Britain's Queen Elizabeth to take a step back from some royal duties

Jan 16, 2006, 12:45 GMT

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II is to take a step back from some of her royal duties to allow her son, Prince Charles, to take more responsibility.

The 79-year-old monarch and her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, want to spend less time in London and more at Windsor Castle, 40 kilometres west of the capital.

Charles, who is heir to the British throne, will get more access to government documents, meet more often with ministers and welcome more foreign dignitaries and ambassadors.

Queen Elizabeth will continue her official weekly meetings with Prime Minister Tony Blair.

The prince will gradually shoulder more official duties as part of his preparation as the "king-in-waiting".

The prospect of an enhanced role for the prince, 57, and the Duchess of Cornwall has been made possible by the success of the couple's trip to the United States last year, and acceptance of the role of the Duchess.

One courtier said: "The stamina of the queen and the Duke of Edinburgh is now being built into royal diaries."

The strain has started to show on the monarch and her consort. In 2000 the duke missed the opening ceremony of the queen's visit to Australia because he was suffering from jet lag. In Germany in 2004 there were rare photographs of the queen apparently sleeping at an official engagement.

The Prince and the Duchess will play leading roles in the queen's celebrations of her birthday on April 21 and her official birthday on June 17.

Copyright 2006 BANG Media International