Queen’s speech is overshadowed by Brexit

Amid the fanfare of hostage-taking, royal jewels and other centuries-old traditions for the opening of a new session of the British Parliament, the frantic search for a deal to leave the E.U. loomed.

Even in her speech, which was written by the government, Queen Elizabeth II said it was the “priority” of Prime Minister Boris Johnson to leave by Oct. 31, and avoided using harder words like committed or determined. The rest of the speech essentially set up Mr. Johnson’s government for a general election; critics dismissed it as a Conservative Party manifesto.

Reality: What’s next is, as you might have guessed, unclear. The scramble for an agreement that has an Irish border solution closer to that of Mr. Johnson’s predecessor, Theresa May — but one that won’t turn off Brexit hard-liners to the point of rebellion — will go into Thursday, when E.U. leaders meet to either sign off or consider an extension.

But experts say that it will be difficult to put a deal in principle into an official legal document so quickly.

Of note: One of the critical factors will be the decision of the 10 lawmakers from Northern Ireland’s Democratic Unionist Party who prop up Mr. Johnson’s government but fiercely opposed the Brexit plan negotiated by Mrs. May.