Liberal Democrat leader Jo Swinson says her party will vote against the Queen's Speech because it's a "charade" which will make the country poorer.

Speaking before the event in Parliament, Ms Swinson said the Brexit negotiations were looking a mess because the government hadn't done sufficient preparatory work.

"The prime minister isn't doing his job properly," she says. "Instead we've got this charade of a Queen's Speech which is going to have a long list of promises that the prime minister can't possibly deliver because the path he is set to go down is one that will make us so much poorer as a country.

"The different estimates out there suggest that what he is proposing could be as bad as the financial crash of 2008 in terms of shrinking our economy."

The heralds are making the way to meet the Queen.

They are in charge of all heraldic records in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

We are expecting the Queen to arrive in the next 15 minutes.

Image source, AFP/Getty Images

From inside the Lords, BBC online politics reporter Emma Harrison describes the scene.

"The Lords chamber is far grander than the Commons chamber," she says.

"Aside from the obvious difference of the two thrones, there is a lot of red and gold, paintings, statues, stained glass and a very ornate ceiling.

"In all, a very regal atmosphere."

Outside Parliament, the regalia procession is taking place.

The Queen Alexandra State coach, built in 1865, has brought the crown, the cap of maintenance and the sword of state to the Palace of Westminster.

These items are normally kept in the Tower of London, but were transferred to Buckingham Palace overnight until being brought to Westminster this morning.

This form of royal bodyguard was created by Henry VIII and here they are slow marching to the Prince's Chamber.

They celebrated their 510th anniversary this year.

BBC online politics reporter Emma Harrison is inside the House of Lords waiting for the proceedings to start.

"A number of women are here in their finest, with several wearing tiaras," she says.

She has also spotted the prime minister's girlfriend, Carrie Symonds, and his father, Stanley Johnson, sat together in the gallery.

"The room is already very busy as they await the arrival of the Queen and Prince Charles," she adds.

BBC News Channel

Former Attorney General and ex-Tory Dominic Grieve appears undecided on whether he will vote in favour of the Queen's Speech.

He tells BBC News he will "need to wait to see what is in [it]" before he decides.

Mr Grieve was thrown out of the parliamentary Conservative Party after voting in favour of the Benn Bill - designed to block a no-deal Brexit.

He says: "There may well be quite a few things that, as a Conservative, I would be happy to support.

"The problem is the entire proceedings are dominated by Brexit.

"It lies in the background unresolved, and as long as it is unresolved, it will make it very difficult to govern - something that is made harder by getting rid of people like me."

Image source, AFP

The Budget has been announced for 6 November, with Chancellor Sajid Javid promising it will be "the first after leaving the EU".

"This is the right and responsible thing to do - we must get on with governing," he said.

It will be Mr Javid's first Budget since he became chancellor in July.

The date is normally announced in September. Mr Javid said it would detail the government's plans to "shape the economy for the future".

But shadow chancellor John McDonnell said it was just "an electioneering stunt rather than a Budget to rebuild our stalling economy and reset the direction of our country".

Read more from our Business team here.

The Queen's Speech is written for her by her government to outline its plans for the upcoming Parliament.

So what can we expect today?

Brexit

The main piece of legislation will be the Withdrawal Agreement Bill, to be voted on if Boris Johnson agrees a Brexit deal with the EU this week.

Other bills will focus on "access to innovative medicines" and opening up markets to "create jobs throughout the UK" following Brexit, Downing Street says.

Rail

A bill proposing scrapping the rail franchise system - the contracting out of services that was introduced when the system was privatised in the 1990s - will be included in the speech.

NHS

Plans to update the Mental Health Act and for an investigations body to improve patient safety will be unveiled, according to newspaper reports.

Justice

At the Conservative Party conference, Justice Secretary Robert Buckland pledged to increase the time served in prison for those found guilty of the most serious violent and sexual offences.

This is likely to come alongside proposals to offer more support to those affected by serious crime.

You can read more about what will be announced here.

The Queen will be taking her place on the gilded throne in the House of Lords.

As you can see from this picture, the throne on the left is slightly higher than the one of the right, as the monarch must sit above their consort.

However, she will not be wearing the Imperial State Crown for the ceremony.

Instead, it will be placed on a table to the left to be on show during her speech.

Image source, PA Media

The Yeoman of the Guard - the oldest British military corps in existence - has already sprung into action this morning.

They carried out their ceremonial search of the cellars ahead of the Queen's Speech.

It dates back to Guy Fawkes being caught red-handed in 1605 as he attempted to blow up Parliament.

While we may be focusing on the ceremony at Westminster, remember we are just 17 days away from the current Brexit deadline - and three days away from a crunch EU summit where both sides are hoping to agree a deal.

UK and EU negotiating teams will meet in Brussels later to continue talks.

After discussions this weekend, EU ambassadors were told the UK would make concessions to its post-Brexit plan for the Northern Irish border.

But the bloc's chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, said a "a big gap" remained over customs arrangements.

Home Office minister Victoria Atkins said she believed a deal could be reached by the 31 October deadline.

And on Sunday, Boris Johnson told his cabinet that while he could see a "pathway" to a deal, there was "still a significant amount of work" needed to get there.

The European Commission echoed the prime minister, saying: "A lot of work remains to be done."

Read more about where we are at here.

Nick Eardley
BBC political correspondent

This Queen's Speech will feel rather different.

Boris Johnson does not have a majority in Parliament and cannot guarantee that he will be able to pass all the bills announced this morning. There is even no guarantee the Queen's Speech itself will pass.

Add into the mix the fact he wants a general election and some of what you will hear will feel more like a pitch to the country than a concrete plan for the next year in Whitehall.

There is also the fact that whatever is announced in the House of Lords could quickly be overshadowed by what happens in Brussels.

A lot has been spoken about crucial weeks at Westminster.

This really feels like it could be one - where key questions are answered.

Can the PM get a new Brexit deal? If so, can he persuade Parliament to back it? If not, can MPs force him to delay Brexit again?

Strap yourself in - it could be a bumpy few days.

Image source, Getty Images

The Queen's Speech is written by the government and provides it with an opportunity to highlight its forthcoming priorities.

It forms part of the State Opening of Parliament ceremony, which marks the start of the parliamentary year.

The ceremony begins with a procession, where the Queen travels from Buckingham Palace to Westminster by carriage.

MPs are summoned by a House of Lords official, known as Black Rod. Before entering the Commons, Black Rod has the doors shut in their face, symbolising the chamber's independence from the monarchy.

During the speech, the Queen sets out the laws the government wants Parliament to approve. By convention, it is announced by the monarch in the presence of MPs, peers and other dignitaries in the House of Lords.

Read more about the day here.

Image source, PA Media

Welcome to the BBC Politics live page, bringing you all the news from the Queen's Speech as the pomp and ceremony takes over Westminster.

It may be a damp, dark and drizzly day, but expect a lot of bling as the monarch travels in her carriage from Buckingham Palace to the Houses of Parliament to outline the government's plans for the upcoming session.

The Queen is expected to begin the journey at around 11:00 BST, and begin giving the speech at 11:30.