Elizabeth II turns 95 this Wednesday without her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, the great support in her nearly 70 years as head of the British state, but with a family crisis that shakes the monarchy in the stretch end of his reign.
It will be a sad day for the queen after the death, on the 9th at the age of 99, of Prince Philip, the consort who knew how to adapt to the demands of the state since his wife ascended the throne. on February 6, 1952.
Due to the pandemic, the queen remains in the castle (palace and fortress) of Windsor, on the outskirts of London, where last Saturday the solemn funeral funeral took place.
THE QUEEN AT THE END OF HER REIGN
With the death of Prince Philip, her confidant and adviser, Elizabeth II remains alone in the last years of her reign, one of the most important and longest in the history of the United Kingdom.
Respected and admired by her subjects, almost on the verge of devotion, the queen is in the period of transition of the monarchy, begun a few years ago to stop traveling abroad and see reduced their official commitments due to his advance age.
Prince Charles, heir to the throne, and the Duke of Cambridge, second in line of succession, have taken a step towards representing the sovereign in official visits abroad or in some of his functions. in British territory.
According to experts, the death of the Duke of Edinburgh, and the withdrawal of the Duke of Sussex (son of Prince Charles and Diana of Wales) from the monarchy may accelerate the transition, although Elizabeth II he pledged before assuming the throne to never abdicate.
Prestigious constitutional expert Robert Hazell, of University College London, told Efe on Tuesday that “the queen has dedicated her entire life to public service and has made it clear that she has no intention of abdicating. She is incredibly hardworking. , but it is possible to decrease (its activity) gradually “.
This will allow Prince Charles and other members of the royal family to make “other public commitments, while (Elizabeth II) fulfills the functions that only the monarch can perform,” Hazell said, referring, for example, to the opening of Parliament.
In case the queen is unable to take up her duties “because she is physically or mentally ill, then Prince Charles may be the regent under the Regency Act of 1937,” he added.
THE FAMILY CRISIS FOR THE RETIREMENT OF PRINCE ENRIQUE
The retirement of the Dukes of Sussex, Henry and Meghan, from the monarchy more than a year ago and the controversial interview the couple gave to American presenter Oprah Winfrey last March have provoked a new crisis in the family real.
In this interview, recorded at the house where they reside in Los Angeles, the Dukes went so far as to accuse the monarchy of racism and of not responding to the help Meghan Markle said she had asked the family for when she heard almost suicidal impulses.
The frictions between Prince Henry, 36, and his father were clearly visible at the funeral of the Duke of Edinburgh, by not observing dialogue between them out of service.
While Princes William and Henry spoke on the day of the funeral, media say the Duke of Sussex will return to the US this week without resolving issues with the family.
The conservative newspaper “The Daily Telegraph” claims today that Prince Henry met on Saturday, after the funeral, with his father, brother and the Duchess of Cambridge at Frogmore Cottage, the house in Windsor where he went. live before moving to the US.
According to the press, the four spoke for two hours, but without positive progress, after Prince Charles did not accept that his youngest son had used a television interview to air the family’s problems.