King Charles could abdicate the throne early to make way for his son Prince Willliam the new monarch, following in the footsteps of Denmark’s Queen Margrethe II, according to an expert.
The Danish monarch, 83, made the shock announcement during her New Year’s Eve speech – setting January 14 as the date when she will step down.
Her son, Crown Prince Frederik, will now become the Danish King.
Royal expert and biographer Phil Dampier believes that King Charles could make a similar decision in the future.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, he said: “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.
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“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.”
Another royal expert, Richard Fitzwilliams, agreed with Mr Dampier.
He said that Queen Margrethe’s decision was taken to ensure the Danish monarchy kept up with modern times, something that Charles will also want for the British monarchy.
Mr Fitzwilliams added that Margrethe may have “calculated that an aging monarchy was not a good idea, especially if she had reigned for another decade or so”.
However, other experts believe Margrethe’s abdication was a way to try and preserve the prince’s relationship with his wife, Crown Princess Mary.
There has been speculation that Frederik has been unfaithful to his partner with socialite Genoveva Casanova.
They were photographed in Madrid together in November.
But Ms Casanova denied these rumours
Frederik will take to the throne on the same day Margrethe did back in 1972 after the death of her father, King Frederik IX.
