Prince Charles steps up in parliament in place of Queen Elizabeth

The pomp and pageantry of the State Opening of Parliament at the Palace of Westminster in London traditionally takes longer than the speech itself.

But for nine short minutes on Tuesday, Britons were given a glimpse of their future without Queen Elizabeth II as head of state.

Instead, it fell to her eldest son Prince Charles, 73, to deputise, in the most important state engagement yet in his record-breaking time as her heir.

When his mother dies, he will be king and opening parliament for a new session will be one of his most important constitutional duties as head of state.

Other than the last-minute change of personnel, there was little to distinguish the ceremony from previous ones in the putative “mother of all parliaments”.

SETTING THE SCENE AT PRINCE CHARLES’ VISIT TO PARLIAMENT

Two mounted divisions of the Household Cavalry regiment formed a “secure passage” for the limousine carrying Charles and his wife Camilla from Buckingham Palace.

Regalia symbolising royal authority was paraded – the bejewelled Imperial State Crown, the Great Sword of State and Cap of Maintenance.

The red-coated Queen’s Body Guard of the Yeoman of the Guard – the “Beefeaters” – kept watch. Liveried parliamentary and government officials processed.

A ceremonial search of the cellars of parliament was conducted – a throwback to when a gunpowder plot was foiled before the opening of 1605.

The door of the House of Commons was slammed shut in the path of Black Rod, an official from the unelected upper House of Lords, to symbolise the independence of the elected lower chamber from the monarchy.

One member of parliament was held “hostage” at Buckingham Palace to ensure the safe return of the monarch, another throwback to more troubled times.

Then MPs filed into the Lords, their daywear in contrast to the peers in red and white ermine robes, to listen to the speech.

PRINCE CHARLES SHOWED NO SIGN OF NERVES

Charles, dressed in the ceremonial uniform of admiral of the fleet, complete with a sheathed sword, arrived to a trumpet fanfare.

The Prince of Wales has had a lifetime to prepare, showing no sign of nerves, smiling and occasionally stopping to chat as he made his way to the chamber and the platform bearing the consort’s throne.

Camilla sat to his left and his eldest son, Prince William, 39, to his right, getting his first taste of an occasion he will also have to perform one day.

The raised golden throne of the monarch, who was said to be watching on television from home, was removed. In its place was the crown on a velvet cushion.

Britain’s Prince Charles, Prince of Wales reads the Queen’s Speech as he sits by the Imperial State Crown, Britain’s Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall and Britain’s Prince William, Duke of Cambridge in the House of Lords chamber, during the State Opening of Parliament, at the Houses of Parliament, in London, on 10 May 2022. The 96-year-old monarch, who usually presides over the pomp-filled event and reads out her government’s legislative programme from a gilded throne in the House of Lords, will skip the annual showpiece on her doctors’ advice. Image: Ben Stansall / POOL / AFP

PRINCE ANDREW READS OUT QUEEN ELIZABETH’S WORDS

At 11:34 am (12:34 in South Africa), Charles began reading his mother’s words, written for her by the government.

“My Government’s priority is to grow and strengthen the economy and help ease the cost of living for families,” he read.

“My Government will level up opportunity in all parts of the country and support more people into work. My Ministers will continue to support the police to make the streets safer, and fund the National Health Service to reduce the COVID backlogs.

“In these challenging times, my Government will play a leading role in defending democracy and freedom across the world, including continuing to support the people of Ukraine.”

Prince Charles

At 11:43 am it was over. As he left, a military band played the national anthem, God Save the Queen.

© Agence France-Presse/Phil Hazlewood