Britain’s Queen Elizabeth says she’ll carry on

Britain’s Queen Elizabeth sent a clear signal on Tuesday that she does not intend to step aside for her son Prince Charles and, in her 50th year on the throne, praised her country’s multicultural tolerance in changing times.

Addressing both houses of Parliament — the first major public event of her Golden Jubilee year — the Queen said she intended to remain on the throne to help Britain prosper. ‘‘I would like above all to declare my resolve to continue, with the support of my family, to serve the people of this great nation of ours to the best of my ability,’’ the turquoise-suited monarch told politicians and peers in Parliament’s cavernous Westminster Hall.

Since the death of the Queen’s mother last month, some commentators have suggested the 76-year-old monarch should step down, something she has never shown any inclination to do.

Prince Charles, already 53, could still be many years from becoming king. The Queen Mother always rejected the idea that monarchs could willingly give up their birthright.