Royal watchers around the world are wondering what will happen if King Charles chooses to abdicate the throne. The speculation has arisen because the 75-year-old monarch has been diagnosed with cancer, Buckingham Palace confirmed in a statement on Monday.
If King Charles were to abdicate, who would be crowned?
The crown will go to the next in line of succession, which, in Charles' case, would be his eldest son Prince William, 41. William's wife Princess Kate would also become Queen Consort if William were to suddenly take the throne.
This would shift the whole order of succession, and William's ten-year-old son Prince George would become the heir apparent and first in line, followed by his eight-year-old sister Princess Charlotte and his five-year-old brother Prince Louis.
Prince Harry, 41, and his two children Archie and Lilibet would be next in line.
Who is in the line of succession now?
1. The Prince of Wales
2. Prince George of Wales
3. Princess Charlotte of Wales
4. Prince Louis of Wales
5. The Duke of Sussex
6. Prince Archie of Sussex
7. Princess Lilibet of Sussex
8. The Duke of York
9. Princess Beatrice, Mrs. Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi
10. Miss Sienna Mapelli Mozzi
When did the last abdication take place?
Abdications are extremely rare in the UK, with the last taking place in December 1936 when Edward VIII, also known as the Duke of Windsor, gave up the throne for love. It became clear that Edward would be unable to rule and also marry his American divorcee partner, Wallis Simpson, because it was politically and socially unacceptable at that time to have a divorced woman as a prospective queen consort.
Edward and Wallis married in France in 1937, six months after the Duke gave up the throne.
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Is King Charles likely to abdicate?
It is quite unlikely that Charles will give up the job he has spent his life working towards.
Speaking in the context of the recent Danish abdication when Queen Margrethe II stepped down to make way for her son King Frederik, Juliet Rieden, editor-at-large of The Australian Women's Weekly, told HELLO!: "There have been abdications in other European monarchies. It's not so unheard of in the rest of Europe, for example the Netherlands, and Spain. But it's just unheard of in Denmark and clearly a dirty word in Britain."
