Prince Charles is the heir apparent to the British throne and has spent his entire life in the public eye. Prince Charles has dedicated his life to service, despite not always receiving favourable press and at times being one of the royal family’s most despised members. He is now, at the age of 72, closer than ever to assuming the throne, a role for which he has spent his entire life preparing. Many rumours have circulated about Prince Charles’ plans once he assumes the throne, and a new report recently outlined a significant way in which he intends to deviate from Queen Elizabeth II’s wishes.
What promise is Prince Charles reportedly planning to break?
Edward, Earl of Wessex, is the 13th in line to the throne and has no realistic chance of becoming monarch any time soon. Nonetheless, it has long been assumed that when Prince Charles becomes king, Prince Edward will rise in the royal family to a more prominent position. According to a recent report by BestLife, Prince Charles may choose to keep Prince Edward where he is in the chain of command.
When Prince Charles takes the throne, Prince Edward will become Duke of Edinburgh, according to a proclamation issued by Buckingham Palace in 1999. Prince Charles, on the other hand, is said to want Prince Edward to keep his title of Earl of Wessex. This directly contradicts Queen Elizabeth’s and the late Philip, Duke of Edinburgh’s wishes. “I suspect the Queen won’t be happy either with such a blatant U-turn,” a royal insider said, “and, while she respects Charles’ need to reshape the monarchy after her death, she should be listened to.”
Who is Prince Edward?
While Prince Charles is Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip’s eldest son, the royal couple also had three other children. Princess Anne, their only daughter and second child, was born in 1950. In the year 1960, Prince Andrew was born. In 1964, the queen’s youngest child, Prince Edward, was born. Prince Edward was very focused on his education during his early years, attending the best schools in England. In 2002, Prince Edward became a full-time working royal, a position he still holds today.
Prince Edward, formally known as the Earl of Wessex, devotes much of his time to various charities. He also serves on the boards of several organisations, including the National Youth Theatre and the British Paralympic Association. Prince Edward has been happily married to Sophie, Countess of Wessex (née Sophie Helen Rhys-Jones) since 1999, in addition to his work. Lady Louise Windsor and James, Viscount Severn are the couple’s two children.
Prince Charles reportedly wants to trim down the monarchy
Prince Charles has been rumoured to be interested in drastically “trimming down” the monarchy for months. Instead of the 22 primary royals who are all currently considered senior working royals, this change would reduce the royal family to just eight key members. While one of the main reasons for this could be financial, with Prince Charles seeking to reduce costs and make the monarchy more efficient. It’s also possible that public relations played a role. With fewer members of the royal family in the spotlight, dealing with public relations issues would be easier, and there would be fewer major scandals on a yearly basis.
Prince Charles, on the other hand, has not confirmed any of his plans as of yet. So, for the time being, the monarchy’s future is up in the air. Keep an eye on Showbiz Cheat Sheet for the most up-to-date entertainment news!
