There has been a lot of buzz about Prince William taking the throne ahead of his father Prince Charles, in the event Queen Elizabeth either abdicates or passes away. The Prince of Wales has waited longer than anyone to inherit the crown, but at the age of 71 years old and his popularity still low, many royal watchers would like to see William become the next King of the United Kingdom. Despite the will of the public, a royal expert claims that Queen Elizabeth has rejected the plea to “skip Charles and go straight to William” when she passes on.
Does the public really want Prince William to be the next king?
For several years, the royals have faced reports that the public would rather see William on the throne instead of Charles. Although Charles is clearly ready to be king, William has grown in popularity alongside his wife, Kate Middleton, leading to speculation that a change in the line of succession is in order.
According to Express,
royal expert Victoria Arbiter claims that a lot of people in the UK want
William to take the throne next. Arbiter believes that this sentiment is fueled
by William’s age and the fact that Charles is not the most popular member of
the royal family.
“There are a lot of people who want to skip Charles and go
straight to William,” she stated. “It would be shocking to skip
Prince Charles, I think that’s more driven by William’s youth.”
William is second in line to the throne following Charles. Next up are William’s children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, followed by Prince Harry.
The reports of William being the next king ramped up amid the
coronavirus pandemic. With Charles isolating after testing positive for the
virus, William and Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, quickly became the new faces of
the royal family.
The couple regularly updated fans on social media by sharing
behind-the-scenes pics of their daily lives and took part in video conferences
to keep up their royal duties. It may be a long time before William sits on the
throne, but he is clearly ready for the challenge.
Queen Elizabeth reportedly rejects the idea of skipping Prince
Charles
In light of the public support of William, royal expert Simon Vigar recently revealed that
Queen Elizabeth has rejected the idea of the crown skipping Charles.
Vigar argued that Queen Elizabeth would never go against the rules and wants nothing more than her oldest son to take over the monarchy after she is gone. He also stated that William is on the same page and agrees that Charles should wear the crown next.
“The Queen doesn’t believe in breaking the rules, she does
not want Charles to step aside when she passes. William doesn’t want that to
happen,” Vigar stated.
Charles has not given any indication that he plans on stepping
aside once Queen Elizabeth passes. After waiting decades to be king, it appears
as though the only way William will be on the throne next is if Charles suffers
an untimely death.
Although it sounds like Her Majesty is not keen on the idea of making William the next king, it does raise questions about what it would take for such a move to become a reality.
Can anything change the line of succession?
Even if Queen Elizabeth felt differently about the line of
succession, she actually does not have the power to do anything about it. The
1701 Act of Settlement determines who is next in line to the throne and only
Parliament has the authority to change it.
The law, which was slightly modified a few years ago to include both male and female heirs to the throne, clearly states that the monarch’s first child is the direct successor. That means nobody can stand in Prince Charles’ way if he accepts the role as the next King of the United Kingdom.
That said, it is possible that Charles abdicates the throne and gives it to William. But since Charles seems eager to take the crown, the chances of that happening are slim.
The royals have not commented on the rumors surrounding Queen Elizabeth rejecting the public’s plea to get Prince William on the throne.