Prince William Steps Up For Queen Elizabeth In A Big Way

Prince William has traveled to pay respects to a foreign ruler on the behalf of his grandmother Queen Elizabeth II for the first time.

Prince William, who is second in line to the British throne behind his father Prince Charles, traveled to the United Arab Emirates to pay condolences following the death of His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, People reported.

The U.A.E. president and ruler of Abu Dhabi passed away Friday at the age of 73.

The Duke of Cambridge met with Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who has been appointed as president of the United Arab Emirates.

This is the first time that the Queen has asked her grandson to represent her following the death of a foreign ruler.

The 96-year-old British monarch now rarely travels overseas and has limited her public outings in recent months amid her mobility issues.

While it is usually Prince Charles who pays respects on behalf of his mother when she is unavailable, the heir to the British throne and his wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, were scheduled to start their royal tour of Canada Tuesday, the outlet noted.

Queen Elizabeth sent a message of condolences through her official Twitter account Friday.

"I am saddened to hear of the death of His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Abu Dhabi," the Queen said. "Your distinguished brother devoted his life to serving the people of the United Arab Emirates and his relationship with its allies and friends."

She continued, "He will be long remembered by all who work for regional stability, understanding between nations and between faiths, and for the conservation cause. I offer Your Highness my sincere condolences and I extend my sympathy to the people of the United Arab Emirates."

His recent trip marked Prince William's second visit to the U.A.E. this year. He also traveled to the country in February — his first royal trip abroad in nearly two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The prince headed to Dubai at the request of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and attended U.K. National Day at Expo 2020 Dubai.

Kate Middleton's husband has been stepping up as the Queen scales back her royal engagements. Last week, he joined Prince Charles and Duchess Camilla at the State of Opening of Parliament after the monarch decided to pull out of the event on the advice of her doctors.

"The Queen continues to experience episodic mobility problems, and in consultation with her doctors has reluctantly decided that she will not attend the State Opening of Parliament tomorrow," a statement from Buckingham Palace read, Us Weekly reported. "At Her Majesty’s request, and with the agreement of the relevant authorities, The Prince of Wales will read The Queen’s speech on Her Majesty’s behalf, with The Duke of Cambridge also in attendance."

Prince Charles has also been undertaking more royal duties. The Prince of Wales delivered the Queen's speech during the recent State Opening of Parliament, and he and Duchess Camilla kicked off their three-day Canada tour, which is part of the Platinum Jubilee celebrations marking the monarch's 70 years on the throne.