State Opening of Parliament, the
From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary EnglishState Opening of Parliament, thethe State Opening of ParliamentˌState ˌOpening of ˈParliament, the the occasion each year when the British Queen officially opens the Parliament after its summer recess (=the period when Parliament is closed), and makes a speech saying what the government plans to do during the next year. This is seen as a very traditional British event and is always shown on television. The Queen arrives in a carriage pulled by horses, and various officials wear colourful old-fashioned clothes. → see also Queen’s speech, the