By Queen plans to attend opening of Parliament
The Queen plans to attend the state opening of Parliament next week, Buckingham Palace has said.
The monarch is expected to deliver her speech setting out the government’s policies and proposed legislation for the new session, which will be on Tuesday.
The palace spokesman said attendance of the 96-year-old, would be confirmed on the day.
She has cut back on several engagements in recent months, with the palace earlier announcing she would not attend the traditional garden parties this summer.
The Queen has opened Parliament each time apart from missing the event in 1959 and 1963 when she was pregnant.
It is likely that the Prince of Wales would step in to read the Queen’s Speech, if the monarch would not be in attendance.
The ceremony was not held in 2020 and last year a reduced capacity Covid-secure state opening of Parliament was , with the Queen present.
In recent years the Queen has mainly taken a car, rather than a carriage, to the Palace of Westminster.
The monarch has missed several engagements in recent months, including the Easter Sunday service.
It is understood various other Royal Family members will take her place at the garden parties, following the announcement that the Queen will not attend.
The first garden party in the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee year is set to take place next Wednesday at Buckingham Palace.
It is the first time in three years members of the public have been invited to the Queen’s home for the garden parties, due to the pandemic.
Last October, the monarch spent a night in hospital and for three months was under doctors’ orders to only carry out light duties, missing a number of events.
The Queen has been using a walking stick in public since last October.
