Why Prince Charles Can Still Be King, But This Royal Had To Give Up Title

Prince Charles is set to inherit the throne likely within the next few years, as the heir to Queen Elizabeth II. However, some are wondering just how eligible he really is to become the King considering his marital history, when others have been forced to give up their claims to the throne in the past for a similar reason.

In the Online forum Quora, one royal fan wondered why Prince Charles was still eligible to be king despite his divorce from Princess Diana and marriage to Camilla Parker Bowles—a fellow divorcee—when his great-uncle, King Edward VIII, was forced to abdicate the throne and give up his life as a royal when he wanted to marry divorced American actress Wallis Simpson.

However, the reasoning for Charles’ eligibility can easily be explained by updated laws and social attitudes that didn’t exist in the 1930s. One user answered the question by stating that not only have the Succession to the Crown laws changed, but public expectations of the monarchy have as well.

“It looks very much like the expectations of the monarchy of themselves have changed to come into line with the expectations the public have for themselves,” the user wrote. “It also seems that the public expectation of how much the person in the role can reveal of their private selves has broadened.”

Another user went into more detail on the issue and the situation, explaining just how much things had changed, and that Charles can and still will be king because his marriage to Camilla produced “absolutely no constitutional, legal or religious impediments.”

During Edward VIII’s time, divorce was mainly considered sinful within the Church of England, especially if the divorced person was considering remarriage while their former spouse was alive. However, since times have changed—and Princess Diana is also no longer alive, Charles does not have nearly as many obstacles standing in his way.

“Times have changed very substantially since then,” the user wrote. “Socially, divorce is not considered reason for a person to be deemed socially unacceptable and nor is a divorced person re-marrying while their former partner is still alive. Charles’ former partner Diana is no longer alive, although Camilla does have a living husband. While some of the more extremist conservatives in the Church of England may not agree, the prevailing view is that divorce and re-marriage are no longer grounds for excommunication.”