The Queen's speech in numbers

On Wednesday the Queen will outline the legislation that the newly elected Conservative Government aims to bring in over the next year. Here are some of the key statistics behind this year’s speech...

10.00am

Time today when the Yeoman of the Guard will check the cellars for gunpowder or other explosive matters in a tradition that dates back to 1605 when Robert Catesby, Guy Fawkes and others smuggled in 36 barrels of gunpowder to blow up the Commons.

9m 50s

The average length of the Queen's Speech.

5,000

Number of people expected to gather at Trafalgar Square in opposition to Conservative plans for five more years of spending cuts

736

The number of words in the shortest Queen's Speech in 2009.

1,763

The number of words in the longest Queen's Speech to date, delivered in 1999.

12

Greatest number of speeches under any one PM was in Margaret Thatcher‘s time (1979-90).

1536

The year traditions surrounding the State Opening and the delivery of a speech by the monarch began.

1852

The year that the current ceremony dates from, following the Great Fire of 1834.

67,015

The total number of words read out to date by the Queen in her Speeches.

61

The number of times the Queen has delivered her Speech in person at the State Opening of Parliament.

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