Prince Charles to replace the Queen at this year’s Commonwealth Games

The-96-year-old has reportedly pulled out of another major event next month, with one senior royal being lined up to replace the monarch.

The Queen is set to miss the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham due to her increasing frailty, with Prince Charles expected to replace her.

Senior figures around the global sporting competition told the Daily Mail that the 96-year-old monarch, who is also Head of the Commonwealth, is not expected to attend due to her health issues.

Instead, the Prince of Wales is set to stand in for his mother at the opening ceremony of the competition in Birmingham on July 28.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will likely attend the games on several days, possibly along with their children.

The Prince of Wales is set to stand in for his mother at the opening ceremony of the competition. Picture: Getty Images

Other senior royals, including Prince Edward and Princess Anne, are also scheduled to make appearances.

Royal insiders insisted the engagement was “still in the Queen’s diary” and that no final decision had been taken.

“Decisions on events are taken closer to the time,” they said.

Around 30,000 people are expected at the opening ceremony in Birmingham’s Alexander Stadium and an audience of one billion people worldwide.

The creative team behind the event is being led by Peaky Blinders writer and creator Steven Knight who says he wants to showcase West Midlands talent and diversity.

A 1,000-strong choir and the arrival of the Queen’s Baton will feature among the highlights of the ceremony.

It has also involved 205 production volunteers and 30 professional staff making around 3,500 costumes.

In October last year, the monarch did launched the official Commonwealth Games baton relay at Buckingham Palace in October, placing a secret message inside it that won’t be read out until the games are launched next month.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are expected to attend the event along with other senior royals. Picture: Getty Images

The relay has since visited locations in all of the participating countries, travelling more than 90,000 miles.

But since then the monarch’s health has noticeably deteriorated.

Over the past few months, the 96-year-old has been forced to cancel a number of high-profile public engagements due “episodic mobility problems”.

However, the Queen’s possible absence from the Commonwealth Games will provide Prince Charles, 73, with an opportunity to re-establish his credentials as the inheritor of the Queen’s mantle as Head of the Commonwealth ‘family of nations’.

He will attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Rwanda later this month on behalf of his mother too.

Originally published as Prince Charles to replace the Queen at this year’s Commonwealth Games