With Queen Elizabeth II turning 92 this year, all eyes are on her successor Prince Charles. While Charles is first in line to the throne and the most likely successor, there are some doubts that he’ll inherit the crown – and an upcoming Commonwealth meeting may indicate whether or not Charles will become the next king of England.
According to International Business Times , members of the Commonwealth are having a meeting next month to talk about who will head their organization after Queen Elizabeth steps down . The secretary general of the group, Baroness Patricia Scotland, opened up about the talks, though she wouldn’t say for sure whether or not Charles will get the reigns after Elizabeth is gone.
“That is certainly not a matter for me, it’s a matter for the leaders. The leaders will have a wonderful opportunity to be alone together at the retreat and they will talk about anything they wish to but it’s definitely not a matter for me.”
As of now, Charles is in the best position to become the head of the Commonwealth. But some experts believe that if he doesn’t play his hand right, there is a chance that the group proceeds without naming a figurehead. If that happens, then the secretary general would likely become the head, and the position would rotate amongst the members.
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The Commonwealth news comes amid reports that Charles will not abdicate because his son, Prince William, does not want to become king just yet. Royal author Gill Knappett claims that William has no plans on taking the throne early, despite his rise in popularity over the past few years. Charles has been waiting a long time to inherit the crown and William wants to wait until the timing is perfect before he sits on the throne.
Knappett also says that Queen Elizabeth is not in favor of abdication in any form. Elizabeth was a young girl when her uncle, King Edward VIII, abdicated his right to the crown to marry Wallis Simpson.
The decision left a lasting impression on Elizabeth, who viewed the move as a failure to fulfill a duty to the country, and until his abdication would have never taken the throne. This is one reason why many people believe Elizabeth will remain the Queen of England until she dies and will not retire early.
That could change after Elizabeth passes away, but all signs are pointing toward Charles becoming the next king.
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That said, a recent poll provided by Newsweek proved that the majority of Britons want Prince William and Kate Middleton at the head of the royal family once Elizabeth is gone. Over 56 percent of residents polled said they would like to see William take the throne, while Charles only received around 13 percent of the vote. Prince Harry came in third place with 10 percent.
Prince Charles has not commented on his plans to become the next king of England once his mother is gone.
