When Will Prince William Become King of the United Kingdom? Why it Won’t Happen Soon, According to a British Scholar
There was no power struggle or leadership void atop the royal family when Queen Elizabeth II died. King Charles III immediately assumed the throne, and one of his first acts was to issue a statement about his mother’s death. Charles’ coronation celebration — complete with a traditional pie made from an American parasitic fish — will be the first time he wears the crown. But how soon can Prince William assume the throne and become king of the United Kingdom? Will he wear the crown while Charles is still alive?
King Charles III is in the spotlight following Queen Elizabeth II’s death
Queen Elizabeth II was England’s longest-reigning monarch. She was nearly universally adored, and her steady leadership helped guide England into the 21st century. She never seemed to crack under pressure, but some royal watchers aren’t saying the same about King Charles.
Two videos that made the rounds within a week of the queen dying have some royal watchers comparing his behavior negatively to the queen’s. In one situation, he urgently motioned to aides to clear his desk for him. In another video, Charles showed frustration and lost his temper when a fountain pen leaked on him. Losing her temper was something the queen rarely did (if ever).
He’ll have to wait several months to actually wear the crown, but Charles is the U.K.’s king, and his first son is next in line. But when will Prince William become king of the United Kingdom? Could he ascend to the throne while Charles is still alive?
Prince William is unlikely to take the throne from Charles while the king is living
King Charles III sits on the throne, but some British would prefer to see Prince William become king sooner rather than later. As recently as May 2022, most respondents to a YouGov poll in the U.K. preferred to see William leapfrog Charles to take the throne.
William might be more popular, but that doesn’t make him a king. Charles’ comments at his accession ceremony indicated he intends to rule for the rest of his life. “[He] indicated very clearly that he expects to be king for the rest of his life,” Robert Hazell, a professor of government and constitution, told the Washington Post. “He didn’t say, ‘I am not planning to abdicate any more than my mother was,’ but that’s what I understood him to be saying.”
Charles’ biographer once said the king felt as if his reign was being erased preemptively because of William’s public popularity. However, William isn’t eager to assume the throne ahead of his father. the prince knows it’s his father’s birthright to be king.
English monarchs don’t abdicate, and there are laws that dictate the order of succession
In addition to Charles’ apparent desire to wear the crown for the rest of his life and William’s desire to let him, there are other reasons William won’t take Charles’ place on the throne.
For one, English monarchs don’t abdicate. According to the official royal website, Edward VIII was the last person to relinquish the throne. He chose love over power as he stepped aside so he could marry divorced American Wallis Simpson. And technically, he only abdicated his right to become king since he was never crowned. Charles won’t go against that longstanding precedent simply because the public wants it to happen.
Additionally, as WaPo writes, English laws factor into accession. The Act of Settlement states that the monarch’s heir must be the monarch’s direct successor. A 2013 law adjusted the accession rules and ended the law that males come ahead of females in the line of succession.
As much as some British want Prince William to take over for King Charles III as soon as possible, tradition and laws will prevent it from happening.
For more on the entertainment world and exclusive interviews, subscribe to Showbiz Cheat Sheet’s YouTube channel.
