Doubt over role of Prince Charles at C'Wealth Games

India's President Pratibha Patil, not Prince Charles, would officially declare the New Delhi Commonwealth Games open on Sunday. This is the first time the Royal Family has been denied this traditional honour, the Daily Mail has claimed.

The tabloid quoted some of the officials of the Indian department of information, who said that they got the news of the Indian president open the Games from the organising committee, which has raised questions on the role of Prince Charles during his trip to the capital next week.

However, Clarence House, the office of Prince Charles, insisted that the Prince will fulfil the duties originally intended for the Queen Elizabeth II. 

The Queen asked the Prince to attend the opening ceremony in her place because of her hectic schedule.

It is for the first time in 44 years since the Games were held in Kingston, Jamaica in 1966, the Queen would not attend any part of the event. And it was expected that Charles would read out a message on behalf of the Queen.

But an Indian source told the tabloid, "Although there has not been an official announcement, we have decided the president will open the Games. If the Queen was here it would be different. But she's not."

A spokeswoman for Clarence House said: "The Queen has asked the Prince to represent her in Delhi and carry out the same duties she would have performed if she were there. He will officially declare the Games open."

The Queen's Baton Relay has acted as the curtain-raiser to every Games since Cardiff in 1958.

It involves the Baton being sent off by the Queen, then carried through each Commonwealth nation until it is passed back to the Monarch as her message to the athletes is ready out at the opening.