The Queen of England is reportedly giving her retirement a serious thought. According to reports, Queen Elizabeth could be planning to let her son Prince Charles heir to the throne, and take over as the British monarch.
Queen Elizabeth has been mindful of her age and could retire from her royal duties by the time she's 95, which is in 18 months. The reports went on to say that Her Majesty wants a smooth transition with the next in line to the throne and she could only do this while she's alive.
Queen Elizabeth's rumored retirement comes at a time when the royal family is dealing with a crisis of scandals, with Prince Andrew's association to the sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and Prince Harry and Meghan's struggles with the media. Allegedly, Prince Charles consulted with this father, Prince Philip, on how these matters must be handled, especially Prince Andrew's situation.
The two senior royals allegedly hashed it out this week, after Prince Charles returned from his 12-day royal tour. According to sources, Prince Charles went straight to his father's home in Sandringham to discuss many sensitive matters.
However, a royal expert told the Daily Mail that it's hard to imagine Queen Elizabeth pushing through with her plans to retire. Richard Fitzwilliams said that it's not possible for the Queen to do this unless she abdicates her status as the British monarch.
Fitzwilliams believes that the Queen will not step down because she doesn't want to bring and relieve the embarrassment that happened when King Edward VIII, her Uncle David, abdicated in 1936. The expert said that Queen Elizabeth has always intended she will serve and fulfill her royal duties as long as her health permits.
Only when the Queen becomes incapacitated can Prince Charles take over her throne. The heir to the throne will also not become the King of England and the monarch unless Queen Elizabeth is already dead. If he were to become the head of the royal family, though, he could only do so in the capacity of the Regent.
Meanwhile, if the Prince of Wales does become the King of England, his wife Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, will be known as Queen Camilla, the Queen Consort. It's still unclear if Prince Charles will change his name once he ascends to the throne as royals can choose to do this though Queen Elizabeth retained her given name.
