Queen's opening of UK parliament signals start of the Brexit process

Queen Elizabeth II has officially reopened the UK parliament, following last week's general election.

In a ceremony at the Palace of Westminster, the Queen has opened the new parliament, a week after Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Conservative Party secured a landslide election victory.

In October, the Queen arrived in a carriage Credit: AP)

She wore her full regalia, including a crown (Credit: AP)

Before the election, Johnson, left, and Jeremy Corbyn, the leader of the opposition, exchanged few words (Credit: AP)

The Queen was accompanied by her son, Prince Charles (Credit: AP)

The Queen made her speech in the House of Lords (Credit: AP)

The Imperial State Crown was carried both in October and December. (Credit: AP)

In December, the Queen arrived at Parliament in a car. (Credit: AP)

MPs, Lords and members of the public lined the halls to catch a glimpse of the Queen. (Credit: AP)

In December, the Queen did not wear her ceremonial garb. (Credit: AP)

The two faces of the main party leaders show very different moods, following Johnson's landslide election win (Credit: AP)

Like in October, the Queen was again accompanied by her son, rather than her husband (Credit: AP)

Although just three months after the previous state opening – when the Queen read Johnson's legislative agenda to renew government after the change of leadership – in this ceremony, the prime minister set out his new viewpoint with the comfort of hefty majority, which will allow a stronger mandate for the Conservatives.

Brexit, as many expected, came first on Johnson's list. The Queen announced that new legislation would be sought to cement the 31 January Brexit date and the government's aim to negotiate a free-trade agreement with the EU before 2021. She added that simultaneous trade negotiations with other nations would start immediately.

The second point on this mainly domestic agenda was government in Northern Ireland. The devolved government has not sat at Stormont since January 2017, after the power-sharing agreement fell through. Johnson's government will "urgently look to facilitate talks" between the main parties in Northern Ireland.

Moving swiftly on to domestic reforms, and away from the preoccupation with Brexit, the Queen announced a focus on the National Health Service.

The NHS and social care provisions have been in the spotlight lately, and the prime minister has clearly been listening – he referred to these areas as the "people's priories."

Another crucial area of debate since before the 2016 EU referendum has been immigration.

The Conservative Party under Johnson's predecessor Theresa May had a plan to reduce immigration figures to below 100,000 per year, which it failed to achieve. Along with the ending of free movement to the UK that will come with Brexit, a new "points-based" immigration system will be introduced. A fast-track visa for medical staff will also be sought, following criticism that ending free movement may put further pressure on the already short-staffed NHS.

The last Opening of Parliament was on 14 October 2019, but prior to October there had been a two-year wait since 21 June 2017.