Speculation over how Prince Charles will approach life on the throne has been rife for years. Despite this, the Prince of Wales has remained tight-lipped on the subject. However, he did respond to the question in a BBC documentary, shedding light on Prince Charles’ objectives on the throne. While marking his 60th birthday in 2008, he said his function would be to bring people together to focus on issues, to exploit what he calls his “convening” power. When asked whether as king he would continue to champion themes, the Queen’s eldest son replied: “I don’t know. Probably not in the same way.”
And he told Vanity Fair in 2010 that he sees the role in “a different way” from his predecessors, because the situation has changed.
Some have questioned whether Charles will be more outspoken than the Queen on various issues affecting the country.
During Prime Minister Tony Blair’s time in Downing Street, for example, Charles lobbied the Labour government to expand grammar schools, change course on climate change and GM crops, and to introduce complementary medicine on the NHS.
The Guardian reported in 2014 claims by sources close to Charles who also said he would be an outspoken king.
The claims were made in the article titled “Revealed: how Charles III will speak his mind”.
They said: “He will be true to his beliefs and contributions.
“Rather than a complete reinvention to become a monarch in the mould of his mother, the strategy will be to try and continue with his heartfelt interventions, albeit checking each for tone and content to ensure it does not damage the monarchy.
“Speeches will have to pass the following test: would it seem odd because the Queen wouldn’t have said it or would it seem dangerous?”
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But according to some, the Prince Andrew crisis has provided proof that the Queen is taking on less responsibility, and this could suggest she is planning for retirement from royal duties.
Speaking to CTV News, royal expert Richard Bethelson said last year: “I myself felt that, after the Duke of Edinburgh retired at 95, it set the way and was a bit of a trial balloon for the Queen to follow suit in a few years.
“She’s about two years away from that now, the Duke of Edinburgh is 98.
“I think the Queen would, if she felt she couldn’t perform the duties to the full extent she would like to do, she would probably feel it would be appropriate for her to either make way for a regency or to out and out abdicate.”
