Queen still plans to attend State Opening of Parliament next week but walking will be minimised
The Queen hopes to attend the State Opening of Parliament but with a few ‘tweaks’ for her comfort – while palace officials draw up contingency plan for Prince Charles give speech in case she is forced to cancel due to her health
The Queen plans to attend this year’s State Opening of Parliament next TuesdayMeasures are in place to ensure she does not have to walk any long distancesBuckingham Palace said the Queen’s attendance will be confirmed on the day
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The Queen still plans to attend the State Opening of Parliament next Tuesday, Buckingham Palace has revealed – but measures are in place to minimise the distance she would have to walk amid her ongoing mobility issues.
Her Majesty will need to walk from a car to the building then through the Robing Room to the Lords Chamber, and she will then have to take three steps up to her throne, from which she delivers her speech. If the Queen was unable to attend, the likely candidate to read the Queen’s speech would be her son Prince Charles.
Buckingham Palace has said the Queen ‘plans to attend’ but that this would be confirmed on the day. It would be the most high-profile constitutional event she has been able to go to for two years.
The 96-year-old monarch will travel by car from Buckingham Palace to Westminster on Tuesday under the current plans. She has not used a carriage since 2019 as she finds her state limousine more comfortable.
There will also be a slimmed down – but still spectacular – military ceremony with fewer troops but the same standards of pomp and military splendour involving eight different units, including The King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery and The Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment.
The Queen at the State Opening of Parliament in May 2021, which took place with a lower capacity due to Covid restrictions
As the Queen’s car leaves the palace a royal salute will take place and the National Anthem will be played.
She no longer wears her Imperial Crown or Robes of State given their weight and awkwardness and instead wears smart day dress. In 2016 the Queen used a lift rather than the stairs for the State Opening of Parliament for the first time in 64 years.
The State Opening of Parliament is one of the monarch’s most significant public duties, and involves the reading of the Queen’s Speech outlining the government’s policies and proposed legislation for the new parliamentary session.
The Queen has opened Parliament all but two times during her reign. The exceptions were in 1959, the year she was pregnant with the Duke of York, and 1963, when she was pregnant with the Earl of Wessex.
The Queen is escorted by Prince Charles during the State Opening of Parliament at the House of Lords on May 11, 2021
The ceremony was not held in 2020 and last year a reduced capacity Covid-secure state opening of Parliament was staged on May 11 with the Queen present.
There has been speculation about whether the Queen will fulfil one of her major duties as head of state, especially after it was announced she would not be attending the garden party season and instead would be represented by members of her family.
The head of state has missed a number of major events this year but has been carrying out virtual engagements and her other duties.
Garden parties will be staged from next week for the first time in three years and are important events in the royal calendar as those who have served their country or communities are invited to the monarch’s home.
The Queen, Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall during the State Opening of Parliament on October 14, 2019
Buckingham Palace said: “Her Majesty The Queen will be represented by other members of the royal family at this year’s garden parties, with details on attendance to be confirmed in due course.”
The Queen attended a service commemorating the life of the Duke of Edinburgh in March with senior royals and a congregation of hundreds.
She reached her Platinum Jubilee in February, overcame a bout of Covid after testing positive that month, and celebrated her 96th birthday privately on April 21 at her Sandringham estate.
Last October, the Queen spent a night in hospital and spent the following three months under doctors’ orders to only conduct light duties and missed a number of prominent events.
The Queen has been using a walking stick in public since she attended a service marking the centenary of the Royal British Legion last October.
It is understood the key factor in other members of the royal family being asked to represent the Queen was the length of time royal hosts spend standing during garden parties which last well over an hour.
The events will be staged at Buckingham Palace on May 11, 18 and 25, and the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh will be the venue for a party on June 29.
The Queen has given permission for the annual garden party for forces charity The Not Forgotten Association, which supports disabled veterans and serving wounded, to take place at her official London home on May 12, hosted by the organisation’s patron the Princess Royal.
