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Tuesday marked a royal first for the Duke of Cambridge . Prince William attended the State Opening of Parliament at the House of Lords for the first time on May 10. The Duke, who is second in line to the throne, accompanied his father, Prince Charles, and the Duchess of Cornwall to the ceremony.
The day prior, it had been announced that Queen Elizabeth , 96, would not attend. In a statement, Buckingham Palace said (via HELLO! ): “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.”
“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.
Prince Charles and Prince William are both Counsellors of State. “In the event that The Queen cannot undertake her official duties as Sovereign on a temporary basis due to illness or absence abroad, two or more Counsellors of State are appointed by Letters Patent to act in Her Majesty’s place,” per the royal family’s website.
Following the State Opening of Parliament on Tuesday, Prince William joined the Duchess of Cambridge at the official opening of The Glade of Light Memorial to commemorate the victims of the 2017 Manchester Arena terrorist attack.
In his speech at the opening, William said: “As someone who lives with his own grief, I also know that what often matters most to the bereaved is that those we have lost are not forgotten. There is comfort in remembering. In acknowledging that, while taken horribly soon, they lived. They changed our lives. They were loved, and they are loved. It is why memorials such as the Glade of Light are so important. Why Catherine and I so wanted to be amongst you today.”