THE Queen will miss the state opening of Parliament, Buckingham Palace has announced.
Queen Elizabeth was expected to attend the archaic ceremony on Tuesday, at which she delivers a speech outlining the Government's priorities for the next session.
She will miss the event because of health problems and issues with her mobility.
Prince Charles will deliver the address instead.
Queen Elizabeth, 96, has been in poor health recently and earlier this year complained she could not move her leg.
The Government’s legislative agenda will be unveiled officially tomorrow and is expected to include plans to scrap the Human Rights Act and could feature a bill to privatise Channel 4.
Buckingham Palace said in a statement: “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, [Prince Charles] will read The Queen’s Speech on Her Majesty’s behalf, with The [Prince William] also in attendance.”
A new Letters Patent authorised by the Queen was issued to cover the State Opening delegating to Counsellors of State the royal function of opening a new session of Parliament.
In this instance, it enables Charles and William to jointly exercise that function. No other functions have been delegated by the Queen.
The decision was taken on Monday.
Her mobility issues are said to be a continuation of the problems the Queen has suffered since the autumn.
The Queen is understood to have a busy diary at Windsor this week with a call with Australia undertaken on Monday, and a planned virtual Privy Council and phone audience with the Prime Minister on Wednesday.
She is expected to undertake some private engagements later in the week.
It would be only the third time during her reign that the Queen has not opened parliament – and the first time nearly 60 years.
The exceptions were in 1959 and 1963, when she was pregnant with Prince Andrew and then Prince Edward, when her speech was read by the Lord Chancellor.
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