Buckingham Palace has reduced Queen Elizabeth II’s responsibilities for the first time in at least a decade, some of which will be transferred to her son, Prince Charles of Wales.
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Previously, the list of duties of the queen, who turned 96 in April, consisted of 13 items and included the appointment of a prime minister based on the results of a vote in parliament, the opening of sessions of parliament, and state visits.
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The new version of the list contains more vague language, according to which the role of the monarch is to fulfill a “spectrum of parliamentary and diplomatic duties“, maintaining “unity and national identity.” From the list of events in which the queen should participate, the opening ceremony of parliament, which usually takes place in the fall, was excluded. Many of the other events on the calendar this year were attended by Prince Charles instead of the Queen.
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In October, the Queen spent the night in the hospital. After that, the doctors recommended that she rest for a few weeks. In February, Elizabeth II suffered a coronavirus, after which she complained that it was difficult for her to move. From October last year to the end of March this year, she did not appear in public.
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In early June, the Queen was unable to attend some of the events that took place in honor of the 70th anniversary of her reign due to discomfort. In the middle of the month, Queen Elizabeth II missed the races at Ascot, an annual social event, for the first time in 70 years due to mobility issues. She recorded a video message to the guests of the event. The royal family was represented at the races by Prince William and his wife Kate Middleton.
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Prince Charles is 73 years old and heir to the British throne. On May 10, instead of the queen, the prince opened the regular session of parliament by reading the Speech from the Throne.
