In almost 50 years, Queen Elizabeth II will be absent from a major event. Buckingham Palace announced the news just one day before the annual State Opening of Parliament on May 10—an occasion that the 96-year-old Queen would normally attend but will have to miss.

Her Royal Highness, 96, “continues to experience episodic mobility problems,” according to a statement published by Buckingham Palace on Monday.

The Queen has “reluctantly decided that she will not attend the State Opening of Parliament tomorrow,” after consulting with her physicians, according to the Palace. According to the announcement, Prince Charles will assume her responsibilities during the event. However, Queen Elizabeth II was diagnosed with COVID-19 in February.

Although Prince Charles, 73, stated in March that his mother was doing “better,” the coronavirus may cause mobility issues in the elderly. In terms of the significance of the occasion, Queen Elizabeth traditionally begins Parliament at the ceremony with a speech explaining the government’s intentions and proposed legislation. It’s also the only time the three branches of the British Parliament, the House of Lords, the House of Commons, and the Queen, meet on a regular basis.

The British monarch, on the other hand, has only missed this event twice throughout her 70-year reign. The first was in 1959, when she was pregnant with Prince Andrew, and the second was in 1963, just before Prince Edward was born. Elizabeth II has

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