'We can foresee clearly now a King Charles' as doubt cast over Queen's Jubilee attendance

10 May 2022, 19:24 | Updated: 11 May 2022, 00:57

Britain is 'deep in a period of transition'

Royal experts have said "we can foresee very clearly now a King Charles" as doubts are cast over whether the Queen will be able to attend events for her Platinum Jubilee.

It comes after the prince delivered today's Queen's speech for the first time after his mother was forced to pull out.

Royal commentator Jennie Bond told LBC's Tonight with Andrew Marr she didn't expect the Queen to be replaced as monarch as long as her "mental ability stays as strong as it is".

But she said: "We're deep in a period now of transition... people are getting used to the idea of King Charles."

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"I think now we're seeing a different side to him," she added. "He's very serious about his responsibilities, we can foresee very clearly now a King Charles."

Ms Bond said she thought it was "unlikely" the Queen would deliver another Queen's Speech during her reign.

She said: "At an occasion like this, it involves walking, it involves going up steps, it involves sitting, all of those things she's finding - periodically we're told - difficult.

"She has mobility problems, she's 96, the age at which her late husband said, when someone said to him oh I'm so sorry that you're standing down, he said I can hardly stand up anymore."

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"From day to day it varies but I cannot see her doing a big set piece like this again," she added.

Ms Bond also said she believed it would be unlikely the Queen would be present for much of the Platinum Jubilee.

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"I would imagine she would want to be on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, that should be manageable if she can make the journey from Windsor," she explained.

"Whether she can get to St Paul's Cathedral for the thanksgiving service I'm sure she will want to do, that's going to be difficult, we probably won't know until the day.

Prince of Wales reads Queen’s Speech in full

"Wherever she is I think she will very much appreciate and she has on every Jubilee that I have covered the huge appreciation that people have for this remarkably long reign."

Constitutional expert Professor Robert Hazell said: "She is definitely the monarch, doing all the work that the monarch does as head of state, and constitutionally it's actually quite a small thing that for this one public appearance she should be represented by Prince Charles as heir apparent."

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But he added: "The Queen is very old and it's possible that she might have a stroke or some other very serious illness which would prevent her from carrying out her royal duties and in that case the Regency Acts would be triggered."

The Regency Acts mean if the Queen becomes incapacitated and unable to provide the royal functions, Charles would become regent, in effect making him the monarch.