But the spotlight shone brightest on Queen Elizabeth II, who appeared in public for the first time since burying her husband, Prince Philip, to handle the age-old pageantry. Squired by her eldest son and heir, Prince Charles, the queen presided over a ceremony she had attended for decades with Philip. It was the queen’s 67th opening of Parliament, a reassuring sign of continuity for Britain’s constitutional monarchy after a turbulent period for the royal family. For Mr. Johnson, it was a chance to bring normalcy back to politics, after the turmoil of Brexit and a pandemic that paralyzed the country, leaving more than 127,000 people dead. Mr. Johnson signaled that he intended to keep playing a dominant role in the political arena, proposing to scrap a law that restricts his ability to call general elections.

Source: New York Times May 11, 2021 12:04 UTC