Increasingly frail Queen may let Charles deliver speech at opening

Buckingham Palace has drawn up contingency plans for Prince Charles to read the Queen’s Speech next week, amid concerns that the monarch will be unable to attend.

The Queen, 96, has missed the ceremony just twice during her 70 years on the throne – when she was pregnant with Prince Andrew in 1959, and just before Prince

Edward’s birth in 1963.

In recent months, she has missed a number of engagements because of mobility problems. Buckingham Palace confirmed yesterday that she would miss the royal garden party season in her Platinum Jubilee year.

A Whitehall source said it was looking increasingly unlikely that the Queen would read the speech. They said discussions on the Prince of Wales taking over were advanced.

A royal source said the Queen still planned to read the speech, but her presence at the state opening of parliament would not be confirmed until the day.

If Charles reads the speech on her behalf next week, it will mark a significant step in the gradual handing over of the sovereign’s duties.

Traditionally, if the sovereign is unavailable, the lord chancellor reads the speech on her behalf.

Charles, who now takes the place of the Queen at the Cenotaph on Remembrance Sunday, has supported her at the state opening since the retirement of the Prince Philip in 2017.

Buckingham Palace said the Queen would be represented by other members of the British royal family during garden party season. The most recent time she hosted a garden party at the palace was in 2019, when she and Edward greeted captains from the teams taking part in the Cricket World Cup.

Her decision not to host any parties this year is no surprise. As royal aides pointed out, they involve standing for long periods, which the Queen is no longer able to do.

Her increasing frailty has raised questions about which events she will attend during the weekend of celebrations marking her Platinum Jubilee next month.

They include Trooping the Colour on June 2, where there is expected to be an appearance by members of the royal family on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, and a service of thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral the next day. One of the events the Queen would least like to miss is the Derby at Epsom racecourse on June 4.

The return of garden parties next week marks the first time they have been held since they were cancelled in 2020 because of the Covid-19 pandemic. It is not unusual for the parties to be hosted by members of the royal family other than the Queen.