This month, a renewed discussion emerged in Britain about the possibility of King Charles III abdicating in favor of his eldest son, Prince William. This conversation was sparked by a recent change of throne in Denmark, where Queen Margrethe II shocked the world by abdicating, paving the way for her son, the new King Frederick X, and his wife, Queen Mary.
In a new royal biography, Princess Anne, the only sister of King Charles, has been quoted addressing the suggestion that her brother is merely a caretaker of the throne until Prince William is ready to take over. According to the biography, the new monarch bristles at this notion.
Prince William has remained relatively quiet on the topic of becoming king and the timing of such an event. However, his major plans for the royal family, which include slimming down the working monarchy—a move his father has already begun—could face resistance from senior members of the family. Following Queen Elizabeth II’s death at the age of 96, Charles ascended to the throne in September 2022. At that time, some members of the British public believed the throne should have passed directly to William, who enjoyed higher popularity.
Four months before Queen Elizabeth’s death, a YouGov poll revealed that 57% of Britons thought Charles would make a good king, compared to 77% who believed William would excel in the role. Additionally, 37% of respondents felt William should succeed his grandmother, while 34% supported Charles.
The biography sheds light on how the king and key royal insiders view the subject. Princess Anne offers a pragmatic perspective, noting that there is an inherent benefit to assuming the crown later in life. “When you start much later in your life, inevitably you’ve got more experience to fall back on, and you will have more opinions,” she is quoted as saying. Queen Camilla’s sister, Annabel Elliot, also weighed in, dismissing the idea that Charles is merely a caretaker. “People keep talking about him as a caretaker, and I don’t see that at all,” she said.
Looking to the future, significant changes are anticipated when William and Catherine become king and queen. The number of working royals is expected to be further reduced, with only Prince George seemingly guaranteed a role in royal duties. This aligns with William’s vision of modeling the British monarchy after smaller European ones. In an interview marking Queen Elizabeth II’s 90th birthday, William emphasized the need for the royal family to modernize and remain relevant. “The royal family has to modernize and develop as it goes along, and it has to stay relevant. That’s the challenge for me,” he explained. “How do I make the royal family relevant in the next 20 years, 40 years, 60 years? I have no idea when that will be, and I certainly don’t lie awake waiting or hoping for it, because it sadly means my family has moved on, and I don’t want that.”
However, Princess Anne is not entirely on board with this idea. She has previously criticized the concept of a slimmed-down monarchy during an interview with CBC, questioning its practicality given the departures of Prince Harry and Prince Andrew from royal duties. Currently, Prince Edward and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, are the only working royals under the age of 70. As the older members of the family retire, it remains uncertain whether William will invite others to take on royal duties or even involve his younger children, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.
Princess Anne remarked, “The slim-down was set in a day when there were a few more people around. It doesn’t sound like a good idea from where I’m standing. I’m not quite sure what else we can do about it.” Regarding King Charles, she added, “You know what you’re getting because he’s been practicing for a bit, and I don’t think he’ll change. He’s committed to his own level of service, and that will remain true.”