The Queen's 'job description' has been rewritten to remove number of key duties that she was previously obliged to fulfil as part of her role as monarch.
The “official duties” have been edited in the palace’s annual report - Sovereign Grant report - for the first time in at least a decade. Queen’s role still comprises two key elements - Head of State and Head of Nation - the number of duties she will be expected to perform has been scaled back.
It comes as The Queen, 96, entrusts more duties to her son and heir Charles, the Prince of Wales. However, 'the wider Royal family' will now also take on more of these roles, reports The Telegraph.
The specific duties the Queen “must fulfil” as head of state were previously laid out as a 13-point list. These duties included the State Opening of Parliament, the appointment of the Prime Minister, and paying and receiving state visits.
However, the updated version offers a looser definition. It says that the Queen’s role “encompasses a range of parliamentary and diplomatic duties” and that she only “receives” other visiting heads of state.
Earlier this year, the Prince of Wales and Duke of Cambridge attended the State Opening of Parliament on the Queen’s behalf. Indeed, this year Charles led five of the six key duties listed in Sovereign Grant report.
Charles will also now undertakes overseas visits as the Queen’s representative because the Queen is no longer expected to travel again. The symbolic role of Head of Nation will now only be carried out by the Queen “where appropriate or necessary”.
A palace source told The Telegraph that changes were not “drastic”, but were a "small update".
For more stories from where you live, visit InYourArea.
Find recommendations for eating out, attractions and events near you here on our sister website 2Chill
