A royal expert has denied claims that Prince Charles is 'effectively becoming Prince Regent' amid the Queen's health struggles.
The monarch, 96, has suffered from well-documented issues with mobility in recent times, requiring her to withdraw from some public appearances, and to use a walking stick.
As a result of his mother's health, Prince Charles, 73, has taken on some of her responsibilities, including the state opening of Parliament in May.
According to the Express, this has prompted speculation that the heir is stepping into a Prince Regent role, which involves effectively acting as the monarch in the absence of, or ill health of, the head of state.
But royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams told the Express that any such claims are 'gossip', and says the Queen is 'mentally totally alert and carrying out duties, albeit changed duties'.
He added: 'A Regent is if the Queen was incapacitated, that is the period that you have a Regency...The Queen is mentally totally alert and carrying out duties, albeit changed duties.
'I don't see this as a possibility. We will have to see, of course, what is going to happen in the future.'
The Queen, who is currently on her annual summer holiday in Balmoral, Aberdeenshire, has taken a step back from royal duties in recent times, and has missed some appearances.
Among them, she did not attend the recent Commonwealth Games, where she was instead represented by Prince Charles. The Queen has missed only a handful of Commonwealth events over the last seven decades.
However she did attend her Platinum Jubilee celebrations at the beginning of June, though she did not appear at all functions.
Last month, during its annual review, Buckingham Palace reduced or removed some of the official appointments the Queen fulfils.
This left Charles primed to step up and take on some of the more demanding duties, while others, such as the State Opening of Parliament, once thought a necessary constitutional convention, were removed.
The amendments marked the first time in at least a decade that the Palace's annual report has edited or amended the Queen's duties.
A palace source downplayed the significance, saying it was not a 'drastic' change, but a small post-Jubilee update.
The new version of the Queen's role and duties will place an emphasis on the support expected to be provided on the wider Royal family, while moderating the specific duties the Monarch is expected to perform.
According to the Sovereign Grant report, signed off by Sir Michael Stevens, the Keeper of the Privy Purse, the Queen's role still has two key elements: Head of State and Head of Nation.
The Queen 'must fulfil' specific duties in the 'formal constitutional concept' of her role as Head of State.
These included the State Opening of Parliament, the appointment of the Prime Minister, and paying and receiving State Visits, previously laid out in a 13-point list.
These specific duties have been watered down with vaguer language that says the Queen's role 'encompasses a range of parliamentary and diplomatic duties' and that she only 'receives' other visiting heads of state.
As Head of Nation, the Queen will only fulfil her duties 'where appropriate or necessary'.
The specific duties have been swapped out for more generalised role of inspiring 'unity and national identity' and 'continuity and stability', recognising the 'achievement and success' of others and ensuring 'support of service' from volunteers to the emergency services and the military.
Of the six key events of the royal calendar previously listed, the State Opening has been removed, and four of the other five have been led by the Prince of Wales this year.