A royal expert has denied claims that Prince Charles is “in effect becoming Prince Regent” amid the Queen’s health concerns.
The monarch, 96, has suffered from well-documented mobility issues in recent times, forcing her to withdraw from some public appearances and use a walking stick.
Due to his mother’s health, Prince Charles, 73, has taken on a number of her responsibilities, including opening parliament in May.
According to the emphaticallythis has led to speculation that the heir is stepping into the role of prince regent, meaning he effectively acts as the monarch in the absence or ill health of the head of state.
But royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams told the Express such claims are “gossip”, saying the Queen is “mentally perfectly alert and performing tasks, albeit modified tasks.”
The Queen, 96, (pictured here visiting the official opening of the new Thames Hospice building in Berkshire in July) has recently had a number of health issues and has started using a walking stick due to mobility issues
As the Queen has reduced her workload in recent times, leaving Prince Charles, 73, (pictured in Portsmouth in July) to represent her at events such as the recent Commonwealth Games, some people have speculated that the heir apparent will become Prince Regent – a claim rejected by royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams
He added: ‘A regent is when the queen was incapacitated, that’s the period when you have a regent… The queen is completely alert mentally and performs duties, albeit other duties.
“I don’t see this as a possibility. Of course we have to wait and see what will happen in the future.’
The Queen, who is currently on her annual summer holiday in Balmoral, Aberdeenshire, has recently stepped back from royal duties and missed some appearances.
Among them, she did not attend the recent Commonwealth Games, where she was instead represented by Prince Charles. The Queen has only missed a handful of Commonwealth events in the past seven decades.
However, in early June, she attended her platinum anniversary celebrations, although she did not appear at all of the features.
Last month, during its annual review, Buckingham Palace reduced or removed some of the official appointments the Queen holds.
This made Charles ready to step up and take on some of the more demanding duties, while scrapping others, such as the opening of parliament, which were once a necessary constitutional convention.
The changes marked the first time in at least a decade that the palace’s annual report has edited or changed the Queen’s duties.
A source at the palace downplayed the significance, saying it wasn’t a “drastic” change, just a minor update after the anniversary.
The new version of the Queen’s role and duties will emphasize the support expected to be provided to the wider royal family, while moderating the specific duties the monarch is expected to perform.
According to the Sovereign Grant Report, signed by Sir Michael Stevens, the custodian of the Privy Purse, the Queen’s role still consists of two main elements: head of state and head of nation.
The Queen ‘must’ ‘perform’ specific tasks in the ‘formal constitutional concept’ of her role as head of state.
Buckingham Palace reduced and removed some of the duties the 96-year-old Queen “must fulfill” as monarch in her annual review last month, leaving Prince Charles to take on the more demanding events.
Although the Queen has attended a number of public events in recent times, she struggled with mobility issues and started using a walking stick (pictured here during the Queen’s Body Guard for Scotland Reddendo Parade in the gardens of the Palace of Holyroodhouse, Edinburgh in June)
These include the state opening of parliament, the appointment of the prime minister and the payment and receipt of state visits, which were previously laid down in a list of 13 items.
These specific duties have been toned down with vaguer language saying that the Queen’s role “includes a range of parliamentary and diplomatic duties” and that she “receives” only other visiting heads of state.
As Head of Nations, the Queen only fulfills her duties ‘if appropriate or necessary’.
The specific tasks have been replaced by a more general role of inspiring ‘unity and national identity’ and ‘continuity and stability’, recognizing the ‘achievements and success’ of others and providing ‘support to the service’ of volunteers to the emergency services and the army.
Of the six major events of the royal calendar previously listed, the State Opening has been scrapped and four of the other five this year were led by the Prince of Wales.