Queen Elizabeth has been delegating more tasks to the heir apparent, Prince Charles. However, this doesn't mean that she is making the Prince of Wales regent.
Queen Elizabeth Still In Charge Even After Canceling Multiple Engagements
The 96-year-old monarch has canceled several important events this year. First, she skipped the Commonwealth service in March. Second, she pulled out of the parliament opening.
Buckingham Palace announced the Queen's decision to skip the State Opening of Parliament Monday. It was the first time she had missed the event in over 50 years.
Due to the Queen's decision to delegate most engagements to her son, Prince Charles, there are rumors that she is making the Prince of Wales her regent. However, royal biographer Robert Lacey debunked the claims.
"Regency involves a surrender of constitutional authority, which is very much not happening in this case," Lacey told People.
Although the other senior members of the royal family have represented Her Majesty, Lacey pointed out that the Queen remains in charge.
"The sense I get from everyone I speak to is that the Queen remains totally in control of her faculties and of everything at the palace," he adds. "The problem is physical mobility — and that is not a constitutional or regency issue. She is in charge."
Buckingham Palace explained that the Queen had to skip the event due to her mobility issues. The monarch has been using canes to assist her in walking in the past months.
"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," Buckingham Palace said in a statement a day before the opening of Parliament.
Queen Elizabeth And Senior Royals Are Showing What Partnership And Teamwork Is
Queen Elizabeth ordered Prince Charles to step in for her and deliver her speech at the traditional ceremony. The Prince of Wales was accompanied by his wife, Camilla Parker Bowles, and eldest son, Prince William, at the event.
Lacey noted that the sight of the two future kings sitting together at the Houses of Parliament shows the line of succession and does not indicate that Prince Charles is taking over his mother's constitutional powers.
Instead, Lacey felt that the Queen was thinking about the monarchy's future. He wants the public to know that the royals are still united, and she's giving her blessing to the senior royals who represent her at the event.
"She's clearly thinking of the future and this can be seen alongside the moment she said it was her wish that Camilla be known as Queen Consort, which was another important development this year," Lacey added. "Asking her son Charles and William to attend is clearly about succession, about emphasizing a partnership and teamwork."
Stay tuned for more news and updates about the royal family.