Prince Charles will take over the throne after Queen Elizabeth. Many seemingly question the Queen's capacity to serve as the head of the monarchy due to her age and mobility problems prompting her to skip some royal engagements. A royal expert weighed in on the matter and claimed that the Prince of Wales is a "regent in all but name."
Prince Charles Is Reportedly A 'Regent In All But Name'
Royal author Phil Dampier spoke about the Queen's decision to scale back her royal duties after her royal duties were changed. Her Majesty is scaling back while Prince Charles is stepping up, prompting Dampier to believe that the Prince of Wales is a "regent in all but name."
"I think it's just confirming what we've known for some time," Dampier told LBC's Camilla Tominey, Express reported.
"Slowly but surely, Prince Charles is having to step up and take on quite a few of the Queen's duties that she can't do, simply because of her age and because of her medical condition."
The Royally Suited: Harry and Meghan's author pointed out that the Queen skipping the State Opening of Parliament due to physical difficulties. He believed that traveling abroad for Commonwealth heads of government meetings will be more difficult as the Queen aged. He speculated that Prince Charles would be acting like a regent even if the monarch would not make it official.
"So we are really at the stage where we are in a, sort of, regency in all but name," Dampier continued before adding, "in, sort of, uncharted territory."
Queen Elizabeth Will Never Abdicate And Let Prince Charles Reign While She's Alive
The Queen promised to serve until her last breath. So, Dampier was convinced that despite the limitations due to her health and age, Queen Elizabeth would never step down.
"I am convinced that the Queen will never abdicate, she regards the vows that she took at the Coronation in 1953 as sacred before God," he explained. "She won't ever quit, in that sense, so I think she's going to remain Queen right up until the end, but clearly that's what's happening."
While the Queen takes fewer duties, the senior royals are taking more. Prince Charles and Prince William got the support of their wives, Duchess Camilla and Kate Middleton, respectively. Thus, Dampier predicted that all four would be taking on more and more duties.
Despite the changes in the Queen's responsibilities, Dampier commended her leadership. He believed that the monarch is an "impossible act to follow" for the heir apparent. Also, he believed that despite the Queen's age, she is still "bright as a button" and "knows exactly what's going on."
"Her mind is absolutely pin-sharp," he added.
Prince Charles' Mother Criticized, Urged To Abdicate
Republic, an anti-monarchy organization, slammed the Queen after learning that her responsibilities were re-written for the first time in more than a decade. They were previously in 13 bullet points but changed to "a range of parliamentary and diplomatic duties." The "must fulfill" duties were also removed, Us Weekly reported.
Republic wants the monarchy to be abolished. So, it called out the Queen to step down if she could not carry out her duties.
"Absolute disgrace. The head of state changes our constitution to suit her changing needs? If the Queen is unable to carry on, she should step down," Republic tweeted.
Royal correspondent Daniela Elser echoed the same opinion. She believed the Queen should abdicate because her continuous absences in various royal duties would only give the institution an impression of being weak and uncertain.
Do you agree that the Queen should abdicate? Stay tuned for more news and updates about the royal family.
Explore new topics and discover content that's right for you!
Pop Culture