QUEEN GIVES UP CENOTAPH DUTIES
Prince Charles to lay her remembrance wreath
THE Queen will no longer take part in Britain’s most important act of remembrance for the fallen.
She will watch the ceremony from a balcony overlooking the Cenotaph in central London.
In what will inevitably be taken as a clear sign that age is catching up with her, the 91-year-old monarch will see the Remembrance Sunday service from a Foreign Office balcony.
Prince Charles will lead the
ceremony by placing her floral tribute at the base of the Cenotaph in Whitehall on November 12.
Charles, 68, who is increasingly taking on more duties in a gradual handover of responsibilities, will lay his wreath after the landmark moment marking another step in the changing of the royal guard.
Royal aides said the primary reason for the Queen’s decision was that 96-year-old Prince Philip, who retired from an official programme of public duties at the end of the summer, had expressed his desire to watch the ceremony from one of the balconies traditionally used by royal women and foreign monarchs not taking part in the service.
A palace spokeswoman said: “The Queen wishes to be alongside the Duke of Edinburgh and he will be on the balcony.
“It’s not unusual for members of the family to watch it from the balcony. He wants to attend and wishes to be with the family on the balcony.”
Hazards
But aides admitted it was likely that in future years the Queen will continue to watch the ceremony from the balcony – whether Prince Philip is attending or not.
In the past few years, they have maintained a similar programme of events for the Queen but gradually whittled down some responsibilities, reducing the amount of time she is on her feet and, particularly cutting out steps and other potential hazards.
Two years ago government officials made the Cenotaph ceremony slightly shorter, arranging for some royals to lay their wreaths together, to reduce the amount of standing time for the Queen, Philip and the thousands of veterans on parade. But plans for the Prime Minister to lay one wreath and for opposition leaders to then all lay their floral tributes together were dropped.
The latest change on Remembrance Sunday will spare the Queen the most arduous part of being on duty, walking up and down the Foreign Office steps, laying her wreath and then walking backwards, and standing to attention for around 20 minutes during the religious service.
Royal commentator Joe Little, managing editor of Majesty Magazine, thought the decision was clearly linked to the Queen and Philip’s advancing years. “I think it’s just a natural progression, given their ages,” he said. “I think we will be seeing more of these things in the months to come.”
He said last year the Queen appeared to catch her heel while walking backwards after laying her wreath at the memorial. “It caused a sharp intake of breath for many people watching on television. I think this is a sensible thing to do.” The Queen has only missed six Cenotaph ceremonies during her reign. Two of those were in 1959 and 1963 when she was pregnant with Prince Andrew and Prince Edward and the other four occasions were when she was on visits to Ghana in 1961, Brazil in 1968, Kenya in 1983 and South Africa in 1999.
Charles has laid a wreath at the Cenotaph once before on behalf of the Queen in 1983 when she was out of the country.
When she was in South Africa in 1999 she laid a wreath at the Cenotaph in Durban.
In spite of no longer appearing on parade, the Queen will still spend 20 minutes on the balcony and continue her traditional role of meeting dignitaries at a reception inside the Foreign Office, although it is not clear if Philip will join her.
THE Queen has delegated the responsibility for laying a wreath at the Cenotaph to her son Prince Charles while she and Prince Philip will instead watch from a balcony. This is just one of many important functions that Prince Charles and other royals have taken on in recent years.
It must be wonderful for the Queen to have her family all rallying round and helping out.