Queen Elizabeth II to skip opening session of UK Parliament due to 'mobility problems'

Queen Elizabeth II will not attend the opening of UK Parliament on Tuesday, May 10, due to issues with her mobility. Buckingham Palace has informed that the Queen will not be participating in the state opening of parliament, The Guardian reported. The speech of the British monarch will be read by her son, Prince Charles, in the UK Parliament.

It is reportedly the third time in her reign that the Queen is set to miss the state opening of Parliament. The Queen has opened every session of the UK parliament except on two occasions when she was pregnant in 1959 and 1963. Buckingham Palace in a statement said that the Queen has been facing "episodic mobility problems," as per The Guardian report. It further said that the decision regarding Queen Elizabeth II not attending the opening of the UK Parliament was taken after consultations with her doctors. The Queen’s speech will be read by Prince Charles as a new letters patent, approved by the Queen, was issued that delegated the responsibility of opening the session of parliament to two counsellors of state. The opening session of the UK Parliament will also be attended by the Queen's grandson, Duke of Cambridge, Prince William. In the opening session of the UK Parliament, the main throne will be kept empty while Prince Charles and his wife, Camilla will sit in their usual seats. Meanwhile, Prince William will take the seat on the opposite side to Duchess of Cornwall, Camilla. 

Boris Johnson on Queen not attending the opening session of UK Parliament

Reacting to the Queen's decision to not attend the opening session of the UK Parliament, a No 10 spokesperson said that Prime Minister Boris Johnson respects the wishes of the British monarch. The spokesperson added that Johnson is grateful to Prince Charles for his decision to make the speech on her behalf, as per the news report. The Queen's decision to not attend the opening session of the UK Parliament comes a week after it was announced that the British monarch will not participate in any of the summer's garden parties that will take place at Buckingham Palace and at Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh.

Notably, the people of the United Kingdom will celebrate Queen's Platinum Jubilee with a four-day bank holiday from June 2 to June 5. According to the Royal Family website, the four days of celebrations will include public events, community activities and national moments of reflection on The Queen’s 70 years of service.   

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