done so – was written by Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende’s centrist coalition government.
“Our country faces an extraordinary, but in no way impossible, task,” she continued.
“Even with an average economic growth rate of 2 percent the state’s debt will increase by about 35 billion euros annually.”
The government will also look at spending cuts of up to 20 percent in some policy areas, the Queen added.
“if (budgetary) policy is not changed, serious and undesirable results will arise for the level of taxes and the affordability of services such as health care, education and pensions.”
After delivering her speech, the Queen and her family went to Noordeinde Palace and went out onto the balcony to wave at the large crowds below.
Security was extra tight this year for the opening of Parliament. Because of the failed attack on the royal family in April, there were barriers and extra policemen on the streets of The Hague.
King Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin gave his speech to the opening of the Malaysian parliament yesterday in Kuala Lumpur. 
In it, the King called for racial unity in the multi-ethnic country.
“I am saddened that after 51 years of independence, narrow racial issues are still being raised by certain parties,” he said.
“In order to preserve racial harmony and the country’s stability, I want to stress that the government will not hesitate to take action against anybody who tries to disunite the people,” the King warned.
Ethnic divisions in Malaysia have deepened in recent years amid increasing complaints by minorities about special privileges enjoyed by Malays in jobs, education and other areas. Some also say their religious rights have become secondary to Islam, which is practiced by nearly two-thirds of the people. The government has denied any unfair treatment.
In addition, King Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin also stressed respect for the federal constitution.
“I remind all parties to respect this foundation that the Constitution was based upon and not question it.”
The King of Malaysia does not inherit the throne, as do most monarchs, but instead is elected to it. Every five years, there is an election to the highest office in the country.
The King’s official title is “Yang di-Pertuan Agong” which translates to “He who is made Lord.”
The King is also called “Supreme Head of State” and “Paramount Ruler.”
His role is largely ceremonial and Malaysia is a constitutional monarchy.
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