Queen Elizabeth, Citing 'Episodic Mobility Problems,' To Miss Opening Of Parliament For First Time Since 1963

Queen Elizabeth II will not appear at Tuesday's State Opening of Parliament and the reading of the Queen's speech that sets the agenda for the government’s legislative agenda.

What Happened: Buckingham Palace announced the 96-year-old monarch will be absent from this ceremony following a medical consultation. The palace attributed the Queen’s absence to "episodic mobility problems." Prince Charles, the heir to the throne, will read the speech on behalf of his mother.

This marks the third time that the queen did not attend the State Opening of Parliament – she missed the ceremony in 1959 and 1963 due to pregnancies, with the Lord Chancellor filling in for her during those occasions.

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Why This Happened: According to the BBC, the Queen has become an increasingly absent figure from ceremonial occasions. Outside of the thanksgiving service in March for her late husband Prince Philip, she was not present at royal public events this year. However, she has continued to greet visiting heads of state at Windsor Castle and has appeared on virtual platforms to welcome newly arrived ambassadors and to hold conversations with Britons involved in special events.

The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, celebrating her 70th year on the throne, is scheduled to take place throughout the U.K. in June.

Photograph courtesy The Royal Family Facebook page.