Prince Charles has been ready to serve as King of England for years and he has reportedly planned out his first move once he ascends the throne after his mother, Queen Elizabeth.
According to his former butler Paul Burrell, Prince Charles will enforce the slimming down of full-time working royal family members. The Prince of Wales apparently wants only those in his "immediate line of succession" to work for the Crown, Burrell told Us Weekly.
This leaves him, his wife Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, his eldest son, and heir, Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge, and his daughter-in-law, Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge, as the only full-time working royals. The Cambridge children -- Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis -- are still too young to be working royals so they will have to bid their time and receive the proper training to work for The Firm.
Prince William and Kate's popularity with the British public has risen, especially during this pandemic. According to royal expert Kate Nicholl, the Cambridge pair upheld the tried and tested approach in their work as public servants and have successfully promoted a united royal family amid the controversies.
Prince Charles' second son, Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, is also a direct heir but he quit his royal roles with Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, early this year. It's unclear if Harry and Meghan would want to come back to the royal fold. Their arrangement with Queen Elizabeth will be reviewed in March 2021 but they have already planned out their own work for the next five years, including their deal with Netflix.
A slim-down monarchy under Prince Charles will mean that his siblings -- Princess Anne, Prince Andrew, and Prince Edward -- will no longer be asked to represent the monarch on official business. The Prince of Wales and future king might have been motivated to do this to narrow down the negative publicity about the royal family.
It comes as royal journalist Robert Jobson said on The Royal Beat that he still strongly believes Queen Elizabeth will abdicate when she turns 95 in April 2021. His opinion was seconded by royal reporter Jack Royston who said that while Her Majesty doesn't want to quit her royal duties, she will also not deprive her heir of his birthright. Prince Charles is turning 72 on Nov. 14 and he has been preparing to be King of England since his investiture in 1969.
