The annual speech, considered one of the most significant moments of the royal and political year, will be in charge of the Prince of Wales
Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II will not open parliament next Tuesday due to mobile problems, Buckingham Palace said in a statement on Monday.
“The Queen has continued episodic movement problems and, in consultation with her doctors, has reluctantly decided that she will not attend the state opening ceremony of parliament tomorrow,” the statement said.
“At the request of His Majesty and with the concurrence of the relevant authorities, the Prince of Wales will read the Queen’s speech on behalf of His Majesty the Lord of Cambridge,” the Palace added.
The Queen’s speech, written by the government, is a significant event in the state and political calendars. This text is one of the King’s most important symbolic duties, and it forms the centerpiece of the opening ceremony of Parliament.
Opening Parliament is a fundamental responsibility of the Constitution. It would not have happened without the king. The Queen should delegate this responsibility to the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Cambridge, who are also State Councilors.
This talk is also used to present the government’s legislative agenda, and its content will be hotly debated by lawmakers over the next few days.
State sources told CNN that the Queen’s decision not to attend the opening ceremony of parliament was made this Monday.
The Queen has not opened Parliament only twice since ascending the throne in 1952: in 1959 and 1963 when she was pregnant with Prince Andrew and Prince Edward, respectively. The President’s speech was read at the event.
The source said they would not talk in detail about the Queen’s episodic mobility issues, but it would be fair to assume they were a continuation of the issues she has felt since last fall.
After being admitted to the hospital in October 2021 to retire for undisclosed reason, the king stepped back from royal duties on the advice of doctors. The Queen has used cane at various engagements in recent months. The Queen recently revealed that she was “very tired and exhausted” only after the recent outbreak of Govt-19: tested positive for the virus in February.
The 96-year-old king has a busy schedule this week and is set to hold some personal engagements later in the week, according to the same source.
This year marks the 70th anniversary of the accession of the Queen to the throne, which celebrated her birthday on April 21st. The Queen is the longest-serving British monarch and the longest-serving head of state in history.
