WESTMINSTER — King Charles III delivered the Speech from the Throne at the state opening of parliament in Westminster on Wednesday, outlining more than 35 bills and draft bills for the new parliamentary session. Among the proposed measures was a Digital Access to Services Bill, which would introduce a digital ID system for the United Kingdom.

"An increasingly dangerous and volatile world threatens the United Kingdom," the King said in the opening words of his speech. The speech marks the start of the new parliamentary year and is the only regular occasion when the sovereign, the House of Lords and the House of Commons meet.

Although delivered by the monarch in their constitutional role as head of state, the speech is written by the government to outline its policies and proposed legislation. The monarch reads the speech in a neutral tone and must not show any preference for any political party or its policies.

The current state opening ceremony dates from the opening of the rebuilt Palace of Westminster in 1852. The king's procession from Buckingham Palace to Westminster uses an ornate horse-drawn carriage escorted by members of the Household Cavalry, while a separate coach carries the imperial state crown, the cap of maintenance and the sword of state. Before the king arrives, the Yeomen of the Guard carry out a ceremonial search of the cellars of the Palace of Westminster for explosives to commemorate the 1605 gunpowder plot, and a member of the House of Commons is held at Buckingham Palace to ensure the king's safe return.

The House of Lords official known as Black Rod is sent to summon the Commons, and when the doors are shut in their face, Black Rod strikes the door three times before it is opened. Members of the Commons then follow Black Rod and the Commons speaker to the Lords chamber and stand at the Bar of the House to listen to the speech.

The government plans to introduce the digital ID system as part of the Digital Access to Services Bill to modernise how citizens interact with public services. According to the government, the digital IDs will be a convenient way for people to prove their identity. Both Keir Starmer and the King said the rollout will not be mandatory.

The proposed digital ID would contain a person's name, date of birth, information on nationality or residency status, and a photo for biometric security. It is hoped the system will be in place by the end of 2029, though no exact rollout date has been confirmed. A similar scheme is already in use by the Ministry of Defence, which rolled out a digital version of its Veteran Card last year, and veterans can choose to sign up and download their digital ID cards under that optional scheme.

James Frith MP said, "Our plan is to ensure that most government data stays where it is already safely stored in government departments, while people have more control over what they share and with whom." Matthew Feeney from Big Brother Watch said, "We have nothing to go on other than public comments from the government. We have no wording on legislation. Given that the prime minister is proposing something that the UK has resisted for decades and decades, we would like to see more details and consistent messaging."