Queen Elizabeth with last minute dash to sign 22 bills before parliament dissolution

Queen Elizabeth had one of her busiest days of the year as she gave royal assent to 22 bills before parliament closed ahead of next month's snap general election.

Although British Prime Minister Theresa May's government will continue to function, the calling of the June election set the wheels in motion to start the dissolution of the British parliament.

In what was a busy day Thursday in the Houses of Parliament, MPs in the House of Commons and peers in the House of Lords spent the day getting rushing through the last remaining business before a prorogation announcement late Thursday signalling the last sessions of debate in the two historic chambers.

Prorogation marks the formal end of the parliamentary session, with an announcement read on behalf of the Queen in the House of Lords chamber.

Across London, Queen Elizabeth signed 22 parliamentary bills, enabling them to be enacted before the shutters came down. The bills covered a range of topics from bus services to the digital economy, and measures to seize proceeds of more crimes from convicted people.

The formal dissolution of the parliament will happen on next Wednesday, though there are no further meetings of politicians until after the June general election.

If the polls are accurate, May will ask the Queen to summon the new parliament to meet on June 13, when the business will be the election of the Speaker of the House of Commons and the swearing-in of MPs and members of the House of Lords.

The state opening of parliament will take place six days later on June 19, when the Queen will outline the program if new bills and measures proposed by the incoming government.

Normally the state opening of parliament is a ceremony rich in color and pageantry, attracting tens of thousands of people to the streets of London to watch the procession.

There will be a major change this year, with the Queen travelling to the Houses of Parliament by car rather than in the usual horse-drawn state coach. And instead of wearing her usual robes of state and the Imperial State Crown, the 91-year-old monarch will wear what the palace describes as day wear and a hat.

It is the first time in 43 years, and the second time in her 65-year reign that the Queen has not worn her official robes and crown for one of the key constitutional events.

A parliament spokeswoman said the decision had been taken because of the short time available between the general election and the state opening of parliament.

"There would not be enough time for rehearsals and to make the arrangements," said the spokeswoman. Enditem