King Charles Is Not ‘Expanding’ or ‘Changing’ the Monarchy For 1 Surprising Reason
King Charles has been the king for just over a year since Queen Elizabeth II’s death, but those who have paid close attention to his ruling have likely noticed that he hasn’t exactly done a whole lot. Charles seems to be taking a little more of a low-key role as king, and while he still makes public appearances, it’s clear that he isn’t the star of the royal family. However, this isn’t laziness; it appears that it’s a calculated situation in order to better set the stage for the next king: Prince William.
King Charles is reportedly just waiting for Prince William to take the throne
Although Charles is king, it seems clear that there is another person acting as the face of the royal family: Prince William. William and his wife, Kate Middleton, met back in college and wed in 2011. Ever since, the public has been obsessed with the royal couple, and Charles knows this. Between the public’s love for Kate and William, plus the idea that William will have plenty more time to rule than his father will, Charles is taking a back seat to being king.
Speaking to Slingo (via Express), former royal butler Paul Burrell says that Charles’ actions as king are a direct reflection of the fact that he’s just waiting for William to take over. “I have seen the King keeping quite a low profile in his first year as a caretaker monarch, as I like to call it,” Burrell said. “Because he is keeping the shop ticking over, he is looking after the business but not expanding on it or changing it radically.”
It all is with the idea that William will have more time to change the monarchy as he sees fit when he and Kate eventually rule. “In a way, he is almost shrinking the monarchy and cling-wrapping it until it is ready for the next generation; this is very much a caretaker situation.”
Prince William and Kate Middleton likely have time before they rule
Of course, nobody can predict how the coming years will go for Charles and his lifespan. But with that said, assuming he remains healthy, Charles will likely rule for at least a decade. Queen Elizabeth never chose to retire, although her husband, Prince Philip, removed himself from the spotlight several years before his death in 2021.
Charles understands the love the public has for William, and if it’s true that he’s taking on a “caretaker” position, he probably won’t want to rule for much longer than 10 years. By then, William will be 50, and if Charles hands his son the throne when he’s 85, it will give William several decades (assuming he remains healthy as well) to shape the monarchy in the way he sees fit.
Right now, William and Kate are raising young children, and even though Charles might not want the responsibility that comes with expanding or changing the monarchy, he likely would not hand things over to William and Kate until their children are grown unless he absolutely had to.
