But Charles, the heir to the throne, will steadily take on more duties outside the core constitutional obligations of her job. "There are ways of handling a lot of the public functions which don't necessarily require the queen personally to undertake them," he said. Queen Elizabeth will be looking on from a Foreign Office balcony, alongside her 96-year-old husband Prince Philip, who retired from public duties in August. Some reports suggest she could eventually retreat into seclusion in Scotland, like her great-great-grandmother queen Victoria did after her husband prince Albert died. As Prince of Wales, Charles is outspoken on topics such as the environment, architecture, farming and youth skills.

Source: The Nation Bangkok November 11, 2017 02:03 UTC