Will Prince William Be King? Prince Charles Could Possibly Abdicate When Queen Elizabeth II Dies

One of the most widely discussed topics surrounding the British Royal Family is who will get to be the next monarch after Queen Elizabeth II. The Queen is 92 years old, so many expect there to be a change within the next decade or so.

But once Queen Elizabeth II is gone, who will take over?

According to the line of succession, it would be her son, Prince Charles. But there is no guarantee that Charles would accept the title of sovereign, or that his people would be in favor of that. A recent survey conducted on behalf of The Independent found that 46 percent of respondents in the United Kingdom favored Prince Charles abdicating the throne when the Queen dies.

If that happened, Prince William would become king. The 36-year-old son of Prince Charles is one of the most popular royals; another recent poll found that he was the third-most likable member of the Royal Family, according to respondents. He came in behind his brother Prince Harry and the Queen, while Prince Charles was just the seventh most popular royal in the poll.

Prince Harry might have been the most liked royal in that poll, but the likelihood of him ever becoming king is very slim. All three of Prince William’s children are ahead of Harry in the line of succession. He could eventually be a prince regent, but even that is unlikely.

Why would Prince Charles abdicate the throne? The lead monarch of the Royal Family is expected to be politically neutral, which is not how Prince Charles operates. He said in November he would become neutral if he became king, though.

Prince Charles is also 70 years old, so he could possibly choose to spend his later years doing something other than being a king. The last British royal who abdicated was Edward VIII in 1936.

Even if Prince Charles does not abdicate the throne, Prince William will likely be king someday when Charles dies.