King Charles is not merely keeping the throne warm for Prince William but is doing an “excellent” job at ruling on his own terms, according to a royal expert.
When Charles first became King at the age of 73 some suggested that he was holding a “caretaker” position, holding the fort until his heir William was ready to take the throne.
Marlene Koenig told Insider not long after his ascension that Charles “knows he is a caretaker for the next generation”, but added that he would still do “the best he can”.
However, royal commentator Kinsey Schofield told Express.co.uk that the King has been a unique ruler in his own right, having sacrificed his entire life in the name of duty.
September 8 will mark the one-year anniversary of Charles becoming monarch, having spent 64 years as his late mother’s heir as Prince of Wales.
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She said: “I think the King has sacrificed a significant amount of his life for this responsibility. I think he is humbled by the blessing that is his duty.
“He will be an excellent King because his mother was one of his greatest mentors. He will not have as long of a reign based on the math alone but he had been living a life of service long before he took the crown.”
Ms Schofield, who hosts the royal podcast To Di For Daily, also spoke about Charles’s greatest qualities and how his time as King-in-waiting prepared him to be a compassionate and modern ruler.
She added: “The ‘Prince of Wales’ title didn’t have an official job description so His Majesty started asking important questions… wanted to engage with the vulnerable and wanted to carve a significant path for himself so he could start making a difference immediately.
“Environmentally he was years ahead of mainstream education. He’s quite frugal… he will wear his clothes until they practically jump off of him. His first year has been peaceful despite political chaos.
“Contrary to my previous advice, I think the way he has managed Prince Harry has been better off for the monarchy. Yes, I wanted them to come out swinging but their ‘Never complain, never explain’ strategy left the Royal Family looking unfairly bullied by two Hollywood outcasts. It worked. I think he is a peaceful and compassionate man making really good choices.”
The expert confirmed her belief that the family are a “tight functioning unit” and “very much in-sync”, as William and Kate prepare to one day become King and Queen.
Royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams told Express.co.uk that the Prince and Princess of Wales are likely to take on an increased workload as their royal responsibilities grow.
Both have launched their own major campaigns over the last year – Kate’s Shaping Us to focus on early childhood development and Williams’s Homewards which aims to tackle homelessness.
He said: “I would think William and Catherine might well take on more, those they have taken on certainly have a unique cachet.”
