Prince Charles might be headed to the throne sooner than anticipated. With Prince Philip retiring from royal duties last year and Queen Elizabeth II turning 92 in April, Charles has been taking on a lot more responsibilities in recent months. Will Elizabeth abdicate and hand over the crown in 2018?
Charles Takes On More Responsibility
According to Express , Charles took part in over 500 royal events in 2017, and that number is expected to go up this year. Queen Elizabeth took a major step back from the public life last year, and Charles dialed down his charitable activities to fill the gap.
In fact, Charles cut his charitable donations in half because of the increase in his royal duties. Elizabeth, meanwhile, only participated in a little over 290 events last year, which is down some 11 percent from 2016. Although Elizabeth has not confirmed the abdication rumors, she did drop a major hint over the holidays.
Queen Elizabeth Drops Major Retirement Hint
The Australian reports that the queen hinted about retirement during her Christmas speech last week. In a rare moment, Elizabeth talked about the importance of family and spending more time with loved ones. She also talked about Philip’s reason for retiring and admitted that he has slowed down a little in recent years.
The queen’s comments sparked speculation that she might also be thinking about taking a big step back from public life to spend her final years with family members. Between Charles’ increase in royal duties to Queen Elizabeth’s revealing speech, it seems like it is only a matter of time before Her Majesty steps down and hands the throne to her oldest son.
“Even Prince Philip has decided it’s time to slow down a little,” Queen Elizabeth shared on Christmas Day. “But I know his support and unique sense of humor will remain as strong as ever, as we enjoy spending time this Christmas with our family and look forward to welcoming new members into it next year.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l73NdleGeXw
Will Charles Become King In 2018?
The queen has not confirmed her plans to abdicate. While we wait to hear anything official on the matter, Newsweek reports that Charles is getting ready to turn 70 this year. If Elizabeth retires in 2018, then Charles will become the oldest person to take the throne. Elizabeth has reigned for 65 years, which is the longest reign in the history of the U.K.
Although Charles is likely to accept the crown with open arms, there is some speculation that he will abdicate and allow Prince William to take the throne. Charles’ approval ratings are at an all-time low, and some experts think he will abdicate to preserve the future of the monarchy. Charles has not said anything about his plans to become King of England and is fully expected to take the title in the event of Elizabeth’s retirement.
There’s no telling what events Prince Charles will attend in the coming year, though he is expected to stand in for Queen Elizabeth during the Australian Commonwealth Games this coming spring.
