Prince William’s Probably Breathing a Huge Sigh of Relief He’s Not Taking the Throne Just yet Amid Denmark Royal Family Shake-up, Author Says
Prince William may be King Charles III’s heir and first in line to the throne, but he’s not leading the British royal family just yet. As the royal family of Denmark undergoes an abdication, an author says the Prince of Wales will likely be relieved his own father’s not passing the baton — er, crown — to the next generation.
Denmark’s Queen Margrethe II is abdicating, effective Jan. 14, 2024
The Danish people are getting a new monarch. After reigning for more than 50 years, Queen Margrethe II announced her decision to abdicate the throne in her traditional New Year’s Eve speech, which aired on Danish television.
At 83 years old, she’s the longest-reigning European monarch. Her successor, as she outlined in her speech, will be none other than her son, Crown Prince Frederik. On Jan. 14, 2024, 52 years after she succeeded her father, King Frederik IX, her 55-year-old son will take the throne.
The reason, the queen explained in her address, had to do with her health, particularly a 2023 surgery. “In February this year, I underwent extensive back surgery. It went well, thanks to the skilled healthcare staff who took care of me,” she said.
“Of course, the operation also gave rise to thinking about the future — whether the time had come to leave the responsibility to the next generation,” Queen Margrethe continued.
“I have decided that now is the right time,” she went on. “On 14 January 2024 — 52 years after I succeeded my beloved father — I will step down as Queen of Denmark. I leave the throne to my son Crown Prince Frederik.”
William’s probably ‘very relieved it’s not him’ taking the throne
Discussing Queen Margrethe’s abdication announcement, royal author Ingrid Seward shared that William, at 41, probably isn’t eager to take the throne in a similar situation.
“It did come as a surprise, but I think she just wasn’t well enough to carry on. She was probably in a lot of pain,” the Prince Philip Revealed author told Newsweek of Queen Margrethe.
“I should think William is very relieved it’s not him,” she continued. “Being king, I think, is just drudgery, a grind, these days.”
“I think William will just think, ‘Praise the lord, it’s not me,’” Seward went on. Plus, she shared, it’s not necessarily what his father wants for him.
“Charles has always said he wants William to enjoy a bit of family life and a bit of private life,” the author said. “Because once you’re king, there is no such thing as private life. I think he’ll be relieved about the fact it’s not a situation we’re very keen on here.”
Author doesn’t expect King Charles to abdicate, pass the crown to William
Seward continued, saying simply because Denmark is in the midst of an abdication, it’s still an unlikely scenario for King Charles and William.
“I don’t think Britain will see an abdication,” she told the publication. “Just because the European royal families are doing it, that doesn’t mean we’re going to start doing it.”
However, the same can’t be said for coronations, Seward added. European royals have largely favored less pageantry. In the wake of King Charles’s costly 2023 crowning, the author believes William won’t follow in his father’s footsteps.
“I don’t think we’ll ever see another big coronation again. I think that was it,” she said of the king’s Westminster Abbey coronation. “A lot of people didn’t really understand what was going on, all the rituals.”
“I don’t think we’ll ever see the like of it again. I don’t think people will want it. Probably, there will be a very, very scaled-down coronation, and I think the regalia will just be on show.”
