Prince Charles is stepping into late father Prince Philip's shoes for an important event next month

Prince Charles is stepping into late father Prince Philip's shoes for an important event next month. 

• Prince Charles is taking on one of Prince Philip's responsibilities next month, following his death earlier in April.
•  Prince Charles will accompany the Queen to the opening of Parliament in the role of her "consort".
• In other royal news, Oprah Winfrey has revealed what 'surprised' her the most about the Meghan Markle interview.

Prince Charles is taking on an important role previously held by his late father Prince Philip next month.

The Prince of Wales will accompany his mother, the Queen, to the State Opening of Parliament. An event steeped in history, this day marks the beginning of a session of Parliament and includes a speech by the Queen from the throne.

Following the death of Prince Philip, Prince Charles is now the Queen official "consort" for the event and will go with the Queen to the ceremony on May 11.

The Sun reports that it's part of a strategy that will see senior royals take on some of the Queen's workload. It's thought that Prince Charles, who reportedly had emotional conversations with Prince Philip in hospital before he died, will undertake many royal duties before he takes over as King in the coming years.

While this isn't the first time Prince Charles has accompanied his mother to a state opening, it's thought that this occasion signifies the beginning of a "more significant and active role".

A Lords source told The Sun, "It is a clear signal that the Queen does not want the crown to skip a generation and that Prince Charles will start taking on an even bigger role in royal life.

"There will be a visible show of support for the Queen from senior members of the family at future events, and the opening of Parliament is no exception."

They continued, "The Queen has been incredible stoic throughout the last few weeks, but the family are determined to rally round and support her.

"Charles will be at the forefront of those efforts as heir."

While Prince William and Kate Middleton, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, will likely take on more responsibilities as well in their role as senior royals, "there are no plans to bring Harry back into the fold".

The source reportedly said,  "He has made his decision to quit royal life and there is no sign of that changing."