Queen cancels important appearance for first time in 59 years due to 'episodic mobility problems'

The Queen has canceled an important appearance as Prince Charles steps in for Her Majesty.

• It has been revealed that Prince Charles will be stepping in for the Queen at a royal engagement today.
• For just the third time in Her Majesty's reign she will not be able to open parliament with the Queen's speech.
• In other royal news, The 'controlled' way Kate and William told Prince George about his royal destiny.

It was rumored that Prince Charles could step in for the monarch for the first time to deliver the Queen's speech, and now it has been confirmed. 

On May 9, a statement from Buckingham Palace said, "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."

The statement also added that other members of the extended Royal Family will be stepping in for the Queen. "At Her Majesty’s request, and with the agreement of the relevant authorities, the Prince of Wales will read the Queen’s Speech on Her Majesty’s behalf with the Duke of Cambridge also in attendance," concluded the statement.

This is the third time that the Queen has been unable to make this speech to open parliament. On the two other occasions, Her Majesty was pregnant with Prince Andrew and Prince Edward, respectively, and was therefore unable to attend. This means that the last time the Queen missed this event was almost 60 years ago. 

Speaking about this change in speaker, a No 10 spokesperson said, "The Prime Minister fully respects the wishes of Her Majesty and is grateful to the Prince of Wales for agreeing to deliver the speech on her behalf."

The speech from Prince Charles is due to begin around 11am and while it is not known what will be said in this speech to open parliament, typically the Queen uses this opportunity to outline the Government’s proposed legislation and policies for the year. In 2021, the focus of the Queen's speech was on the pandemic and the government's proposed policies to help the country recover. 

If you want to see Prince Charles deliver this 10-minute speech for the first time, coverage will begin on BBC News and BBC iPlayer from 10:30 am until 12:15pm.