With Queen Elizabeth's seemingly never-ending reign, it sometimes seems like her eldest son Prince Charles may never accede the throne. But he is indeed the next in line to head the British monarchy. But as people are apt to do when it comes to the royals, there has been plenty of speculation regarding whether anyone wants Prince Charles to be king one day or even believes it'll actually happen. He is, after all, getting up there in age and his firstborn son Prince William is clearly being groomed to be king sooner rather than later.
Charles hasn't typically been a most beloved member of the royal family, and for the most part it seems the British people haven't exactly forgiven him for his infidelity and the demise of his marriage to Princess Diana, who was and still is adored by the public.
But beyond public opinion, other members of the royal family may not be too keen on Charles taking over when his 94-year-old mother's reign comes to an end. In fact, recent reports claim that his own brother doesn't think he should ever be king. Some even believe that when the time comes, Charles will choose to pass the role directly to William rather than become king himself. Keep reading to find out some of the reasons the royal family might stop the Prince of Wales from taking the throne.
Sibling Rivalry Between Charles & Prince Andrew
The Daily Express recently reported that Prince Andrew, who is Charles' junior by a dozen years, has been quite vocal about his opposition to his brother's future ascension to the throne. Prince Andrew is allegedly not pleased that Charles' children and grand-children have essentially eliminated the chance that he and his children may ever have a chance at the crown.
His Age
Plain and simple, Prince Charles is already old. So, despite having access to the best health care available in the UK and being blessed with what seem like good genes, he is only getting older. It's quite possible his advancing age could either lead to a condition that makes him incapable of leading or he could die before he can become king.
Mama Monarch
Add to that the fact that despite ongoing rumors and speculation, the Queen doesn't have any plans of ever retiring. In fact, she plans to reign "until the end." Since it's unclear how long that will be, there is a chance Charles might not be around when that happens. Just because Her Royal Highness has lived so long, doesn't mean that her children will necessarily live as long as she has.
Reduced Reign
In general, a longer reign is considered better for the monarchy — at least in terms of public opinion — and Prince Charles' reign will obviously be far shorter than his mother's who was just 27 years old when she became queen. She has been the longest reigning British monarch. Simply because Charles is already in his 70s, his reign will be much shorter, meaning a lot less consistency than people have gotten used to.
All in a Name
OK, OK, this might be semantics, but "King Charles" might not ever sit on the throne because the Prince of Wales could actually choose to go by a different name if and when he becomes king. All of the royals have super long names — Charles is Charles Philip Arthur George — and can choose which of those names to use as reigning monarch.
The Will of the People
While in the end, the people of Great Britain don't get a say in who takes the throne, some polls have indicated that the majority of the public believe Charles should pass on the kingship to his son Prince William.
"If time passes, and Prince William is more and more at the center of the stage, one question I think's bound to be asked: Would it be in everybody's best interests, including those of the Prince of Wales, for a new, young, next generation Prince William, to succeed to the throne?" an editor of The Daily Telegraph once wondered. "I think an enormous amount will depend on what seems to be the will of the British people."
Out of Favor
Prince Charles has been somewhat out of favor with the general public since he admitted to having an affair with his current wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, while he was still married to the beloved Princess Diana. There were also several instances when he seemed to treat Diana poorly, which left a bad taste in many people's mouths.
Questionable Camilla
Perhaps simply because she's not Diana, people really, really don't like Prince Charles' wife Camilla. The idea of her being queen consort seems especially unappealing to Brits, which obviously affects the people's backing of Charles being king one day. But she probably won't be called "queen" either way. "The intention is for the duchess to be known as princess consort when the prince accedes to the throne," a spokesperson for the royal family told the Sunday Times.
Reverence & Respect
People seem to have lost a lot of respect for Prince Charles throughout the years, and that just doesn't look good for the monarchy as a whole. It's common belief that a king should be revered and admired by his people, and because of Charles' past, it's unclear if that's even possible at this point.
Political Opinions
Traditionally, members of the British royal family are meant to remain politically neutral. But, time and again, Charles has been vocal about his political opinions, throwing into doubt whether he can in fact maintain neutrality. Most notably, there was an instance involving what have now become known as the "black spider memos," in which Charles appeared to be lobbying government officials regarding a number of topics.
Major Implications
"If we have just one serious issue where the Government, after he becomes King, changes its policy to match what Charles has said on the public record previously then we have to start asking questions as to whether they did that because they thought it was a good idea or because Prince Charles was lobbying them privately," Graham Smith of antimonarchy group Republic told the Daily Express, claiming such an incident would be a major "crisis."
Abolishing the Monarchy
That's right. Antimonarchists aren't just a fictional group on The Royals, they exist in real life. While antimonarchists haven't ever picked up enough traction to take down the long-standing British monarchy, they're out there and they're not going anywhere. Who knows what kind of fight they'll put up when the Queen dies or steps down.
The Movement Is Growing
According to one leader in the movement against the monarchy, it would be best for the monarchy to be replaced by an elected head of state. The movement, which is being led by a group called Republic, has experienced increased growth over the past several years, and these so-called "republicans" have no intention of going anywhere any time soon.
Will He Abdicate?
The biggest question may be whether Prince Charles will end up abdicating the throne to his son Prince William simply because of his advanced age. A former royal butler believes so. "When she dies, I think Charles will do the right thing and say, 'I'm far too old for this responsibility,'" said Paul Burrell.
The Good of the Monarchy
Another consideration is what's best for the monarchy as a whole. It's possible, albeit a small possibility, that Prince Charles will give up his place as king because the consensus is that it would be better for the monarchy for him to abdicate and William to become king. Considering the scandals Charles has been involved in, his advancing age, and public opinion, some may believe it would be a better move for the royal family.
