King Charles May Abdicate; Let Prince William, Kate Reign After Queen Margrethe's Decision: Royal Expert
King Charles may follow the example of Queen Margrethe from Denmark.
On New Year's Eve, Queen Margrethe, 82, surprised the world when she announced that she would abdicate the throne on Jan. 14, the 52nd anniversary of her accession. Royal experts weighed in on how her decision would affect the British monarch, and a royal biographer believes it may influence King Charles III.
Phil Dampier, a royal correspondent who has been reporting on the Royal Family for 26 years, thinks King Charles could do the same in the future, especially if it would ensure the future of the British monarchy.
Prince William and Kate Middleton are very friendly with Denmark's Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary, who are the next to reign. Dampier speculates that the foursome may have been in contact this week.
"It must make you wonder if in five or ten years' time King Charles might think about doing the same if his health suffers or he just thinks it is a good time to pass on to William and Kate while they are still young," Dampier told Daily Mail.
"Our late Queen would never abdicate because of what happened in 1936 when her uncle abdicated and her father came to the throne. But times change. William and Kate get on very well with Frederik and Mary and will be among the first to congratulate them. They will be fascinated to see how they get on as King and Queen and it will make them think about their future as well."
Royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams, a British public relations consultant and film critic, believes Queen Margrethe made the move to save the Danish monarchy from being out of date.
"Queen Margarethe of Denmark is a shrewd operator. She has stunned the nation by announcing she will abdicate in a fortnight in favour of her son Crown Prince Frederick," he told Daily Mail.
Fitzwilliams added that the Queen's age and recent back surgery may have influenced her decision because she "previously rejected the idea of abdicating."
However, royal commentator Victoria Arbiter, author of "Queen Elizabeth II: Pocket Giants," felt that the comparison between King Charles and Queen Margrethe was uncalled for as the public doesn't know the "full circumstances" that led to the Queen's decision. Also, considering the timeline of their reigns, it would be unreasonable to prompt King Charles to abdicate.
"She's been on the throne for more than half a century; King Charles is barely two years in. The comparisons are unwarranted and have no merit," Arbiter, cohost of the YouTube show "Dickie and Vickie's Royal Report," told Business Insider.
"There's no reason why the king should abdicate. He's healthy, capable, committed and blessed with the same sense of duty exhibited by his parents."
