Queen Elizabeth made the Royal Windsor Horse Show more of a priority than the State Opening of Parliament. While I don’t blame her for that, it was a choice! But was it a choice the Queen made herself, or was it made by the Queen’s advisors and courtiers? It will be curious to find out what exactly has been going on with the Queen’s health and mental faculties over the past eight months. I wonder if the truth will ever be told. In the meantime, trust the Queen’s advisors to insist that however chaotic, however shambolic, however irresponsible they are, it was all according to the Queen’s plan. So it is with the Queen’s “choice” to send Prince Charles to the opening of Parliament last week. According to sources, the Queen masterminded this whole thing. Uh-huh.
The Queen was ‘adamant’ that Prince Charles delivered her speech at the State Opening of Parliament – as part of the ‘pin sharp’ monarch’s ‘masterplan’ to prepare her son for the throne and ‘soften the edges of transition’.
Prince Charles, dressed in ‘full rig’ uniform, read her speech for the first time and was accompanied by Prince William – who had never attended before. The appearance was planned by the Queen, her son and their aides as part of the latest move to ‘soften the edges of transition’ before Charles becomes king, The Times reports.
A royal source said: ‘Make no mistake, this was the trailer. The prince was dressed in a very regal way, but not to the point of appropriating the sovereign. Once you adjust your eyes to that, it won’t be so different when we see him wearing the crown. Technically, it wasn’t even necessary to have him read the speech.’
An emotional Prince Charles gazed at his mother’s crown before he announced 38 of Boris Johnson’s Bills for the coming year including new laws to properly punish eco hooligans, capitalise on Brexit, better regulate landlords and ensure Britons can pay their soaring bills.
It was only the third time the Queen has missed the event in her 70-year reign, with the Lord Chancellor reading a speech on her behalf on each occasion. But the monarch this year insisted that Charles deliver the speech, rather than current Lord Chancellor Dominic Raab.
The Prince of Wales giving the speech was a ‘very conscious decision’ by the Queen, who is keen to ‘cement in people’s minds that his role is coming’, the source added.
Another source close to the Queen said ‘things have been changing for a while’ as the monarch has a pragmatic understanding about her ability to perform the role. But she continues to sign legislation, receive visits from heads of states and perform engagement virtually from her office.
Sources again insist that the Queen is “very much in charge” and that she’s still doing all of her meetings with the Prime Minister and she’s doing some of the diplomatic meetings too. I believe that about the meetings, and they probably severely limit her time with both Boris Johnson and ambassadors and such. They keep her very insulated, which they translate as “safe” (but is not the same thing). As for the Queen masterminding Charles’s big keen speech… bullsh-t. This was Charles masterminding the transition to his own kingship. I don’t think Charles forced the Queen to stay in Windsor, but he was more than happy to get his moment. He wanted face-time with the actual Crown.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Backgrid and Instar.
-
- Prince Charles reads the Queen’s speech next to her crown during the State Opening of Parliament, at the Palace of Westminster in London, Tuesday, May 10, 2022. Buckingham Palace said Queen Elizabeth II will not attend the opening of Parliament on Tuesday amid ongoing mobility issues.,Image: 690017715, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: WPA POOL, WPA+IPA+CPNA IN, Model Release: no, Credit line: Alastair Grant / Avalon
-
- Prince Charles reads the Queen’s speech next to her crown during the State Opening of Parliament, at the Palace of Westminster in London, Tuesday, May 10, 2022. Buckingham Palace said Queen Elizabeth II will not attend the opening of Parliament on Tuesday amid ongoing mobility issues.,Image: 690017789, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: WPA POOL, WPA+IPA+CPNA IN, Model Release: no, Credit line: Alastair Grant / Avalon
-
- Prince Charles processes along the Royal gallery with the Duchess of Cornwall and Prince William during the ceremonial state opening of Parliament which The Queen was unable to attend due to her health.,Image: 690017924, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: RICHARD POHLE / Avalon
-
- Prince Charles processes along the Royal gallery with the Duchess of Cornwall and Prince William during the ceremonial state opening of Parliament which The Queen was unable to attend due to her health.,Image: 690018043, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: RICHARD POHLE / Avalon
-
- Image Licensed to i-Images Picture Agency. 10/05/2022. London, United Kingdom. Prince Charles and Camilla at the State Opening of Parliament in London. Queen Elizabeth II missed the ceremony for the first time in 59 years because of mobility issues .,Image: 690028213, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: Licenced to i-Images Picture Agency. All Rights Reserved. UK copyright law applies to all print & online publications. i-Images space rates apply to all images. Magazines contact agency for fees before use. Images Single use only then repro fees apply. Info@i-images.co Tel: 07860204379, Model Release: no, Credit line: Stephen Lock / i-Images / Avalon
-
- LONDON, ENGLAND – MAY 10: Prince Charles, Prince of Wales looks towards the Imperial State Crown as he delivers the Queen‚Äôs Speech during the state opening of Parliament at the House of Lords on May 10, 2022 in London, England. The State Opening of Parliament formally marks the beginning of the new session of Parliament. It includes Queen’s Speech, prepared for her to read from the throne, by her government outlining its plans for new laws being brought forward in the coming parliamentary year. This year the speech will be read by the Prince of Wales as HM The Queen will miss the event due to ongoing mobility issues.,Image: 690035436, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Dan Kitwood / Avalon
-
- Prince Charles reads the Queen’s speech next to her crown during the State Opening of Parliament, at the Palace of Westminster in London, Tuesday, May 10, 2022. Queen Elizabeth II did not attend the opening of Parliament amid ongoing mobility issues.,Image: 690036151, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: WPA POOL, WPA+IPA+CPNA IN, Model Release: no, Credit line: Alastair Grant / Avalon
-
- Windsor, UNITED KINGDOM – Queen Elizabeth II at Day Two of the Royal Windsor Horse Show 2022, at Windsor Castle, Windsor, Berkshire, UK. Pictured: Queen, Queen Elizabeth II BACKGRID USA 13 MAY 2022 USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
-
- Windsor, UNITED KINGDOM – Queen Elizabeth II at Day Two of the Royal Windsor Horse Show 2022, at Windsor Castle, Windsor, Berkshire, UK. Pictured: Queen, Queen Elizabeth II BACKGRID USA 13 MAY 2022 USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
-
- Windsor, UNITED KINGDOM – Queen Elizabeth II at Day Two of the Royal Windsor Horse Show 2022, at Windsor Castle, Windsor, Berkshire, UK. Pictured: Queen, Queen Elizabeth II BACKGRID USA 13 MAY 2022 USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
-
- Windsor, UNITED KINGDOM – Queen Elizabeth II at Day Two of the Royal Windsor Horse Show 2022, at Windsor Castle, Windsor, Berkshire, UK. Pictured: Queen, Queen Elizabeth II BACKGRID USA 13 MAY 2022 USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
-
- North America Rights Only – London, UK -20220510- State Opening Of Parliament -PICTURED: Prince William, Prince Charles, Camilla Duchess of Cornwall -PHOTO by: PA Images/INSTARimages.com Disclaimer: This is an editorial, rights-managed image. Please contact INSTAR Images for licensing fee and rights information at sales@instarimages.com or call +1 212 414 0207. This image may not be published in any way that is, or might be deemed to be, defamatory, libelous, pornographic, or obscene. Please consult our sales department for any clarification needed prior to publication and use. INSTAR Images reserves the right to pursue unauthorized users of this material. If you are in violation of our intellectual property rights or copyright you may be liable for damages, loss of income, any profits you derive from the unauthorized use of this material and, where appropriate, the cost of collection and/or any statutory damages awarded For images containing underage children: Be advised that some Countries may have restricted privacy laws against publishing images of underage children. Inform yourself! Underage children may need to be removed or have their face pixelated before publishing
Off topic but are they airbrushing Betty’s pictures now? The pictures of her smiling are giving “Kate Middleton crazy airbrush” vibes!
Probably. Can’t have her looking like the crypt keeper like Philip did in his final years.
Pretty sure this is Charles plan. But seriously, let Lizzie have her Jubbly then enter into an official regency. Let the Queen chill and just do the fun stuff she likes like horse stuff and Zooming with Harry.
‘He wanted face time with the actual crown’….dyyying.
I commented yesterday that if I were a full-blown conspiracy theorist I’d say they’ve perfected the QEII body double due to how quick this turnaround has been. But besides the Melania-bot theory, I do want to point out that if the queen had opened parliament, she would have had to speak publicly. So, while she’s been seen in various locations since then, she hasn’t publicly spoken at all. IMO this points to a cognitive decline rather than severe mobility issues. (Although, if it IS a body double, maybe the voice gives her away… hmm.)
I wouldn’t write off the mobility issues. That kyphosis (dowager’s hump) seen in the transit station pictures is pretty significant and could be causing a lot of problems.
She has smiled publicly more in the last few months than her whole reign put together. She seems so much warmer lately.
Yeah people were commenting the other day that she’s always cheerful around horses, but the smiling is happening at every occasion we see her! This, from a woman who looked grim at her children’s and grandchildren’s weddings 🙄
I didn’t want to say anything about that. Because I’ve been worried the smiling is from a cocktail of medication. I watched that Crown episode with Jackie Kennedy where she’s talking about how “their doctor gave them stuff to perk them up or calm them down”, and I see her smiling so goofily when, from all we’ve been told, she’s in quite a bit of discomfort, and I get very worried about Harry’s comments.
I think smiling more is a sign of a change in her normal behavior due to dementia.
Tell me there’s a regency without telling me there’s a regency.
I don’t know that this makes the queen look wise – if she really wanted to soften the transition for her son, she would retire. If she really isn’t up for these duties, for whatever reason, then it’s not heroic to keep the role. If anything, it undermines Charles in my view. Certainly it wasn’t a flattering look for William, who looked like a miserable preteen dragged along on take your kid to work day.
I would, however, find it hilarious if she ONLY attends horsey events from here on out. Opening Parliament? Nope. Meeting with the PM? Nah. But you’d best believe her maj will be there for her ponies.
This. If she can’t do her duties, which seem to include going places and sitting down and occasionally reading something, she shouldn’t be reigning. I have absolutely no sympathy for Charles generally speaking – but this is just objectively dumb and makes it look like she doesn’t trust him which does undermine him.
WHY does William ALWAYS look so freaking miserable in literally every image? Smug or miserable, those are his only two visible emotions.
How incompetent do you have to be at the age most look to retire that your mother is still making sure you are up to handling a job where the only requirement is you came out of the Royal birth canal first.
Lol, omg, please stop, you’re killing me here. If TQ wanted “to prepare her son for the throne and soften the edges of transition” she would have done it much earlier and not waited until she had one foot in the wheelchair and the other in the grave.
“one foot in the wheelchair and the other in the grave 😂😂😂
Hellllo! People, people, people–you’re skipping right over “An emotional Prince Charles gazed at his mother’s crown before he announced…”
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA … good one.
I’ve been laughing ever since I saw the photo on the day. The emotion Charles was showing was pining – “so close…getting closer…I can smell it…I can almost touch it…”
I’m getting a “My Precious” vibe from that photo!
Charles cry face staring at the crown is HILARIOUS
It gets funnier when you realize that William is just on the other side of that, um, crown chair, and it is almost CERTAIN that Charles has William firmly in view while gazing mournfully at Mummy’s blinged out Work Hat.
Is it the contemplation of his mother dying that makes him wanna cry or the contemplation of how much Wee Willy Wales (every inch his father’s son) will ruin everything that Charles has done in his entire life?
Well, okay, it made ME laugh.
Sounds like they’ve figured out they can reduce criticism by piously claiming it was The Queen’s idea. And how could you criticize her? She’s so noble and dutiful and old!
How much you want to bet, after she dies, they’ll be constantly claiming that they’re just following her “last wishes” whenever they do something shaky?
“ The Queen was ‘adamant’ that Prince Charles delivered her speech at the State Opening of Parliament – as part of the ‘pin sharp’ monarch’s ‘masterplan’ to prepare her son for the throne and ‘soften the edges of transition’.”
“Pin sharp,” and “adamant” and “master plan,” all in quotes, unattributed. This is, probably, coming from Edward Young, no? He’s proven himself an idiot many times over, but if he thinks ANYBODY is buying this pin sharp master planning 96-year old monarch bit, he’s smoking his own crack.
If Charles weren’t such a wimpy, whiny, poor excuse for a brother/father/grandfather, I’d feel sorry for him being teased and punked this way, but he is and I don’t.
Charles and William looked trapped. Proving Harry right once again.
Nailed it. Harry knows what’s going on, and isn’t afraid to call them out about it.
At this point, who knows what or who to believe. As mentioned in the post, there is chaos behind the scenes. Too many ” insider ” or friend of a friend comments. The easiest, simplest explanation is that morning she just didn’t feel up to it so delegated to next in line. Or not. No one knows except Her Majesty. Guess I’ll have to live with that.
Betty’s doing the right thing. At her age, she should do what she likes. so she wants to go see the ponies, let her. That’s just all pomp and ceremony. The Brits want to carry on doing that song and dance let them. If Betty wants to say: “peace out”, let her. How much longer can she possibly have.
The more they tell me she’s in charge, the less inclined I am to believe it 😉