On May 10, 2022, Queen Elizabeth is scheduled to deliver her annual State Opening of Parliament speech in the Council Chamber of the House of Lords in London. But the current state of health of the monarch no longer allows for long-term scheduling. Will she have to hand over the task to Prince Charles?
In mid-March, Queen Elizabeth, 95, had to cancel her participation in the Commonwealth Day service at short notice. Since then it has been uncertain which appointments the monarch will take personally in the coming months. Although the Queen is said to have recovered from her hospital stay in October 2021 and her corona infection at the beginning of 2022, there is still uncertainty, especially for events in London: Queen Elizabeth has moved her main residence to Windsor, which means that events in central London are becoming more difficult mean a long journey for the 95-year-old.
An insider has told The Sunday Times how the palace and royal family now intends to proceed at the opening of parliament on May 10, 2022.
Queen Elizabeth hopes to open Parliament herself
“The date is on Her Majesty’s diary and she hopes to attend. The Queen remains fit and active and it’s amazing how much she’s still doing,” the anonymous source said. However, long-term planning is currently not possible and a decision must be made at short notice as to whether the monarch can travel to London. “Her schedule will be designed to reflect the realities of a woman her age and ensure she can continue to do as much as she can and would like to,” the insider continued.
In the White Salon she inspects particularly valuable pieces
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According to this, the other members of the British royal family – above all Prince Charles, 73 – would be on call if the regent should fail. In recent years, the monarch has been accompanied by her eldest son and heir apparent to the opening of parliament. Charles took on this role after Prince Philip, † 99, last accompanied his wife to this event in 2016.
Queen Elizabeth is expected to attend the memorial service in honor of Prince Philip
It remains uncertain whether Queen Elizabeth will be able to open Parliament with her “Queen’s Speech”. First, however, another date is eagerly awaited: on Tuesday, March 29, 2022, the memorial service in honor of Prince Philip will take place in London’s Westminster Abbey, in which the Queen is to attend. In addition to her, many other royals have confirmed their participation, including the Spanish, Dutch and Swedish royals.
Sources used: dailymail.co.uk