King Charles may follow in the footsteps of Danish Queen Margrethe, who recently abdicated the throne in favor of her son, Prince Frederik. Charles, 75, could follow the same path so his son, Prince William, could enjoy a long reign similar to that of his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth. Here’s what an expert predicts.
Prince William could ascend to the top job in the royal family sooner than later: Here’s why
According to royal expert and biographer Phil Dampier, King Charles may allow Prince William to rise to the top job in the House of Windsor earlier than expected. Traditionally, a monarch does not ascend to the throne until their predecessor has died.
“It must make you wonder if, in five or 10 years, King Charles might think about doing the same if his health suffers or he just thinks it is a good time to pass on to William and Kate while they are still young,” Dampier told the Daily Mail.
This was reportedly the decision behind Queen Margrethe’s choice to abdicate early. Allowing her son, Prince Frederick, and his wife, Crown Princess Mary, to ascend earlier ensured the monarchy kept up with the times.
Margrethe used her annual New Year’s Eve speech to announce on television that she was stepping down as Queen after 52 years. However, Dampier explains that Queen Elizabeth would have never abdicated early due to her experiences.
“Our late Queen would never abdicate because of what happened in 1936 when her uncle abdicated, and her father came to the throne. But times change,” Dampier explains.
What caused King Edward VIII to abdicate, changing the course of the royal family forever?
In 1936, Edward VIII became the second monarch of the House of Windsor. However, he was only months into his reign when he proposed to Wallis Simpson.
Simpson was an American who once divorced and sought another divorce from her second husband. The United Kingdom’s Prime Ministers opposed the marriage, saying that Simpson was unfit to be Queen Consort.
At the time, marrying a divorcee whose former spouse was still alive would have conflicted with Edward’s status as the head of the Church of England. Edward knew the Baldwin government would resign if the marriage went ahead, which could have forced a general election and ruined his status as a politically neutral constitutional monarch.
Therefore, after it became apparent that Edward could not marry Simpson and remain king, he abdicated after less than one year. His younger brother, George VI, ascended, putting his daughter Elizabeth first in line for the crown.
After her father’s death on Feb. 6, 1952, Elizabeth received news of her father’s death while on an official visit to Kenya. She instantly ceased to be Princess Elizabeth and became Queen Elizabeth II, setting a future for her line of succession to reign.
King Charles just got the top job after waiting over 50 years
After waiting a lifetime to become king of the United Kingdom, King Charles would unlikely abdicate the top job to his son, Prince William. After becoming Prince of Wales in 1969, he readied to become monarch for over five decades.
Queen Elizabeth’s death gave Charles the top job. He and his wife, Camilla Parker Bowles, were crowned in May of 2023.
However, it was apparent that Charles focused completely on William during his coronation ceremony. As King Charles’ sole liege man, Prince William played an essential role in his father’s coronation.
As the heir to the throne, William performed a task during the ceremony where he vowed to “live” and “die” for the crown. Prince William publicly supported the king and the crown.
The statement was, per Royal Central. “I, William, Prince of Wales, do become your liege man of life and limb, and earthly worship; and faith and truth I will bear unto you. The statement continues: “To live and die against all manner of folks. So help me, God.”
King Charles has not officially stated whether or not he would abdicate early in favor of his son, Prince William. Charles has reigned since September 2022.
