King Charles attended his first State Opening of Parliament since officially becoming monarch on Tuesday, November 7th; but there were two faces missing from the event! Prince William and Kate Middleton were noticeably absent at the historic event, but they had very good reasons not to be in attendance…
It’s actually not a requirement for the heir to the throne to attend the State Opening of Parliament, despite King Charles accompanying his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II, several times throughout her reign. Prince William was present at the State Opening of Parliament for the first time back in May 2022 to support his father, who was representing the Queen for the first time. The then Prince Charles represented his mother and read the Queen’s Speech in her place, as Buckingham Palace announced that she had to miss the event due to “episodic mobility problems.”
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King Charles And Queen Camilla At The State Opening Of Parliament
King Charles and Queen Camilla attended the State Opening of Parliament for the first time since his accession earlier this month, with King Charles wearing the Imperial State Crown for the first time since his coronation. During the event, which signifies the start of the new political year for parliament, he read his King's Speech, which was written by the government as per tradition, and outlined the policy agenda for the 2023-24 session.
Princess Anne also had an important part to play during the event thanks to her role as Gold Stick in Waiting, which is one of the formal bodyguard positions in the British Royal Household. The Gold Stick in Waiting acts as a personal attendant to the sovereign on ceremonial occasions, and the Princess Royal performed the same role at the coronation earlier this year. So where were the Prince and Princess of Wales?
Why Didn't Prince William And Kate Middleton Attend State Opening Of Parliament?
The Prince of Wales, 41, may have made an appearance had he been in the country, but he was actually in Singapore for the third annual Earthshot Prize awards. (If you'll recall, the inaugural ceremony was held in London in 2021, and then Boston in 2022.)
The Prince of Wales attended this year's awards with A-listers such as Cate Blanchett, Hannah Waddingham, and Sterling K. Brown; but the Princess of Wales, also 41, was noticeably absent.
As we mentioned previously, the mom-of-three decided to stay back in the U.K. to help their ten-year-old son Prince George with his entrance exams for Eton College. The Prince of Wales even addressed his wife's absence in a speech, saying: "Catherine is very sorry she can't be here. She is helping George through his first set of major exams."
Despite initially not wanting to send her firstborn off to boarding school in a few years, the Princess of Wales wanted to offer as much support as possible, as he reportedly wants to follow in his father's footsteps and attend the same school that he did. Aww!
