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Queen Elizabeth Reportedly Planning To Abdicate Throne, Prince William Could Become King

By Nathan Francis
Published on: 14:14 PST, Aug 15, 2017

Queen Elizabeth is reportedly planning to abdicate the throne, and there may be a chance that Prince William will jump the line and become the next King of England.

A report this week from the Mirror claimed that the 92-year-old monarch has been discussing plans to “hang up her crown” in 2020, when she will be 95. The report claimed that the wheels are already in motion for the unexpected succession process.

“I have spoken to a number of high-ranking courtiers who made it clear that preparations for a transition are moving ahead at pace,” noted Robert Jobson, royal commentator for the Daily Mail.

The Mirror report claimed that Queen Elizabeth would hand over the crown to her son, Prince Charles, but other reports have indicated that the royal family may be instead planning to skip the line of succession and make Prince William the king. A report from Closer Weekly claimed that Queen Elizabeth II was considering the unusual move.

As England’s longest-serving monarch, Queen Elizabeth II is now in her 65th year on the throne. She became queen at the age of 21 after the death of her father, George VI.

The Mirror report noted that Prince Charles would be the oldest person ever to be crowned monarch in England — though it noted the possibility that Charles could defer to his eldest son instead. If Queen Elizabeth did so, it could be bowing to public sentiments. Prince William and Duchess Kate Middleton have taken a very public stature as humanitarian advocates, just as William’s mother Princess Diana did before. The two make frequent goodwill trips and work on a number of charitable causes.

A poll from Prospect Magazine found that 63 percent of respondents wanted the line of succession to skip Prince Charles and go straight to Prince William. And 20 percent of people said they would be less supportive of the monarchy if Charles became king instead of William.

Part of that sentiment could be timing. The 20th anniversary of the death of Princess Diana is approaching at the end of the month and has brought a number of documentaries and television programs detailing the troubled marriage between Charles and Diana, including allegations that Charles was unfaithful.

As the Express noted, bookmakers in the U.K. are now giving 11-to-2 odds that Charles will hand the throne to his son.

While the rumors continue to swirl that Queen Elizabeth II could step down and Prince William become the next king of England, representatives from Buckingham Palace did not respond to the Mirror‘s requests for a comment on the matter.

[Featured Image by Ian Vogler – WPA Pool/Getty Images]

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