King Charles III enters stage of Britain’s political drama as PM Starmer faces down challengers

United KingdomKing Charles III enters stage of Britain’s political drama as PM Starmer faces down challengersThe monarch will deliver The King’s Speech as part of the State Opening of Parliament on Wednesday, even as Westminster is rife with rumor and plotting over the prime minister’s future.Listen to this article with a free account00:0000:00Add NBC News to GooglePolitical drama unfolding in the UK that may lead to Prime Minister Starmer being ousted02:17Get more newsLiveonShareAdd NBC News to GoogleMay 13, 2026, 6:11 AM EDT / Updated May 13, 2026, 6:29 AM EDTBy Alexander SmithLONDON — Plotters are trying to bring down the British prime minister. The capital is rife with rumor. And the king’s bodyguards, dressed in their finery, are conducting a torchlight search for explosives in the cellars beneath Parliament.Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s defiant bid to face down a rebellion left his future in the balance Wednesday, but that wasn’t going to stop the United Kingdom playing dress-up for the ceremonial State Opening of Parliament.Enter King Charles III.Later today the monarch will read The King’s Speech — an address written by the government to set out its priorities for the coming parliamentary session.Though the king will be reading Starmer’s words, “there’s deep uncertainty as to whether Starmer will be leading the government over the next 12 months or so,” said Craig Prescott, who specializes in the constitutional and political role of the monarchy at Royal Holloway, University of London. “So it’s a bit of a paradox,” he told NBC News.Starmer and wife Victoria leave No. 10 Downing St. to attend the State Opening of Parliament on Wednesday in London.Leon Neal / Getty ImagesMore than 80 Labour lawmakers have called for Starmer to resign, dismayed by two years of errors and policy U-turns that culminated in a disastrous showing in midterms-style elections last week....