How Old Will Prince William Be When He Becomes King?
Prince William is currently second in line for the English throne after his father, Prince Charles. The prince’s grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II has reigned for well over 60 years, and though the queen is 92, she doesn’t seem to be ready to give her her seat on the throne anytime soon.
However, with her husband, Prince Philip, retiring from the public eye, and her son and grandchildren taking on more and more royal duties, it seems like the queen could retire or abdicate at any moment, turning things over to Prince Charles. At 70, Prince Charles is still vibrant and robust, but whenever he does become the King of England, his reign certainly won’t be as long as his mother’s. When Prince Charles does become king, he will be the oldest monarch to do so.
So where does that leave Prince William?
A fairly young king
At 36, Prince William is a young father of three. If his father, Prince Charles, takes over the throne soon and reigns for 20 years, Prince George’s dad will still be relatively young when he becomes the King of England. The timeline could speed up, even more, should Prince Charles decide he likes retirement more than running the Commonwealth. That would mean Prince William could be having a coronation ceremony in the next few years.
When Prince William does become king in the next two decades are so, things will also change drastically for his family. The prince’s wife, Duchess Kate Middleton will assume the title of queen consort. His children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis will also fall in line right after him for the throne.
A reluctant leader
In a 2016 interview with BBC, Prince William revealed, “I don’t lie awake waiting to be king.” The prince already has a ton of responsibility on his shoulders and following in his grandmother’s footsteps certainly seems like a massive burden to bear. Luckily, though he’s not counting the days until he sits on the throne, Prince William is prepared for the role whether it happens next year or a decade from now.
The prince has been watching his grandmother his entire life. He said, “I think the queen’s duty and her service, her tolerance, her commitment to others; I think that’s all been incredibly important to me and it’s been a real sort of guiding example of just what a good monarch can be. And it’s been incredibly insightful for me growing up, watching her leadership in her role.”
Looking at his grandmother and father as examples, while taking the modern values that his late mother, Princess Diana brought to the crown, we think that Prince William will forge his own unique path as a reigning monarch who is more passionate about specific causes and organizations than his grandmother has been able to be. Also, since he and his brother, Prince Harry were both allowed to marry for love, we’re certain that Prince William’s children won’t have the same restrictions about love and family that the monarchs used to deal with in the past.
