King Charles with his sons, Princes Harry and William, 2013 and 1985 | Source: Getty Images
Now that King Charles III is already in power, there are claims that he might choose one of several ways to rule. One is that he might abdicate the crown, with another suggesting that he might rule for a few years before handing over the mantle. A poll made in June 2022 showed that the people want a different King to sit on the throne.
The Queen of England died on September 8, 2022, after serving for seven decades since taking over the throne in 1952, after her father, King George VI died.
Following her death on Thursday evening, the next in line, King Charles III, full name Charles Philip Arthur George, inherited the sovereign title and job as head of the Commonwealth. King Charles III, 74, has been waiting for decades and is the longest-serving heir in British history.
Queen Elizabeth II on March 7, 2019 in London, England | Source: Getty Images
Being the first in line to the throne, as the firstborn of the Queen and her late husband, Prince Philip, King Charles III's accession to the throne was automatic upon the Queen's demise, and now, he has already given his first statement:
"The death of my beloved Mother, Her Majesty The Queen, is a moment of greatest sadness for me and all members of my family."
Even so, there have been numerous claims that King Charles might consider abdicating the throne and instead passing the mantle to the next in line.
When Was King Charles’ Coronation?
The late Queen Elizabeth was crowned 16 months after she assumed the throne, giving her time to mourn her late father. It was not the same case for King Charles. The Telegraph reported that King Charles' Coronation would give some time for the nation and family time to mourn their Queen, but it wasn't as long as it was expected.
The best idea was to hold on until the spring or summer when the weather is usually a little forgiving. However, he wouldn't wait 16 months like his mother did, as the publication reported at that time that he planned to hold the ceremony earlier in his reign. And he complied with his statements, as he was crowned on May 6, 2023.
A portrait of young Elizabeth II (1926-2022 ) of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, wearing the crown of the kings and queens of England for her coronation in June of 1953 | Source: Getty Images
The coronation ceremony, which has remained the same for over a thousand years, entailed the coronation oath, among other ceremonies such as anointing with consecrated oil by the Archbishop of Canterbury, the delivery of the orb, and the enthroning.
Like his mother, King Charles was crowned with the St Edward's Crown, which has over 400 gemstones, including sapphires, garnets, and rubies, and is made of solid gold.
The ceremony saw a maximum of 2000 guests attend, a far cry from the 8000 guests who attended the Queen's coronation in 1953. King Charles' ceremony was also shorter compared to the three-hour ceremony held for the Queen.
Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh arriving at the Club House, Hurlingham Club, for the Commonwealth and Empire Coronation Ball given by the Royal Empire Society, Victoria League and Overseas League. | Source: Getty Images
As King Charles has now taken over the throne, the next in line is his first son, Prince William, as per a criterion determined in the 1689 Bill of rights and the 1709 Act of Settlement.
However, one's descent is not the only factor determining succession. The parliament also plays a significant part, meaning a royal can be deprived of his or her title through misgovernment.
Prince William's children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis take up second, third, and fourth place respectively, while Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex takes fifth place.
Harry's children, Archie and Lilibet, take up the sixth and seventh place, followed by the Queen's second son, Prince Andrew, the Duke of York. The ninth and tenth in line are Prince Andrew's daughter Princess Beatrice and her daughter Miss Sienna Mapelli Mozzi.
Is King Charles Planning on Abdicating the Throne?
Even though King Charles III waited decades to become King, there are claims that he might not carry on with being King for a long time. According to an article by Daily Star in 2021, Princess Diana's former voice coach and confidante, Stewart Pearce, says that King Charles would instead hand over leadership to William at some point.
King Charles attends a Platinum Jubilee Ceremony at the Ceremonial Circle on May 19, 2022 in Yellowknife, Canada | Source: Getty Images
At the time of the article's publishing, Pearce believed that the then-prince would rewrite the constitution to allow his son to be next in line. However, since the Queen passed on before he could, he didn't have time to do it.
Asked why he thought King Charles would forego the throne, Pearce said being on the throne was a difficult task. He also noted that William had been preparing for the throne since he was a child, and it might just be right for him to take over. He added:
"William has been part of the conversation since his 11th or 12th year, he’s been groomed."
King Charles and Prince William, attend The Order of The Garter service at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle on June 13, 2022 in Windsor, England. | Source: Getty Images
In the past few years, William and his wife, Kate Middleton, Princess of Wales, have undertaken numerous royal responsibilities, especially after Harry quit his royal duties. It would only seem fit for him to take over.
According to The New York Post, a different expert opinion suggests that King Charles might serve for a few more years before handing over power to his son.
King Charles attends a wreath laying ceremony at Mt Roskill War Memorial on November 18, 2019 in Auckland, New Zealand | Source: Getty Images
Dr. Robert Morris of University College London’s Constitution Unit said that it would be natural for King Charles to want to serve for a few more years than expected since he's waited and prepared for decades. Morris added:
"But some might also see it as equally natural if a man now already 73 did the job for some time before handing over to William, so long. "
It is also possible that father and son might opt for a "dual crown" where they split duties, supported by King Charles' slimmed-down monarchy.
Prince William, Prince of Wales, departs from the Sovereign's Entrance after attending the State Opening of Parliament at Houses of Parliament on May 10, 2022 in London, England. | Source: Getty Images
Whatever of the three options works out remains uncertain as only he knows his plans. However, an opinion poll conducted by Express, co.uk. in June 2022, indicated that out of 2,367 people, 76 percent answered yes to the question: "Should Prince William be the next King?”
Many believe William is better suited for the job, with the former press secretary of The Queen, Dickie Arbiter, saying William had the stature and confidence of a King-in-waiting. A friend of William's revealed that despite the foreseeable challenges in the next decade, William was ready to step up to the plate.
King Charles III, Prince William, and Prince George at the King's coronation on May 6, 2023 in the Throne room at Buckingham Palace | Source: Getty Images
Queen Camilla and King Charles on the Buckingham Palace balcony at the King's coronation | Source: Getty Images
A royal fan shared that while he did not mind Charles being King, they worried that he was too soft, while another revealed that the people wanted a King and Queen they liked, referring to William and Kate.
In a photograph taken in the Throne Room of Buckingham Palace, the King is seen sitting on the throne made for the coronation of King Edward VII with his son, Prince William of Wales, and his grandson, Prince George, by his side.
The photo shows the King and the two men directly in line for the throne after him. The King and Queen were also pictured with their pages of honor and ladies. More photographs are going to be released in days to come.
Many fans are excited that portraits of the King have been commissioned to insert in public buildings. However, anti-monarchy campaigners have said the budget set aside for the project is a waste of money.
While the world watched in awe as the coronation processions happened, the royal family still experienced some tension due to the ceremonies and the family rivalries that have been ongoing for years.
Before the coronation, there had been many rumors indicating that Prince William was unhappy that his brother, Prince Harry, had decided to attend the coronation. However, a royal expert confirmed this was not true, but that Prince William did have strong feelings about his brother's attendance.
The royal expert, Richard Fitzwilliams said that Prince William did not have muhc choice in the matter. Fitzwilliams explained:
“Charles is a symbol of national unity, of course, as the monarch, and the invitation comes from him. So far as William is concerned, I mean, it’s a terribly deep rift and I don’t see it being mended.”
It has recently come to light that Prince Harry is considering adding more chapters to his tell-all memoir, "Spare," and Fitzwilliams said it was being considered a threat. However, Fitzwilliams confirmed the coronation had not been overshadowed by this story.
Prince Harry's book mentioned that his brother was his archnemesis and that the brothers had a physical altercation regarding Harry's relationship with his wife, Meghan Markle. Shortly after the book was released, a royal expert confirmed that Prince William had no desire to contact his brother.
Prince William lost trust in his brother after the memoir was released and royal experts now confirm that he is simply trying to move on with his life. However, Prince Harry was confirmed to be relieved that the book was finally out and he was able to share his version of events.
Before the coronation, when Prince Harry was asked whether or not he would attend the momentous occasion, he shared:
“There’s a lot that can happen between now and then. But, you know, the door is always open. The ball is in their court. There’s a lot to be discussed and I really hope that they are willing to sit down and talk about it.”
Soon after his father's coronation came to a close, Prince William began planning his own. Just a week after King Charles' coronation ceremonies ended, Prince William began speaking to aides about how he wanted his own ceremony to look.
Prince William reportedly wants his ceremony to look much different from his father's. He wants his ceremony to be more "modern and relevant."
The next in line for the throne also apparently wants to scrap the "homage of the people" portion of the ceremony altogether. The UK Sunday Times reported that Prince William's eventual coronation will have a completely different feel than those that have gone before him.
Prince William was reportedly closely involved in the planning of his father's coronation and declined the offer to have a ceremony for becoming the Prince of Wales.
While Prince William plans to change certain key aspects of his own coronation, but he will not change the venue. Prince William's coronation will be held at Westminster Abbey, much like all those who went before him. He once shared:
"I think the royal family has to modernise and develop as it goes along, and it has to stay relevant. That's the challenge for me, how do I make the royal family relevant in the next 20 years' time? I hope that's something I can do."
Although Prince William is planning to modernise his coronation, his father's was already modernised from Queen Elizabeth II's. One of the changes King Charles made was including leaders from other religions in his ceremony.
The new Prince of Wales made a speech at his father's coronation, in which he talked about what his father meant to him and how he felt about the coronation. He gushed: "Pa, we are all so proud of you."
At the beginning of his speech, Prince William also mentioned his grandmother, sharing what she used to say about coronations. He then said she was fondly watching over her family from up above and he thought she would be proud of her son.
He then thanked teachers, doctors, and the local communities for the support they had shown to the royal family and the commonwealth over the years. He ended his speech by saying "God save the King!" which was meant with applause.
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