The British sovereign Elizabeth II, who is already 96 years oldwill not be able to give the Queen’s Speechsome words that traditionally inaugurate the parliamentary year in the House of Lords (lower) and that would be held this Tuesday, May 10.
According to a statement from Buckingham Palace, “The queen continues to experience episodic mobility problems and, in consultation with his doctors, has reluctantly decided that he will not participate in the State Opening of Parliament tomorrow.”
Instead, it will be his son and crown prince, Carlos, who will read the speech in which the Government details its priorities for the parliamentary year.
In addition to the Prince of Wales, the Queen’s grandson, William, Duke of Cambridge, will also be present at the ceremony.
Background
It will be the first time since 1963 that the British sovereign misses this ceremony, one of the most solemn and representative of the monarchical exercise.
Until the last moment, his presence remained in doubt since Elizabeth II’s wish was to participate in the speech, although it had already been announced that Prince Charles would be his replacement if necessary.
The queen’s public appearances are becoming less frequent, although it is expected that she can participate in some way in the celebrations planned for the first week of June, when her Platinum Jubilee will be commemorated, the 70th anniversary since she was crowned, which makes her the longest-living monarch in the history of the United Kingdom.