A speech from the throne, or throne speech, is an event in certain monarchies in which the reigning sovereign, or their representative, reads a prepared speech to members of the nation's legislature when a session is opened. The address sets forth the government's priorities for its legislative agenda, for which the cooperation of the legislature is sought. The speech is often accompanied by formal ceremony. It is often held annually, although in some places it may occur more or less frequently, whenever a new session of the legislature is opened.
Historically, when monarchs exercised personal influence and overall decision-making in government, a speech from the throne would outline the policies and objectives of the monarch; the speech was usually prepared by the monarch's advisers, but the monarch supervised the drafting of the speech at least to some extent and exercised final discretion as to its content. In modern constitutional monarchies, whether by law or by convention, the head of state or their representative reads the speech from the throne, but it is prepared by the ministers in cabinet. The event continues to be practiced in the Commonwealth realms, where it is also known as the King's Speech (or Queen's Speech if the reigning monarch is female) in the United Kingdom. In the Netherlands, it is held on Prince's Day.
