Queen Elizabeth II has made it clear that she will sit on the throne until death. With 10 decades under her belt, the country’s longest-reigning monarch is showing no signs of abdicating to her son, Prince Charles, or grandson, Prince William. Why won’t Queen Elizabeth step down from the throne?
According to Honey , the real reason why Elizabeth won’t abdicate is because she’s afraid of repeating history . The queen was present when her uncle, King Edward III, stepped down to wed Wallis Simpson, a divorcee from America. Edward’s decision was viewed as abandoning his post and duty to the commonwealth, and it still haunts the family to this day. When Elizabeth took the throne at the young age of 25, she promised to serve the entirety of her life and will not abdicate until her death.
“I declare… that my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service,” Elizabeth shared on her 21st birthday.
For Charles and William, this, unfortunately, means they’ll have to wait before it’s their turn to rule. The real question, of course, is who will ultimately inherit Queen Elizabeth’s crown once she passes. According to E! Online , Charles is first in line to the throne , but that doesn’t mean William won’t go down without a fight. In fact, recent polls in the U.K. suggest that William and Kate Middleton are way more popular than Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles. This doesn’t mean that Charles will automatically step down, but it shows that William, and his brother Harry, have become the faces of the royal family.
While William and Harry enjoy the spotlight, Charles is secretly preparing for the day he takes the throne and has initiated a plan called “Project 70.” Inside sources revealed that the plan entails Charles accepting more responsibility as Elizabeth heads deeper into her 90s. With Charles’ dad retiring from service and the queen’s private secretary stepping down, it seems like the entire palace is preparing for a change of power.
Although it looks like a fight is brewing behind closed doors, the royal family released a statement that said they will not engage any of the rumors surrounding the succession. There’s no telling what will happen when Queen Elizabeth II’s rule is finally over, but she’s clearly not stepping down before the end.
[Featured Image by Chris Jackson/Getty Images]
