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Prince William attends opening of parliament for first time© Getty Images

Prince William attends State Opening of Parliament for the first time

The Duke joined Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall on May 10


MAY 10, 2022 10:35 AM EDT

Tuesday marked a royal first for the  Duke of Cambridge . Prince William attended the State Opening of Parliament at the House of Lords for the first time on May 10. The Duke, who is second in line to the throne, accompanied his father, Prince Charles, and the Duchess of Cornwall to the ceremony.

Prince William attended the State Opening of Parliament fr the first time on May 10© Getty Images
Prince William attended the State Opening of Parliament for the first time on May 10

The day prior, it had been announced that  Queen Elizabeth , 96, would not attend. In a statement, Buckingham Palace said (via  HELLO! ): “The Queen continues to experience episodic mobility problems, and in consultation with her doctors has reluctantly decided that she will not attend the State Opening of Parliament tomorrow.”

The Duke of Cambridge, Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall were in attendance© Getty Images
The Duke of Cambridge, Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall were in attendance

“At Her Majesty’s request, and with the agreement of the relevant authorities, The Prince of Wales will read The Queen’s Speech on Her Majesty’s behalf, with The Duke of Cambridge also in attendance,” the palace added.

Prince Charles and Prince William are both Counsellors of State. “In the event that The Queen cannot undertake her official duties as Sovereign on a temporary basis due to illness or absence abroad, two or more Counsellors of State are appointed by Letters Patent to act in Her Majesty’s place,” per the royal family’s website.

The Duke later joined his wife at the official opening of The Glade of Light Memorial on May 10© WireImage
The Duke later joined his wife at the official opening of The Glade of Light Memorial on May 10

Following the State Opening of Parliament on Tuesday, Prince William joined the  Duchess of Cambridge  at the official opening of The Glade of Light Memorial to commemorate the victims of the 2017 Manchester Arena terrorist attack.

In his speech at the opening, William said: “As someone who lives with his own grief, I also know that what often matters most to the bereaved is that those we have lost are not forgotten. There is comfort in remembering. In acknowledging that, while taken horribly soon, they lived. They changed our lives. They were loved, and they are loved. It is why memorials such as the Glade of Light are so important. Why Catherine and I so wanted to be amongst you today.”