Queen Elizabeth will not open UK Parliament this year, Buckingham Palace says
By David Wilkinson, CNN
(CNN) -- Britain's Queen Elizabeth II will not attend the opening of Parliament on Tuesday due to mobility problems, Buckingham Palace said in a statement on Monday.
"The Queen continues to experience episodic mobility problems, and in consultation with her doctors has reluctantly decided that she will not attend the State Opening of Parliament tomorrow," it said.
"At Her Majesty's request, and with the agreement of the relevant authorities, The Prince of Wales will read The Queen's speech on Her Majesty's behalf, with The Duke of Cambridge also in attendance," the Palace added.
The Queen's Speech, which is written by the government, is a significant event in both the royal and political calendars.
The speech is one of the monarch's most important symbolic duties and forms the centerpiece of the State Opening of Parliament ceremony.
It is also used to introduce the government's legislative agenda, and its contents are fiercely debated by lawmakers for days afterwards.
The-CNN-Wire
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