Prince Charles Will Formally Step In For Prince Philip At This State Event

Prince Charles is the oldest living male member of the royal family following the death of his beloved father, Prince Philip, on April 9. Philip passed away at his home at Windsor Castle at the age of 99-years-old (via BBC). Philip was married to Queen Elizabeth II for over 70 years. In the weeks before his death, Philip had spent a month in the hospital due to an infection. He also underwent a procedure to correct a pre-existing heart condition. Following Philip's death, Charles released a heartfelt statement about his father, per CNN.

"My dear Papa was a very special person who I think above all else would have been amazed by the reaction and the touching things that have been said about him, and from that point of view we are, my family, deeply grateful for all that. It will sustain us in this particular loss and at this particularly sad time. I particularly wanted to say that my father, for I suppose the last 70 years, has given the most remarkable, devoted service to the queen, to my family and to the country, but also to the whole of the Commonwealth," Charles said. Now, Philip and Elizabeth's oldest son will honor his father in another way as he's set to take over many of Philip's duties while standing at the side of the Queen moving forward.

The Sun reports that Prince Charles will begin to take on more duty within the royal family. Charles will step into the role of his late father, Prince Philip, as he'll attend the State Opening of Parliament with Queen Elizabeth. The monarch recently celebrated her 95th birthday, and the senior royals are said to be taking on more responsibility in hopes of alleviating her workload in her advanced age. However, Charles has stepped up for his father in the past. Philip retired from royal life in 2016 due to his age and health issues, leaving his son, The Prince of Wales, to take on a bigger role within the family. 

Although Charles has attended the state opening of parliament with his mother in the past, there's a plan for him to play a "more significant" role during this year's ceremony in May. Sources reveal that this is a show of faith from the Queen towards her oldest son. "It is a clear signal that the Queen does not want the crown to skip a generation and that Prince Charles will start ­taking on an even bigger role in royal life," the insider said. "There will be a visible show of support for the Queen from senior members of the family at future events, and the opening of Parliament is no exception," a source was quoted as saying. Meanwhile, the royal family is reportedly rallying around Elizabeth following Philip's death, with Charles leading the way.