Queen Elizabeth II's speech in parliament could be canceled due to health issues
Confirmation of the queen's attendance at the tribute ceremony for her late husband, Prince Philip, is expected.
There is a possibility that Queen Elizabeth will not be able to make her traditional royal speech this year, which marks the start of the new parliamentary session. This presents a legislative program of the government. It is scheduled to take place next Thursday, May 10.
Who is in charge of writing it is the executive and it is read by the monarch in the ceremony with great splendor. This traditional speech is one of the strongest and most important events on the British political calendar.
However, the queen, who is about to turn 96 in April, has had to reduce her schedule and meetings in recent months for health reasons.
From the prime minister's office it was announced on Thursday that the event will take place on May 10 this year. For this reason, Buckingham Palace had to limit itself to saying that the queen's participation "will be confirmed in due course."
Elizabeth II could commission her son Charles, Prince of Wales and the 73-year-old next heir to the throne.
Health of Queen Elizabeth
After 70 years of reign, the monarch has only missed this important act twice : in 1959 and 1963, years in which she was pregnant with princes Andrew and Edward individually.
Her health is very fragile and could lead her to avoid this long and heavy ceremony this year. The queen has been seen with a cane in recent months and has confirmed that she has many difficulties when she walks.
In October of last year, he was hospitalized one night to undergo some tests, the nature of which was never specified. In November, the royal palace excused his absence from a ceremony due to back pain. And in February his contagion of the COVID-19 virus was reported.
A few days ago, on March 14, the British Commonwealth Day celebrations were supposed to present his return to public life, but unfortunately at the last minute he canceled his presence and left Prince Charles in charge.
Right now, her participation in a planned mass next Tuesday in tribute to her late husband, Prince Philip, who died in April 2021, is also very doubtful.
From the palace, it was announced on Thursday that members of the royal family will attend the tribute at Westminster Abbey. However, they did not specify who.