Prince Charles, 72, is the longest-serving King-in-waiting in British history. The heir to the throne has spent nearly all his life waiting to succeed his mother, who has now reigned for more than 68 years. But as the Prince of Wales grows older, he may decide to pass the honour on to his son.
Prince William, 38, is second in line to the throne and has been since birth.
UCL’s Constitution Unit, a wing of the School of Public Policy, has weighed in on whether Charles is likely to rescind his claim to the throne.
They said: “Having waited over 60 years as heir apparent, it would be perfectly natural for Prince Charles to want to assume the throne and perform the royal duties for which he has spent so long preparing in waiting.
“But it would be equally natural if, after reigning for a few years as an increasingly elderly monarch, he chose to invite Parliament to hand on the throne to Prince William.”
But due to the complexity of the royal lineage, Parliament would need to approve the change.
This is outlined in the Act of Settlement (1701), which confirmed that it was for Parliament to determine the title to the throne.
Historian and author Marlene Koenig told Royal Central: “Succession to the throne is based on legislation including the Succession to the Crown Act, which includes the Act of Settlement.
“It would take an act of Parliament to remove a person from the line of succession.”
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As a result, Prince Charles will automatically, and unavoidably, become King once his mother dies.
If he chose to pass the crown on to his son, new legislation would have to be passed through Parliament.
Commenting on this, UCL’s Constitution Unit said: “Prince William could only become King if Prince Charles chose to abdicate.
“That would require legislation, as happened with the Declaration of Abdication Act 1936.
“The line of succession is regulated by Parliament (as in the Act of Succession 1700, and the Succession to the Crown Act 2013); it can be changed only by Parliament and cannot be unilaterally altered by the monarch.”
YouGov found voters have said they would prefer Prince William, who is second in line to the throne and the Queen’s grandson.
The survey of 1660-1691 British adults, conducted on December 14, 2020, found 40 percent though Prince William should succeed the Queen.
Less than a third, 32 percent, thought Prince Charles should reign.
