Conservative leader Boris Johnson won the majority vote in the UK general election on Thursday and will remain Prime Minister – so what does this mean for the Queen?
Boris is expected to visit Buckingham Palace on Friday morning, where the 93-year-old monarch will invite him to form government. The Tory leader is likely to have a cabinet reshuffle over the weekend before the State Opening of Parliament next week.
The Queen, who usually travels to Sandringham on the Thursday before Christmas Day, will have to adjust her plans slightly to conduct the State Opening, which is expected to take place on 19 December.
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The Queen at the State Opening of Parliament in October
In November, 10 Downing Street released a statement saying that if Boris Johnson returned as Prime Minister, the State Opening of Parliament and the Queen's Speech would follow on Thursday 19 December. It continued: "The State Opening of Parliament will take place with reduced ceremonial elements, as was the case following the early general election in 2017. This is due both to the early general election and the proximity of the State Opening to Christmas."
This will be Her Majesty's second speech within the space of two months. The Queen delivered her first on 14 October, where she set out the government's agenda for plans and future legislation.
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The Queen travels to Sandringham by train
While the monarch donned the full ceremonial regalia in October – except the Imperial State Crown – next week's State Opening will be a much less formal affair. In 2017, the Queen undertook her first 'dressed down' service in more than 40 years, following the snap general election.
Her Majesty will then travel to her Sandringham estate for the festive period. The Queen usually boards a commuter train from London King's Cross, surprising locals when she steps off the carriage at King's Lynn in Norfolk.
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