Queen Elizabeth Was Never The Same After Prince Philip Died

In yet another sign that Queen Elizabeth had declined since the death of her husband, in the final months of her life, she began to delegate more and more responsibility to her son, King Charles, and her grandson and the heir apparent, Prince William. In May 2022, the BBC reported that the queen would skip the State Opening of Parliament, opting to have King Charles deliver the speech in her stead. 

Up to the beginning of the week, it had been hoped that Elizabeth would attend the event and make the speech herself. In addition to tapping Charles to deliver the speech, Queen Elizabeth enlisted the help of her grandson Prince William to open Parliament. However, the queen’s throne at Parliament remained empty for the event, and Charles and William were instead seated in front of the members of Parliament (per the BBC).