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Queen Elizabeth Will ‘Never’ Step Aside To Make Charles Prince Regent: Officials Move To Quash Rumors

By JohnThomas Didymus
Published on: 07:02 PST, Aug 20, 2017

Buckingham Palace sources have reportedly dismissed recent media rumors and speculation that Queen Elizabeth II of England is planning to stand aside to allow Prince Charles take over as Prince Regent. The sources, allegedly close to the queen and the royal family, dismissed claims in multiple British media reports that the queen has told members of her inner circle that she plans to request for the Regency Act to come into force if she is still alive and on the throne at the age of 95. According to the palace sources, the queen has no plans to step aside or pass her official duties to Prince Charles.

The sources added that the queen has always maintained that there “will never be a regency” unless she is too ill to perform her duties as the English monarch, according to the Daily Mail.

Some of the media reports claiming that the queen was planning to stand aside for Prince Charles quoted Robert Jobson, an expert on the royal family, saying that “high-ranking” palace officials confirmed that preparations were under way for Prince Charles to begin reigning as Regent when the queen is 95 years.

“I understand the Queen has given the matter considerable thought and believes that if she is still alive at 95, she will seriously consider passing the reign to Charles,” a palace source reportedly said, according to Express.

Other media reports claimed that Prince Charles had stepped up preparations for his role as Prince Regent and that he was determined to eventually ascend the throne as King Charles III. The claim contradicted previous reports that Charles will step aside for his son Prince William and his wife Kate Middleton.

However, palace sources which sought to debunk the claims insisted that neither Buckingham Palace nor Clarence House is preparing for regency.

The 1937 Regency Act allows the English monarch to cede power to her heir “in the event of incapacity… through ill-health.” The legislation allows the Prince Regent to rule with full power and authority while the queen is still alive.

The palace sources added that Queen Elizabeth, the world’s longest-reigning monarch, has always emphasized that she is committed to her role and that she will never step aside unless forced by ill-health.

“The Queen has always [said] there will never be a regency unless she was sick to the point of being unable to perform her duties.”

In an attempt to further emphasize the queen’s position on the matter of regency, the palace sources referred to a statement that Queen Elizabeth made on her 21st birthday when she dedicated herself to her future role as the queen.

“I declare before you all that my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service and the service of our great imperial family to which we all belong.”

According to the Daily Mail, England’s last Prince Regent was Prince George, appointed as regent in 1811 after his father, George III, became afflicted with mental illness. He later became King George IV after his father died in 1820.

The latest rumors and the reported denial by Buckingham Palace sources come soon after the queen’s consort, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, announced his retirement from official royal duties.

Queen Elizabeth II will be 92 years old on April 21, 2018. She ascended to the throne in 1953.

[Featured Image by WPA Pool/Getty Images]

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england prince william buckingham palace prince philip Prince Charles Queen Elizabeth II Kate Middleton
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