Queen Elizabeth to ‘reluctantly’ miss State Opening of Parliament due to ‘mobility problems’ Britain's Queen Elizabeth II, right, greets U.S. President Joe Biden, left, and first lady Jill Biden, center, at the dais in the Quadrangle of Windsor Castle in Windsor, west of London, on June 13, 2021. (Chris Jackson/Pool/AFP/Getty Images/TNS)
Queen Elizabeth II won’t attend the State Opening of Parliament on Tuesday for the first time in nearly 60 years, and has tapped Prince Charles to handle her speech.
“The Queen continues to experience episodic mobility problems, and in consultation with her doctors has reluctantly decided that she will not attend,” Buckingham Palace said Monday, according to People.
It will be only the third time in her monarchy that Queen Elizabeth has missed the annual event, where the government goes over its intentions for upcoming legislature. She last missed the ceremony in 1963, the BBC reports.
Prince Charles, who is the queen’s eldest son, was granted permission to read the speech from “the relevant authorities” at the request of Elizabeth, the palace said.
His elder son, Prince William, will also be in attendance Tuesday.
Buckingham Palace didn’t immediately respond to a Daily News request for comment.
The ceremony will become the latest recent event to be missed by Queen Elizabeth, who turned 96 last month and didn’t attend any royal festivities for Easter.
Her most recent appearance at a public event beyond one of her residences came in March, when she attended a thanksgiving service for her late husband, Prince Philip, according to the BBC.
Queen Elizabeth celebrated the 70th anniversary of her monarchy in February. She tested positive for COVID-19 later that month, with the palace saying she was experiencing cold-like symptoms, and canceled several virtual engagements as she recovered.
More festivities for the 70th anniversary of Elizabeth’s monarchy — often referred to as the platinum jubilee — are scheduled to take place in early June. Buckingham Palace says members of the Royal Family will visit different nations in the United Kingdom to commemorate the occasion.
Prince William and Kate Middleton will go to Wales; Prince Edward and Sophie, Countess of Wessex will be in Northern Ireland; and Anne, Princess Royal, will visit Scotland.
The visits will come during the four-day holiday of Central Weekend, which begins June 2. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were not included in the announcement because they stepped down from their senior royal duties in 2020 before moving to Southern California, according to People.
Harry and Meghan will, however, visit the United Kingdom with their two kids next month in order to attend the platinum jubilee events.
Harry, who is the queen’s grandson, visited her in the United Kingdom in April while he was en route to The Netherlands for the Invictus Games.
“It was just so nice to see her,” Harry told NBC’s “Today” show last month. “She’s on great form. She’s always got a great sense of humor with me, and I’m just making sure she’s protected and has the right people around her.”
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