What to Know
King Charles has only spent a few years on the throne after the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth, who reigned over England for more than 70 years. But not only is the king 77 years old, but he’s also been undergoing cancer treatment for much of the past two years, leaving people to speculate about what the future holds for the monarchy.
According to what a source told Us Weekly, Charles isn’t very happy with the idea that people have expected him to “relinquish” any of his power to son Prince William amid his health crisis — especially since he just started doing the job he waited his entire life to do.
Charles is reportedly “not thrilled” that some people may believe William is really calling the shots behind the scenes.
The royal insider claims that Charles isn’t in love with the narrative that his son is more involved in the monarchy than he actually is in reality.
“He doesn’t feel great about it, as he has finally attained the position he has waited for his whole life. Now that he’s king, everyone is focused on who will come next,” the source said, adding, “Charles wants William to succeed, but William can be strong-minded and stubborn.”
He is still in full control as king.
A second source told the outlet that “no power has been relinquished to William” by Charles.
“William has his own office and staff separate from the king, and he and Charles work closely together,” the source said. “Charles believes William will do an incredible job as king, and he’s very supportive. [When] they don’t agree, [William] respects his father’s decisions.”
A royal expert, Kristen Meinzer, also shared her take with Us Weekly, saying, “Some outlets say William is running things from the shadows, others say the king is still very much in charge. I suspect the latter is closer to the truth — after all, Charles waited a very long time to be the king.”
That doesn’t mean William’s not preparing for when it is finally his turn to reign.
If William does appear to be in his king era, it’s only because he and wife Kate Middleton are reportedly already laying the groundwork for the kind of monarchy they envision for the future when it’s their turn to lead.
“They are basically creating their version of what a new monarchy will look like,” one of the insiders told the outlet. “They are completely modernizing it. There will be changes in terms of how The Firm is run, and antiquated rules will change. There will be more freedom.”
