The Queen talks extremism and prison reform in Britain’s parliament

Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II took a member of parliament hostage in her palace today before speaking in parliament to deliver the annual Queen’s Speech. If the 90-year-old monarch returns home in one piece, her hostage will be freed.

It is just one of many centuries-old traditions surrounding the event to mark the start of the parliamentary year, in which Her Majesty delivers a speech written by the government, outlining its agenda.

Sitting on a throne in parliament’s upper House of Lords, the bejeweled Queen sported a diamond-studded crown as she delivered the Conservative-led government’s vision, highlighting a radical shake-up of its aging prison system as its centerpiece.

The prison system has previously been criticized as a burden on the state budget, and too focused on punishment rather than reform.

“Prison governors will be given unprecedented freedom and they will be able to ensure prisoners receive better education. Old and inefficient prisons will be closed and new institutions built where prisoners can be put more effectively to work,” the Queen said.

LONDON - FEBRUARY 29: Queen Elizabeth II smiles as she opens the refurbished East Wing of Somerset House, on February 29, 2011 in London, England. (Photo by Eddie Mulholland - WPA Pool/Getty Images)

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Related gallery The life of Queen Elizabeth II

Cameron described the speech as a “One Nation” speech from a “One Nation government,” claiming to set out a program of social reform.

On extremism, the Conservatives want to give authorities power to close premises being used for extremists purposes, which could include mosques, and to gag those spreading hate speech, including broadcasters and other media disseminating extremist content.

Home Secretary Theresa May is also expected to launch a review of the Islamic Sharia courts springing up in parts of the country.

The Queen made an allusion to drones and driverless cars, saying her ministers would ensure that Britain was is “at the forefront of technology for new forms of transport, including autonomous and electric vehicles.”

A display of U.K., Union Jack flags fly in front of The Houses of Parliament, in London, U.K., on Monday, Feb. 15, 2016. U.K. lawmakers are not the only ones bracing for a tough few months before Britain's referendum on its European Union membership. A gauge of expected volatility for the pound near the highest since 2011 shows traders are expecting a rough ride too.

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The government’s agenda will be deliberated in parliament later today, etched out across more than 20 bills. But one issue is expected to dominate – the EU Referendum.

The government will be doing all it can to avoid discussion on the June 23 vote, in which the British people will decide whether to remain part of the European Union or to strike out on its own.

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The issue has been a thorn in Cameron’s side, as he essentially promised the vote to win the last election, though he is campaigning to stay in the EU without the full support of his own party.

It is unclear whether the Conservatives will push to repeal the Human Rights Act, an instrument of the 47-nation Council of Europe, and tout its own British Bill of Rights, which Cameron first flagged six years ago.

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Updated 8:52 AM EDT, Wed May 18, 2016

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Activists say repealing the act is a brazen attempt to strip citizens of basic rights, while the government claims it is aimed at reducing the power of European judge in British matters.

The Conservatives previously announced plans to make cuts to the welfare system, cutting ￡12 billion ($17.3 billion) from benefits, which include capping the amount people can receive, and freezing tax credits and child benefits.

The plans were met by fierce opposition by the Labour Party, and was dubbed as unachievable by some economists.

The government will try and rally support for an investigatory bill, also known as the “Snoopers Charter” for the sweeping spying powers it gives to authorities, allowing them to hack into civilians’ phones and other devices.

The bill was shot down in 2013 by then-deputy prime minister and Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg, who saw it as an unnecessary breach of civilian privacy rights. But the government is persistent in trying to push the bill through parliament with some revisions.

But the Conservatives are hoping to keep the focus on its prison reform bill, which includes pilot programs in which some prisoners will be required to go to prison only on weekends. They will be tagged and monitored by satellite for the rest of the week.

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“So today, we start the long-overdue, long-needed change that our prisons need,” Cameron said in a statement.

“No longer will they be warehouses for criminals; they will now be places where lives are changed.”

The Queen will head back to Buckingham Palace, and her hostage will be returned, unharmed.

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II, center, poses with US President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden in the Grand Corridor of Windsor Castle in June 2021.

Harry Truman: She wasn't Queen yet, but during a state visit to the United States in 1951, Elizabeth and her husband, Prince Philip, were received by former President Harry Truman and his wife, Bess. Truman is the only US President that Elizabeth met while she was a princess.

Herbert Hoover: Hoover finished his tenure as President long before Elizabeth ascended to the throne. However, the opportunity for a meeting between the two arose in 1957 during the Queen's royal tour of the United States. Hoover is seated here to the Queen's right.

Dwight D. Eisenhower: Eisenhower was the first serving President who Elizabeth met during her reign; he was also her host during her first state visit to the United States in 1957. They also met during a visit to Canada two years later in 1959. The Queen welcomed Eisenhower to the country before they formally opened the St. Lawrence Seaway with a short cruise aboard the royal yacht Britannia.

John F. Kennedy: Amid much fanfare and huge media interest, Kennedy and his wife, Jackie, were dinner guests at Buckingham Palace in June 1961. He later wrote that he would "cherish the memory of that delightful evening," in a birthday letter written to the Queen. He added: "The people of the United States join with me in extending to your Majesty and to the people of the Commonwealth best wishes and hearty congratulations on the occasion of the celebration of your birthday. ... May I also at the same time say how grateful my wife and I are for the cordial hospitality offered to us by your Majesty and Prince Phillip during our visit to London last Monday. We shall always cherish the memory of that delightful evening."

Richard Nixon: Nixon met Queen Elizabeth at Buckingham Palace shortly after becoming the 37th US President in 1969. The Queen prepared signed photographs of herself and Prince Philip as a small memento of the meeting. Nixon also brought a signed headshot. "I didn't bring my wife along this time, 'cause this trip was so hurried," he said. "But we just had a picture taken of the two of us. I would like to send you one of that because it would be much more pleasant to look at the two of us." Laughing, the Queen responded, "That's very nice of you."

Gerald Ford: Ford and the Queen dance during a state dinner at the White House in 1976.

Jimmy Carter: During a 1977 dinner at Buckingham Palace, Carter described the home of the British monarch as "one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen. And I think the whole royal family was there. ... I had a good place to sit -- I was between the Queen and Princess Margaret, and across the table was Prince Charles and Prince Philip and the Queen Mother." He continued: "One of the things I told Queen Elizabeth was how much the American people appreciated her coming over last year to celebrate our 200th birthday. And she said that it was one of the warmest welcomes she'd ever received."

Ronald Reagan: The Reagans were the first US family to be the Queen's overnight guests at Windsor Castle in 1982. In his memoirs, "An American Life", the former President recalled his visit with the British royal family: "The highlight of our stay there came when the Queen and I went horseback riding together and Nancy and Prince Philip took a horse-drawn carriage ride. I must admit, the Queen is quite an accomplished horsewoman. We will always remember our visit to Windsor Castle because of the Queen's and Prince Philip's warmth and welcoming hospitality -- they could not have been more gracious."

George H.W. Bush: Bush visited the Queen at Buckingham Palace in 1989, and in May 1991, she was guest of honor at a state dinner in the White House. The pair exchanged toasts about the legacy of human rights and the rule of law bequeathed upon the United States by Great Britain. Meanwhile, the Queen spoke about her previous visits to the White House and the history of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Bush said during his welcome address: "We have got a lot of things in common. Americans share the Queen's love for horses. ... Most of all what links our countries is less a place than an idea. The idea that for nearly 400 years has been America's inheritance and England's bequest: the legacy of democracy, the rule of law and basic human rights."

Bill Clinton: Clinton met the Queen more than once during his tenure. He said: "She's a highly intelligent woman who knows a lot about the world. ... I always marvel when we meet at what a keen judge she is of human events. I think she's a very impressive person. I like her very much." During a trip to Europe in 2000, Clinton said he noticed that although the Queen's hair had turned gray, she had what he described as "youthful eyes." He added: "She has these baby blue eyes, just piercing."

George W. Bush: Bush visited Britain on an official state visit in 2003, and the Queen went to the United States in 2007 to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the founding of Jamestown. During his welcome speech, Bush fluffed his lines and said: ''You helped our nation celebrate its bicentennial in 17--. " Realizing his mistake of suggesting the then-81-year-old queen had been on the throne since the 18th century, Bush turned to the monarch and winked at her. Later Bush said she gave him "a look that only a mother could give a child." Here they are pictured in June 2004 watching a flyover in Arromanches, France. It was the 60th anniversary of the D-Day landings.

Barack Obama: "There's one last thing that I should mention that I love about Great Britain, and that is the Queen," Obama said at the end of his joint press conference with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown during a visit to the UK in 2009. "And so I'm very much looking forward to meeting her for the first time later this evening. ... I think in the imagination of people throughout America, I think what the Queen stands for and her decency and her civility, what she represents, that's very important." Later, during a reception for G-20 leaders, Michelle Obama was seen to take the unusual step of putting her hand briefly on the back of the Queen. This was against protocol, but the monarch seemed to have reached out her hand first and didn't appear bothered by the first lady's gesture.

Donald Trump: In 2019, the Queen hosted the Trumps for an official state visit that included dinner at Buckingham Palace. In a Fox News interview just after the trip to London, Trump called the Queen an "incredible lady" and said they had a lot of fun together. Some members of the British public and press were not amused, however, when Trump briefly walked in front of the Queen during a ceremonial inspection of the troops at Windsor Castle. The monarch had to do an awkward sidestep around him.

Joe Biden: Biden first met the Queen as a young senator in 1982. He returned nearly 40 years later, after his first G7 summit as President. They held private talks inside Windsor Castle, and Biden later said he wished he could have spoken to her longer. "She was very generous," Biden said. He said he did not think she'd be insulted if he said she "reminded me of my mother in terms of the look of her and the generosity."

All the Queen's presidents: From Truman to Biden

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