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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Queen to miss Commonwealth meeting | Queen to miss Commonwealth meeting |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The Queen will not be attending this year's Commonwealth heads of government meeting for the first time since 1973, Buckingham Palace has said. | The Queen will not be attending this year's Commonwealth heads of government meeting for the first time since 1973, Buckingham Palace has said. |
| She will be represented by Prince Charles at the gathering in Sri Lanka in November. | She will be represented by Prince Charles at the gathering in Sri Lanka in November. |
| The BBC's royal correspondent Peter Hunt says the reason is the Queen's age and the need to limit overseas travel. | The BBC's royal correspondent Peter Hunt says the reason is the Queen's age and the need to limit overseas travel. |
| The Queen, 87, is the head of the Commonwealth and every two years leaders meet to discuss global issues. | The Queen, 87, is the head of the Commonwealth and every two years leaders meet to discuss global issues. |
| The Queen was first present at the Commonwealth heads of government meeting (CHOGM) in Ottawa, Canada, in 1973 - missing the first one in 1971 - and has been at every summit since. The last one, in 2011, was held in Perth, Australia. | |
| 'Transition' | |
| A Buckingham Palace spokesman said: "I can confirm that the Queen will be represented by the Prince of Wales. | |
| "The reason is that we are reviewing the amount of long-haul travel that is taken by the Queen." | |
| Our correspondent said the Queen would not have taken the decision lightly and it was both surprising and significant. | |
| He said it was a significant moment for the Prince of Wales and it was also a symbolic move. | |
| "The Queen is getting older and will be doing less and less. It is about transition, " he said. | |
| By stepping in for the Queen, Prince Charles will be performing one of his most significant duties to date as a future King. | |
| He has never before attended in place of the monarch at the bi-annual gathering of Commonwealth leaders. |