Princes Charles and William recently stepped in at the State Opening of Parliament, but sources said that Queen Elizabeth remains "very much" in charge.

After Buckingham Palace said that the 96-year-old was suffering from "episodic mobility issues," the monarch had to pull out of Tuesday's State Opening. In 59 years, it was the first time that she wasn't able to give the Queen's speech, so her son, Charles, addressed Parliament in her place, reported Mirror. In the past, the Queen missed the event when she was pregnant in 1959 and then in 1963. While the Sovereign's Throne in the House of Lords was left symbolically empty, she watched on from Windsor.

The recent ceremony sparked questions over whether the Queen would ever be seen at full capacity again, or whether her son was acting as a prince regent, reported Daily Star. But royal sources told The Sun that the Queen is "very much" still in charge. At the same time, the monarch was very happy to see her son and grandson perform important roles in her absence.

A source said that the Queen was "very proud to see her son and grandson step in." The monarch's son is also believed to be happy in his role of helping his mom. A friend of Charles reportedly said that this is his mother, and so "of course he always wants her to do these events such as State Opening of Parliament." The friend added that Charles would rather "step up than her being made to do things that are difficult for her."

The Queen is said to be looking forward to the Platinum Jubilee celebrations next month when the UK will come together to mark 70 years of her reign. On June 2, she is expected to attend Trooping the Color to kick-start the Jubilee celebrations.

Former press secretary to the Queen, Dickie Arbiter said that he wouldn’t write her off quite yet, and that it is a "gradual handover but it’s not the end of the Queen." He shared that the monarch's brain is "razor sharp, she just has a few mobility issues," and that "Charles, William and Camilla are very able and willing to stand in."

Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Charles, Camilla, Prince William and Kate Middleton
Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, Queen Elizabeth II, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge arrive for a drinks reception for Queen Elizabeth II and G7 leaders at The Eden Project during the G7 Summit on June 11, 2021 in St Austell, Cornwall, England. UK Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, hosts leaders from the USA, Japan, Germany, France, Italy and Canada at the G7 Summit. This year the UK has invited India, South Africa, and South Korea to attend the Leaders' Summit as guest countries as well as the EU. Photo by Jack Hill - WPA Pool/Getty Images
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