Prince Charles

Britain's Conservative government laid out its plans for the next year at the state opening of Parliament in a speech given by Prince Charles, ...

The state opening ceremony itself is a spectacular pageant steeped in the two sides of Britain’s constitutional monarchy: royal pomp and political power. This year, Charles travelled to Parliament by car, rather than carriage, and did not wear the crown, which got its own seat. But other symbolic elements were present, including scarlet-clad Yeomen of the Guard and an official known as Black Rod who summoned lawmakers from the House of Commons to the House of Lords. But there was no specific new relief for soaring grocery and energy bills. Johnson has apologized but denies knowingly breaking the rules. The 96-year-old monarch pulled out of reading the Queen’s Speech at the ceremonial State Opening of Parliament because of what Buckingham Palace calls “episodic mobility issues.” Her son and heir, Prince Charles, stood in, rattling through a short speech laying out 38 bills the government plans to pass.

Queen Elizabeth II missed the opening of Parliament for the first time in six decades, formally delegating to Prince Charles for first time.

"Yes, we are, in effect, preparing for a transition," he told The Associated Press. "The queen is in her mid-90s. There is a long walk to the House of Lords, stairs to her throne. On both of those occasions, Parliament was opened by a royal commission, with the speech delivered by the presiding member. For the first time in nearly 60 years, the queen was not there in the House of Lords, due to her ongoing problems with walking. Counselors of state are required to act in pairs, so Charles was accompanied by Prince William. "The heir is teetering on the edge of becoming a de facto prince regent.

The queen's decision to delegate her role to Charles is likely to be seen by the public as evidence that a transition is underway, with the 96-year-old monarch ...

There is a long walk to the House of Lords, stairs to the throne, and in past years the need to climb in and out of the carriage. “Yes, we are, in effect, preparing for a transition,” he told The Associated Press. “The queen is in her mid-90s. We are nearing the last years of her reign, and during those last years, if she is no longer capable of putting in public appearances, Prince Charles can deputize on her behalf.” Charles presided over the state opening of Parliament and delivered the Queen’s Speech laying out the government’s legislative program. Her throne had been removed, but in its place the Imperial State Crown sat propped on a pillow. Buckingham Palace didn’t elaborate on what it called “episodic mobility problems,” but the queen has had difficulty moving around in recent months.

The State Opening of Parliament is a British monarch's most important constitutional duty, so delivering the speech symbolizes a major step-up for Prince ...

They also have a role in all U.K. state ceremonies and care for the vast historical archive of heraldic material gathered over the centuries. The duty also came relatively late to William, 39, as his father attended his first state opening in 1967, when he was just 18. Today, the holder of the position, Sarah Clarke, must recreate this moment by banging on the door of the House of Commons three times with her rod. Just in front of this, the Imperial State Crown was placed on a small table to symbolize the Queen's authority. So obviously that's quite important for people to have the appropriate seat." A handful of other participants also made history inside the historic Houses of Parliament. Her speech was delivered by the Lord Chancellor (currently the Conservative MP, Dominic Raab). Charles had his wife Camilla by his side as well. Prince William was present at the ceremony for the first time, sitting to the right of Charles in one of the Chairs of State. The Queen has only missed the State Opening twice before in her historic 70-year reign. The State Opening of Parliament is a British monarch's most important constitutional duty, so delivering the speech symbolizes a major step-up for Prince Charles. It also had to be authorized in advance by Queen Elizabeth through a "Letters Patent" that temporarily transferred her constitutional authority to the Prince of Wales and Prince William. While the Prince of Wales stepped up to fulfill the important constitutional duty of delivering the Queen's Speech for the first time, his son Prince William and wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall were also in attendance for the first time.

His stand-in role to deliver the Queen's speech is the clearest sign yet that the Elizabeth II era is drawing to a close, says royal historian Ed Owens.

Indeed, Prince Charles has enjoyed something of a return to popularity over the past five years, not least because of his image as the environmentalist king-in-waiting. Fortunately for the heir to the throne, the issue closest to his heart – the need to live in harmony with the natural world – now commands deep, consensual support among public and politicians alike. Other European royal families have embraced abdication as a positive way of passing on the responsibilities of monarchy to the next generation. In Britain the situation has been different. Indeed, his dereliction of duty exists in direct contrast with the public image the Queen has carefully crafted as the nation’s leading public servant over more than 70 years. The British monarchy has to face up to some difficult questions as to what comes next.

Britain's Prince Charles on Tuesday delivered the Queen's Speech for the first time after his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, began suffering from what ...

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