Publications / Data

Addresses to both Houses of Parliament

Volodymyr Zelenskyy addresses Parliament. ©No 10 Downing Street / Simon Dawson
Volodymyr Zelenskyy addresses Parliament. ©No 10 Downing Street / Simon Dawson

Addresses to both Houses of Parliament can be important elements both of UK national occasions and of visits by major foreign dignitaries. Who gives them, and where?

Last updated: 14 July 2025

Formal Addresses to both Houses of Parliament are made by the Monarch (in addition to the King's Speech at the State Opening of Parliament), and by foreign dignitaries visiting the UK.

Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II made a formal Address to both Houses of Parliament on six occasions – to mark, respectively:

  • in 1965, the 700th anniversary of the Parliament of Simon de Montfort;

  • in 1977, her Silver Jubilee;

  • in 1988, the 300th anniversary of the Revolution of 1688-89 and the Bill of Rights;

  • in 1995, the 50th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day; and

  • in 2002 and 2012, her Golden and Diamond Jubilees, respectively.

All her late Majesty's formal Addresses to both Houses were made in Westminster Hall except for the first, which she gave in the Royal Gallery.

His Majesty King Charles III made a formal Address to both Houses for the first time on 12 September 2022, in Westminster Hall, in response to the presentations by the Speaker and Lord Speaker of the Addresses of condolence to him which were agreed by each House following the death of the Queen.

Formal Addresses to both Houses are made by Heads of State and by other foreign leaders, including Heads of Government of Commonwealth realms.

With respect to Heads of State, there is no necessary connection between formal Addresses to both Houses and State Visits to the UK: State Visits to the UK do not have to include a formal Address to both Houses, and there have been plenty which have not (including, especially famously, that of US President Trump in 2019). Equally, several overseas Heads of State have made formal Addresses to both Houses while they have been in the UK on a visit other than a State Visit - most recently, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in February 2023.

In terms of venues on the parliamentary estate, the vast majority of formal Addresses by visiting Heads of State and other foreign dignitaries take place in the Royal Gallery or Robing Room. Addresses in Westminster Hall are extremely rare.

The question of whether a State Visit or other official visit to the UK by a foreign dignitary will include a formal Address to both Houses - and if so, where - is determined between the Foreign, Comonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), the parliamentary authorities and, if it is a State Visit, Buckingham Palace and its officials in Parliament.

Formal Addresses to both Houses of Parliament in the reigns of Queen Elizabeth II and King Charles III, and their venues on the parliamentary estate • The table includes formal Addresses up to and including that of the Amir of the State of Qatar, His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani on 3 December 2024.

Category of Address-giver(Type of) Address-giver / occasionWestminster HallRoyal GalleryRobing RoomOtherTotal
UK Monarchs (totals)Queen Elizabeth II51
King Charles III1
UK Monarch Sub-Totals 6 1 7
Foreign dignitaries Head of State on a State Visit3 (French President de Gaulle, 1960; South African President Mandela, 1996; US President Obama, 2011)16121 (Jordanian King Abdullah II, 2001)
Head of State not on a State Visit1 (Ukranian President Zelensky, 2023)331 (Ukrainian President Zelenskyy, via videolink, 2022)
Figure other than a serving Head of State1 (Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, 2012)81 (Canadian Prime Minister Harper, 2013)
Foreign dignitaries (sub-totals)(totals)52716250
*******
Total (UK Monarchs & foreign dignitaries)112816257
Sources: Hansard Society data compiled from House of Commons Library, 'Addresses to members of both Houses of Parliament', last updated 23 November 2023; Royal Family website, 'Inward State Visits since 1952'

Formal Addresses to both Houses are distinguished from other speeches which are made to MPs and Peers by visiting foreign dignitaries. In some circumstances, the two types of event may appear little different from each other: Pope Benedict made a speech in Westminster Hall in 2010 but this was not a formal Address to both Houses. Other speeches which have been made by visiting foreign dignitaries and which have not been formal Addresses have more obviously not been full parliamentary occasions: for example, foreign leaders have spoken at events hosted by All-Party Parliamentary Groups (APPGs) and Select Committees.

Speeches by foreign dignitaries to MPs and Peers in the reigns of Queen Elizabeth II and King Charles III other than formal Addresses to both Houses, and their venues on the parliamentary estate • The table includes speeches up to and including that of Ukrainian First Lady Olena Zelenska on 29 November 2022.

Type of speech-giver / occasionWestminster HallRoyal GalleryGrand Committee RoomOtherTotals
Head of State on a State Visit1 (Pope Benedict XVI, 2010) 1 (Portuguese President Soares, 1993) 2
Head of State not on a State Visit 1 (Argentinian President Menem, 1998)2 (Nicaraguan President Ortega, 1989; Malawian President Joyce Banda, 2013)3
Figure other than a serving Head of State 251 (Ukrainian First Lady Olena Zelenska, 2022) 8
Totals127313
Sources: Hansard Society data compiled from House of Commons Library, 'Addresses to members of both Houses of Parliament', CBP04092, last updated 20 February 2023; Royal Family website, 'Inward State Visits since 1952'

News / Parliament Matters Bulletin: What’s coming up in Parliament this week? 14-18 July 2025

MPs will consider a rare privilege motion relating to a request from the Omagh Bombing inquiry, while the Conservatives will choose the topic for Tuesday’s Opposition Day debate. Select Committees will question Cabinet Ministers on welfare reform, the NHS Plan, foreign policy, national security, and policy announcements made first to the media rather than Parliament. The Deprivation of Citizenship Orders Bill will complete its Commons stages. Peers will scrutinise bills on renters’ rights, employment, and planning. MPs will debate Statutory Instruments on media mergers, murder sentencing, and energy costs, and will vote on extending interest registration rules for MPs’ staff. Backbench MPs will lead debates on giving every child the best start in life, the Global Plastics Treaty and end of life care. The House of Lords will debate the Strategic Defence Review. → We value your thoughts. Please click here to let us know what you think of the Parliament Matters Bulletin in our reader survey.

13 Jul 2025
Read more

News / One year on: How is Parliament performing? - Parliament Matters podcast, Episode 100

In our 100th episode, we take stock of Parliament one year after the 2024 general election. With a fractured opposition, a dominant Labour government, and a House of Commons still governed by rules designed for a two-party system, how well is this new Parliament really functioning? Please help us by completing our Listener Survey. It will only take a few minutes.

11 Jul 2025
Read more

News / Labour's welfare meltdown - Parliament Matters podcast, Episode 99

It’s been a bruising week for the Government, as a Labour backbench revolt forced ministers to gut their own welfare reforms live in the House of Commons. We explore why Sir Keir Starmer appears to have such a poor grip on parliamentary management. Plus, House of Lords reform expert Professor Meg Russell explains why the hereditary peers bill may be a once-in-a-generation chance to tackle deeper issues — like curbing prime ministerial patronage and reducing the bloated size of the upper chamber. And in Dorking, faith and politics collide over assisted dying. Please help us by completing our Listener Survey. It will only take a few minutes.

04 Jul 2025
Read more

News / What Westminster gets wrong about the NHS - Parliament Matters podcast, Episode 98

We are joined this week by two guests who bring invaluable insight into the intersection of health policy and parliamentary life. Dr. Sarah Wollaston and Steve Brine – both former MPs, health policy experts, and co-hosts of the podcast Prevention is the New Cure – share their experiences of how the House of Commons handles health and social care. Please help us by completing our Listener Survey. It will only take a few minutes.

27 Jun 2025
Read more

Submissions / Parliamentary scrutiny of treaties - Our evidence to the House of Lords International Agreements Committee

Our evidence on treaty scrutiny has been published by the House of Lords International Agreements Committee. Our submission outlines the problems with the existing framework for treaty scrutiny and why legislative and cultural change are needed to improve Parliament's scrutiny role. Our evidence joins calls for a parliamentary consent vote for the most significant agreements, a stronger role for Parliament in shaping negotiating mandates and monitoring progress, and a sifting committee tasked with determining which agreements warrant the greatest scrutiny.

03 Jun 2025
Read more