The chances of William as king instead of Charles when Elizabeth dies

Britain's Prince William, Prince Charles and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge (L-R) arrive for a Christmas Day service at St Mary Magdalene Church on the Royal estate at Sandringham, Norfolk in east England December 25, 2011. Reuters/Suzanne Plunkett

William, Duke of Cambridge, will step up and become a full-time royal after completing his final shift with the East Anglian Air Ambulance. Reports have surfaced saying he will be the next king of England when Queen Elizabeth dies.

According to Life & Style, the queen has tapped William and his wife Kate Middleton to succeed her rather than Prince Charles. The report alleges that the queen sees William and Kate as having the energy to perform the job in the modern world.

“Her Majesty realizes that William and Kate are the future,” a palace insider allegedly said. The source reportedly added that the queen will always decide on what is best for the long-term health of the monarchy.

Queen Elizabeth allegedly favours William and Kate more as the next king and queen of England as aside from their energy, they also have the “star quality.” She, according to Life & Style’s source, fears Prince Charles and his wife Camilla do not have the public favour.

Furthermore, the publication states that Queen Elizabeth realised the monarchy no longer has the respect it once had, and in her eyes, William and Kate can turn that around. She also thinks that her granddaughter-by-marriage possesses all the right personality traits to become the next queen.

So far, there has been no official announcement about who the next king and queen of England will be. Based on the order of succession, Queen Elizabeth’s son Prince Charles is first in line to the throne and his son William is next, then Prince George of Cambridge and Princess Charlotte of Cambridge. Prince Harry, Prince Henry of Wales, is fifth on the line.

The 91-year-old queen is understood to have no plans to retire. While she remains on the throne, she already started delegating some duties to Charles and the other royals. Charles will be heading to Australia next year for the Commonwealth Games.

Meanwhile, William is moving his family to London permanently. William, Kate and Harry have all utilised their platforms to champion mental health awareness and other issues. Harry is particularly known for supporting the Invictus Games.

As for Prince Philip, who has been the steady presence alongside the longest-reigning living monarch, he is likely to take pleasure in retirement shall he outlive the queen. This week, the 96-year-old consummate consort bowed out of public life as he completed his 22,219th and final solo public engagement.

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