Prince Charles and Camilla will step in for the Queen at major event this week

Prince Charles and Duchess Camilla will step in for the Queen at this week's Commonwealth Games. 

• The Commonwealth Games will run from July 28 to August 8.
• Instead of the Queen, The Duke and Duchess of Cornwall will attend the opening ceremony.
• In other royal news, how the Queen's quirky teenage outfit caught a young Prince Philip's eye.

It takes place every four years, and as a patron, the Queen is normally in attendance for the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Games. 

However, the Queen will miss the Commonwealth Games this year due to her ongoing mobility issues, so her son Prince Charles and wife Duchess Camilla will step in to take on her duties.

Taking to both Instagram and Twitter the news was officially announced that the royal couple would take over the Queen's duties at the sporting event.

The post said, "Just announced! 🏅🏀👟 The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall, alongside other members of @TheRoyalFamily, will represent The Queen at the Opening Ceremony of the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham."

While they went on to explain the games for new sporting fans, "Held every four years, The Commonwealth Games bring nations together in a colourful celebration of sport and human performance. The Games have grown to a global spectacle of 4600 sportsmen and women from across 72 nations and territories."

As patron of the Commonwealth Games Federation, The Queen's absence is likely to come as a major blow to royal fans who were expecting to see her. The withdrawal has been made all the more upsetting by the widespread expectations that the royal would be attending after the Queen penned a secret message to the Commonwealth in October to be read aloud at the 22nd launch of the annual games.

If you're wondering what the Commonwealth Games are -  just like the Olympic Games it's an international multi-sport event which sees athletes representing countries from the Commonwealth of Nations compete. In 2018 the games were held in Melbourne, but this year it will take place in Birmingham - in the cities multiple existing sports venues, arenas and conference halls.

Athletes competing in the Commonwealth Games will include countries from the Commonwealth of Nations. The collection of countries that have historically been linked constitutionally in some way to Great Britain, apart from Mozambique.