Prince Charles, eldest son of the Queen and heir to the throne, is stepping up his royal responsibilities as the Queen continues to withdraw from the public eye. In a move to become de facto Prince Regent, Charles will open Parliament on the Queen's behalf, nearly 60 years after she last missed it CornwallLive reports.
A statement from Buckingham Palace explained the Queen was missing the opening of Parliament due to mobility problems. The statement said: "The Queen continues to experience episodic mobility problems, and in consultation with her doctors has reluctantly decided that she will not attend the State Opening of Parliament tomorrow."
"At Her Majesty's request, and with the agreement of the relevant authorities, The Prince of Wales will read The Queen's Speech on Her Majesty’s behalf, with The Duke of Cambridge also in attendance."
READ MORE: Queen's speech LIVE: Updates as Prince of Wales to read Queen’s Speech in Parliament
Prince Charles will be joined by his eldest son Prince William while opening Parliament which represents a significant shift in his responsibilities as a future monarch. The Duchess of Cornwall, Camilla, will also be in attendance.
The last time the Queen missed a state opening of parliament was in 1959 and 1963 when she was pregnant with Prince Andrew and Prince Edward when her speech to parliament was read by the Lord Chancellor. During this state opening of parliament, her main throne will remain empty in the House of Lords to mark her absence.
What does Prince Regent mean?
The role of a Prince Regent is to rule the country while the current monarch is absent or incapacitated. For instance, if the Queen was to become so ill she couldn't fulfil the normal functions of a monarch, Prince Charles would take over as Prince Regent.
The title of Prince Regent is most associated with George IV, who held the position during the Regency Era while George III, his father, was mentally ill and unable to act as monarch.
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