This House of Lords Library briefing provides a list of movers and seconders of the humble address to the sovereign, following the sovereign’s speech at the State Opening of Parliament. The list provides information from 1979 to 2026.
Sovereign's Speech: Lords movers and seconders, 1979-2026 (60KB Excel spreadsheet, XLSX)
On the first meeting of Parliament after state opening, two members of the House of Lords move that a humble address be presented to the sovereign as an expression of thanks for the “most gracious Speech” that had been addressed to both Houses of Parliament. The debate on the humble address is often referred to as the debate on the Queen/King’s Speech.
The two members chosen to move a humble address are selected by the leader of the House of Lords, and each delivers a speech which by custom is uncontroversial. Convention has it that the first speech is delivered by a long-standing member (known as the ‘mover’) and it is seconded by a newer member (known as the ‘seconder’), although this convention is not always followed. Both members are government backbenchers. When these speeches have concluded, the House debates the legislative programme that was presented in the sovereign’s speech. The debates are the first main item of business of each new parliamentary session and take place over a number of days.
The formal text of the humble address forms part of the speech by the mover and is as follows:
Most Gracious Sovereign—We, Your Majesty’s most dutiful and loyal subjects, the Lords Spiritual and Temporal in Parliament assembled, beg leave to thank Your Majesty for the most gracious Speech which Your Majesty has addressed to both Houses of Parliament.
The text has changed little over the years and is repeated at the start of each day of debate on the speech.
The address to Parliament on 7 November 2023 was the first to be given by King Charles III following the death of Queen Elizabeth II in September 2022 and his subsequent coronation in May 2023. It was the first King’s Speech for 70 years. The address to Parliament on 17 July 2024 was the first King’s Speech on behalf of the Labour Party since 1950. The address to Parliament on 13 May 2026 was the first King’s Speech following the removal of the right for hereditary peers to take part in the proceedings of the House of Lords.
The table lists the movers and seconders of the humble address since 1979.
Cover image: Copyright House of Lords 2024 / Photography by Roger Harris ©
Sovereign's Speech: Lords movers and seconders, 1979-2026 (60KB Excel spreadsheet, XLSX)
The House of Lords (Alternative Second Chamber Bill) [HL] is a private member’s bill introduced by Baroness Smith of Llanfaes (Plaid Cymru). It would require the secretary of state to carry out a consultation regarding proposals for replacing the House of Lords with an alternative second chamber. The bill specifies whom the secretary of state would be required to consult with and the timeframe of that consultation.
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The bill is a government bill that would make a range of changes to the legal framework concerning elections, including extending the franchise for UK parliamentary elections and other reserved elections to 16- and 17-year-olds. The bill was amended during both its committee and report stages in the House of Commons, with many of the government’s later amendments implementing recommendations from the Rycroft review on countering foreign financial influence and interference in UK politics.
Social media and other technologies have made it easier, quicker and cheaper for foreign powers to spread false information online aimed at undermining UK democracy. Such disinformation campaigns are one type of interference operation. In parallel, researchers have noted a link between declining public trust and societal polarisation, which can be exacerbated by online discourse. This briefing provides introductory reading to these issues, including recent reports and government announcements.
