Will Charles abdicate?

[FawnFrenchieMum]

Just that really, do you think Charles will abdicate and pass to William?

They seem to be priming William & Kate to take on the roles and are much more public then Charles

YANBU - yes he will
YABU - no he won’t

I tend to agree. I would rather not have a monarchy at all but I don’t think Charles will be any worse than any other monarch.

Even if he did, it wouldn't go to William. By abdicating you wipe out any sucession underneath. So neither William or even Harry would get a look in. Can't remember who it would go to. Andrew or Anne me thinks.

Not correct. The Act of Parliament would determine the effect on succession, but it's usually only unborn children who are removed from the line - as I said, this is not going to happen, but it's even less going to happen that William and Harry would be bounced out in favour of Andrew!

Yes, but he can step down due to age/health as much as the queen can.

That's completely different from abdication, the subject of the thread. If we are asking how many active duties Charles will take on when he becomes King, that will simply depend on his health at the time - as it has done with the Queen.

He won't but he should

I hope he doesn't.
Think he'll make an absolute hash of it and turn people who are now indifferent to the monarchy into firm republicans.

Fingers crossed 😉

Off topic, but as Edward VIII died in 1972 without having had children, it's interesting to think that this year we would be celebrating the Golden Jubilee of Elizabeth II, had he not abdicated (assuming that set of circumstances hadn't resulted in George VI outliving Edward or producing a male heir).

No, and why ‘should’ he? There’s no reason why he should, once you accept the principle of monarchy and a royal family. If you want to discuss whether we should have a royal family at all, that is a completely different - and irrelevant - thing.

There is no way, for thousands of reasons not least of which is that his mother would haunt him if he did (look at how the last abdication impacted on her family). But the fact is that he is actually not young. Realistically he could be just as likely to pop his clogs or be unable to fulfil all his duties, so the next in line needs to be prepared to step up.

Of course we could solve the entire dilemma for them by abolishing the monarchy. Then they could attempt to do some real work and enjoy their family life as they wish.

This. If people want a choice in who is their head of state and a choice in getting rid of a head of state.....well, you won't get that in a monarchy, will you? 🤷🏻‍♀️

The most respect I've had for any of them is when that one abdicated, whathisface, the one that left the queen's dad to take over. If only they would all do that.

He won't & he shouldn't.

He's been brought up not to and I think he'll view himself as William's "breathing space" with his family before he takes the top spot.

I also think Charles will pleasantly surprise us as king. I don't think anyone expected him to be PoW for so long- he's not quite known what to do with it. William, I think, will have an easier ride as PoW- he's got a working formula for it already, he'll be older when he becomes PoW and they'll just up the ante as time goes on.

This is talk of the town because of the Jubilee. Realistically though next Tuesday few will care much, too busy living and working.

I do have to laugh though, Charles never worked a day in his life, and forget about the Prince's Trust and the Environment etc. He has staff for that. I doubt he ever got his hands dirty in his life. I would hate that kind of an existence, doing nothing much while in the waiting room.

I also think the press and so on will not be as reverential to C as they are to Q. I think they are waiting to criticise the monarchy big time, but are holding back out of respect for HM.

You realise that wasn't an altruistic decision on behalf of Edward VIII?

I don't imagine he would (anyway, doesnt abdication usually mean taking away not just your right to the throne, but your line?). I imagine that if he decided to pass it straight on to William, it would be done more as William being made prince regent.

The rest of the family weren't happy when Edward abdicated, so he'll have grown up understanding abdication would be very controversial so I don't think he will. Why would he?

I agree with this.

I do feel sorry for him though. At a point in life when most people are taking things easy and enjoying retirement, he's starting a tiring new job which will last him the rest of his life.

I wish he would for his own sake, do a couple if years then pass it on and have time to retire.

The support will take the same form as the support Charles and William are giving to the Queen now - William will take Charles's part in anything Charles's health at the time doesn't allow him to do. There is no need for an abdication or prince-regency. The counsellors of state are already authorised to take on the monarch's duties. George will automatically become a counsellor of state when he is 21, as will Charlotte and Louis, so by the end of Charles's reign we might even see George stepping up to support, depending how long Charles lives.

He won't abdicate. I imagine he thinks he was 'born' for this. I hope though that his reign proves the end of the monarchy. I think after the Queen people will rightly start thinking more critically. So by the time we arrive at Will and Kate it's a done deal. I really hope we see a republic in my lifetime.

Elected or appointed heads of state are just as much of a liability. Germany's presidency has had quite a few scandals over the years, implicated in bribery etc. Iirc. Much prefer the total lack of power and continuity of monarchy. No political affiliations and if they have personal preferences, it makes no real difference

I do have to laugh though, Charles never worked a day in his life, and forget about the Prince's Trust and the Environment etc. He has staff for that. I doubt he ever got his hands dirty in his life. I would hate that kind of an existence, doing nothing much while in the waiting room.

Im no monarchist, but this is a little unfair. I’m just old enough to remember Prince Charles going walkabout in the 80s and turning up on a Scottish Croft. His interest in environmental affairs is genuine, and his own: staff or no, he set it up. The environmental movement in the U.K. owes him a lot.

He takes helicopters for short journeys and jets all over the world too. Great to be able to rewild parts of the Duchy but maybe at the expense of tenant farmers. Look at how the Duchy treats its tenants on Scilly Isles, not very uplifting at all. Yes, he has an interest in the environment, but that's not real work either.

I wish they'd just draw a nice neat line under the whole ridiculous soap opera. Let the old bird carry out her last few years of what she thinks of as her duty, then end the damn thing

Well said. Even the staunchest of republicans would concede that the fact and duration of the Queen’s reign is objectively remarkable. And that is why people, even the vast majority who are not overly fussed about monarchy either way, hold her in such high regard and affection. She spans generations and eras. And the additional fact that she’s a woman also in a position of such authority and status is also fairly unique. I think grown men happily sing GSTQ without any irony, a hymn of maternal appreciation. Whereas GSTK sounds a bit - medieval. Like we’re about to engage in bloody battle on horseback. Anyway I digress. When she goes all of that goes. An elected symbolic head of state works perfectly in Ireland.

@theworldhas I’m a staunch Republican and don’t hold the queen in high regard at all. Her reign isn’t in the least bit remarkable - she has lived an unbelievably privileged existence so the fact she’s survived to be 96 is entirely uninspiring. Indeed it’s a surprise that she appears to be unlikely to outlive her mother. From the tiny amount I know of her she does not appear to be a very likeable or agreeable person at all - I remain totally and utterly baffled by the sycophantic twaddle that is talked about her. Bread and circuses to keep us in our place - and boy has it worked!

There was one other abdication, although the king in question disagreed. When James II and VII fled the country after essentially being booted out (he was Catholic), Parliament chose to treat it as an abdication and placed his daughter and son-in-law on the throne as joint monarchs, William and Mary.

Every abdication requires an Act of Parliament, and Parliament determines the succession. When Edward VIII abdicated, the Act made it clear that any unborn children of his would not be in the line of succession, but if a monarch with children abdicates (as in James II and VII) normally the throne would pass to the one of them next in line who is not a Roman Catholic.