Buckingham Palace has confirmed that Prince Charles will represent the Queen at the opening of the 2018 Commonwealth Games.
Charles will open the Games, which will be staged on the Gold Coast next April, and read out the Queen's message, calling on athletes to come together in the spirit of friendly competition, Buckingham Palace says.
The message is contained in the Queen's Baton, which is on a 388-day journey across all the nations and territories of the Commonwealth following the launch of the Queen's Baton relay at Buckingham Palace in March.
The Queen's decision to ask Charles to perform the duty of opening the Games was widely anticipated as the her long-haul flights have been under review for some time.
Buckingham Palace said in a statement: "Her Majesty the Queen has asked HRH the Prince of Wales to represent her at the opening of the XXI Commonwealth Games in Australia."
Charles opened the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi on the Queen's behalf and next year's Games will be the seventh time he has attended the global sporting event.
The Earl of Wessex, Prince Edward, will also attend the Games in his role as vice patron of the Commonwealth Games Federation.
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