Royal experts say King Charles may abdicate the throne early in favor of Prince William, similar to Denmark's Queen Margrethe II.
The 83-year-old monarch, who is the third cousin of the late Queen Elizabeth II, announced in her New Year's speech on December 31 that she will step down from office on January 14.
The decision to abdicate means her son, Crown Prince Frederik, will take over the throne.
Royal expert and biographer Phil Dampier says King Charles may be considering making a similar move while Prince William and his wife, Duchess Kate, are still young.
“I wonder if King Charles will be thinking the same thing in five or 10 years if his health is compromised or if Prince William and Kate think it's a good time to take over while they're still young. You must be wondering if this is the case. told the Daily Mail.
“Our late Queen never intended to abdicate because of what happened in 1936 when her uncle abdicated and her father ascended the throne. But times change.”
Dampier's comments were echoed by royal expert and commentator Richard Fitzwilliams, who said Queen Margrethe's decision to abdicate early may be to ensure the monarchy keeps up with the times, adding that Prince Charles said he is interested in implementing it in his office.
Mr Fitzwilliams told the outlet that Margrethe “may have calculated that an aging monarchy was not a good idea, especially if she ruled for another 10 years or so”.
Royal experts believe Margrethe's decision to abdicate early was to make way for a younger ruler, but the announcement comes amid rumors of an affair and concerns about his relationship with his wife, Crown Princess Mary. Some people wonder if it was a means to maintain the
Frédéric, 55, may have been unfaithful to the Australian-born marketing consultant, 51, and socialite Genoveva Casanova after photos of them together during a trip to Madrid in November were leaked. It was speculated that there might be.
However, the 47-year-old from Mexico denied any affair took place.
Margrethe will take over as king in just 11 days, the same day Margrethe ascended the throne in 1972 after the death of her father, King Frederik IX.
