Prince Charles to stand in for the Queen at major royal engagement as health concerns continue

Prince Charles will be standing in for the Queen at an upcoming international event for Commonwealth leaders later this year.

• The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) has been set to take place in June 2022.
• The event has been postponed for the last two years because of the pandemic, but now after the lengthy delay, it has been confirmed.
• In other royal news, Prince Harry is 'laying low' after realizing 'toll' on Queen.

It has just been announced that Prince Charles will be attending the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in East Africa in June this year.

Chris Ship, a royal reporter revealed on social media, "After a 2-year delay, the @commonwealthsec has announced a date for the 54 heads of member governments to meet."

"Prince Charles is also likely to go to @CHOGM2022. Takes place in Kigali, Rwanda from 20 June (they were meant to meet in June 2020 but it was twice canceled by Covid)"

The last meeting of this group took place in London in 2018, when the Queen and former Prime Minister Theresa May represented the United Kingdom. 

Following this meeting it was announced by CHOGM representatives, "We recognize the role of the Queen in championing the Commonwealth and its peoples. The next head of the Commonwealth shall be His Royal Highness Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales.”

Unlike Prince Charles' future role as King which relies on his place in the royal line of succession, this role as head of the commonwealth isn't a hereditary honor. The Queen asked the CHOGM to allow her son to continue her work as head of the commonwealth once she passes.

Although this request was accepted, this would only come into place once Her Majesty passes. This suggests that Prince Charles will be prematurely attending this event in Africa, before he has become the official head of the Commonwealth.

The Queen's lack of attendance follows concerns about Her Majesty's health over the past few months. In October 2021, Her Majesty has sparked concern from royal fans who worried after the Queen was admitted for an overnight hospital stay. It was later revealed that the Queen was suffering from a sprained back and she was then forced to cancel various royal engagements.

The Queen pulled out of the COP26 summit and was later forced to cancel the royal historic tradition, the Festival of Remembrance on November 13.

Buckingham Palace was forced to release a statement that read, "Following on from their recent advice that The Queen should rest for a few days, Her Majesty’s doctors have advised that she should continue to rest for at least the next two weeks."

The CHOGM engagement is also set to take place just a few weeks after the Queen's Platinum Jubilee. A celebratory event that is sure to be a tremendous amount of effort for the Queen as the festivities span the weekend and two bank holiday days.

In addition to this, previous concern about the Queen's health sparked rumors that the Queen, 'will not undertake events,' such as large-scale honours again,' This could explain why the Queen, who is set to turn 96 in April, would find the idea of a long-haul flight and an extended trip to Africa, unappealing at her age.