The Queen set out the government's priorities at the State Opening of Parliament
She said the government would "deliver a national recovery from the pandemic that makes the United Kingdom stronger, healthier and more prosperous than before"
She also said the government would "strengthen the economic ties across the union, investing in and improving national infrastructure"
Other topics covered included education, women's rights, freeports, internet safety, the environment, modernising planning laws, and discouraging asylum seekers crossing the English Channel
Prime Minister Boris Johnson earlier said the government's plans would put "rocket boosters" under its "levelling up" agenda
Labour has called on the government to deliver "action" rather than "rhetoric"
MPs criticised the lack of detail on plans to reform social care
The State Opening was the Queen's first major public engagement since the death of her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh
Some ceremonial aspects of the event were pared back this year due to coronavirus restrictions
As our Political Editor, Laura Kuenssberg explains, there is a very different set up this year as MPs file from the House of Commons in to the House of Lords for the speech.
Normally the prime minister and the Leader of the Opposition would be making polite chit-chat, she says, but this year Keir Starmer has to walk a couple of metres behind Boris Johnson due to social distancing requirements.
The Queen has just taken her seat on the throne in the House of Lords.
She tells peers in the chamber to be seated and gives the signal for MPs in the House of Commons to come in to the Lords to hear the speech.
Black Rod knocks three times on the door of the Commons to summon the MPs.
The door is opened, and at this point she asks for MPs' presence during the Queen's Speech. MPs are now walking back through to the Lords.
The sound of trumpets have fill the Royal Gallery, as the Queen walks through to head to the House of Lords.
The Imperial State Crown is just ahead of where the Queen is walking, being carried on a cushion.
The Prince of Wales is holding the hand of Her Majesty as she walks through the room.
She takes her place the Great Throne in the House of Lords, and then gave the signal for MPs to be summoned.
The procession through Parliament is about to begin
Just ahead of the Queen's arrival, inside, as the Speaker walks through Central Lobby in the Houses of Parliament, the Speaker's procession asks those in attendance to take their hats off.
This is as a mark of respect for the Speaker of the House of Commons. Those who happen to be in Central Lobby must make way for the Speaker as he walks through.
Those who have visited Parliament will actually recognise this scene. It happens every day just before the Commons sits.
The Queen arrives in a Range Rover at the Sovereign’s entrance of Parliament, where it pulls into the main gates.
She’s greeted by the Earl Marshal, the Lord Great Chamberlain and the Lady Usher of the Black Rod.
Then she enters the Robing Room of the House of Lords, although this year she will not be putting on the robe and imperial state crown.
The Union flag is replaced on the top of Victoria Tower, and the Royal Standard is now flying above the Palace of Westminster to show that the Queen is present.
The Queen's convoy has just left Buckingham Palace.
Prince of Wales, and the Duchess of Cornwall have arrived at Parliament.
The current office holder is Sarah Clarke
Black Rod, or Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod is the person responsible for maintaining order and controlling access to and from the House of Lords.
The current office holder is Sarah Clarke, she is the first Lady Usher of the Black Rod.
Black Rod plays a key part of today's ceremony.
At Her Majesty's Command, Black Rod will proceed from Central Lobby to summon the Speaker and Members of the House of Commons to the House of Lords. Once MPs are present, the Lord High Chancellor will give the Speech to Her Majesty. It is then read by her.
Imperial State Crown arriving a few moments ago
The Great Sword of State, Cap of Maintenance and Imperial State Crown are all symbols of the supremacy of the Monarchy.
In fact, the Imperial State Crown, seen today, is only ever seen during state openings of Parliament, or coronations. It is not seen by the public otherwise.
The Prince of Wales and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, will be accompanying the Queen today on her first major public event since the death of the Duke of Edinburgh.
They have just left Clarence House.
The event begins with the Queen's procession from Buckingham Palace to Westminster.
The cars left palace a short while ago carrying the Imperial State Crown, the Great Sword of State and the Cap of Maintenance.
There is no ceremonial procession today - when the crown gets its own carriage to Parliament.
Today it arrived by car.
Image source, UK ParliamentIt's Keir Starmer's first Queen's Speech as Leader of the Opposition.
He's spent the last few days dealing with the fallout of the elections and the reshuffle of his top team so his response today matters in terms of what it reveals about his priorities and vision for Labour going forward.
The Commons debate on the speech begins this afternoon with a few short speeches from backbenchers, but the Labour leader gets a prime slot with the first formal response.
The prime minister will speak after him.
Laura Kuenssberg
Political editor
BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg says the Queen's speech is not just "a curious feature of how our political system works, it really matters".
She says the government will be aiming not just to deliver on its manifesto promises from 2019, but also to create a "real sense of pushing forward" after the health and economic emergency of Covid-19.
But she says "promises are much easier to make than to keep" and she expects the debate after the speech to focus on how the government aims to deliver.
One real theme of the government's legislation is expected to be its "levelling up" agenda, she says - trying to make the country more equal in terms of opportunity.
Some of the formal parts of the State Opening of Parliament began earlier this morning.
Before the Queen arrives at Parliament, the Yeomen of the Guard, the royal bodyguards, search the cellars of the Palace of Westminster for explosives.
This commemorates Guy Fawkes's ‘gunpowder plot' of 1605, external.
Image source, PA MediaMasked Yeoman Warders march along the Royal gallery during the ceremonial search of the Palace of Westminster
What can we expect?
There will be a grand total of thirty bills announced and the speech itself should last for about 10 minutes.
There’s been lots of discussion about whether the government will bring forward proposals to reform the funding of social care – that could get a mention but campaigners may have to wait until later in the year for concrete proposals.
The speech is expected to include:
You can read more here
Image source, PA MediaHealth Secretary Matt Hancock says the government is “going to bring forward a long term plan to strengthen social care,” and said “there are a number of injustices” in the social care system and the government was “determined to deliver on commitment”.
He said he believed that “as a society I think we need to look after people,” and it needed to “put more resources in”.
He said the government had “got Brexit done, we protected the NHS and now we’re now delivering on the vaccinations programme, but lots more we want to get on with”
Image source, UK ParliamentThere have been calls for the government to make good their election promise to "fix social care". Social care is expected to be mentioned in the Queen's Speech, but no details of new policy.
Former health secretary and chair of the Commons Health Committee Jeremy Hunt said he was hoping to hear “a cap on care costs because around one in ten of us will have catastrophically high care costs, it’s incredibly worrying for people, it’s a lottery”.
He said if people sold expensive houses to enter into social care, “it becomes very difficult”.
He said he introduced the law to cap social care costs as Health Secretary in 2014, but had been told by the Treasury that the policy was going to be delayed. He said by 2017 most people were assuming that the policy was already in force when it wasn’t.
“The politics around this also affect the NHS,” he said, “if you don’t fix the problems in the social care system, you won’t be able to fix the problems in the NHS.”
He said “our most vulnerable citizens” end up getting exported from badly funded care into NHS beds. He added that a hospital bed costs three times as much as a social care bed.
Image source, ReutersLisa Nandy and her Labour colleague Jonathan Ashworth walking through Westminster yesterday
We have had some reaction this morning to the parts of the Queen's Speech that have been release in advance.
Shadow foreign secretary Lisa Nandy accused the government of “lots of talk but little action” in levelling up and creating jobs in an interview on Radio 4’s Today programme.
She said the government had had 11 years to invest in the UK, asking “where are the good quality jobs [for people] to earn decent money?”
Ms Nandy also said “there was a lot of good feeling” in the shadow cabinet meeting yesterday towards the Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and to his deputy Angela Rayner.
"The two of them together are a really important leadership for us – because they come from different backgrounds, speak to different parts of the electorate”, she said.
She said she had felt “enormously heartened from the last 24 hours.”
The party had “got to win people’s trust” Ms Nandy said.
Image source, Jessica Taylor/ UK ParliamentThe short answer is yes.
There will be less pomp and pageantry then usual with the Queen arriving by car rather than a horse drawn carriage and wearing a day dress and hat rather than a robe.
The procession from Buckingham Palace will be much more low key, with no military parade and no band or Guard of Honour outside the Palace of Westminster.
Things will be pared back inside too. The Commons and Lords chambers are normally packed but only 74 people will be allowed in the main Lords chamber.
A further 34 MPs and peers will be watching from the Royal Gallery.
Everyone in attendance will have had to test negative for Covid beforehand and they will all be wearing a face covering.
The usual international diplomatic guests have not been invited.
Image source, PAThere will only be 74 people allowed in the Lords chamber to hear the Queen's speech and a only a handful of MPs will be in the viewing gallery