Will Prince Charles Ever Be King? When?

Prince Charles has waited a very long time to be King of England. The prince is 69-years-old. He has been the heir to the British throne since he was 3-years-old.

That’s right. Charles has been next in line to be King for 66 years. For many people, that’s a lifetime. “On 15th December, the young Prince Charles was christened in the Music Room at Buckingham Palace, by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Geoffrey Fisher,” the Royal Family website says.

“The Prince’s mother was proclaimed Queen Elizabeth II at the age of 25, when her father, King George VI, died aged 56 on 6th February 1952. On The Queen’s accession to the throne, Prince Charles – as the Sovereign’s eldest son – became heir apparent at the age of three.” According to The Sun, “Charles is the oldest and longest serving heir to the throne, as well as the longest serving Prince of Wales.”

Portrait of Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip with their baby daughter Princess Anne and son Prince Charles, following the baby’s christening at Buckingham Palace, London, October 21st 1950. (Photo by Central Press/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

Although her father died fairly young, Queen Elizabeth II has lived to the impressive age of 92. So, when will Prince Charles ever become King? Will he? Prince Charles will become King when Elizabeth either abdicates the throne due to her age (somewhat unlikely) or passes away (this will happen eventually, of course, but remember that her mother lived to be 101.) If Elizabeth lives another 9 years, Charles would take the throne at age 78.

According to The Royal Family, “The Prince of Wales, eldest son of The Queen and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, was born at Buckingham Palace at 9.14pm on 14th November 1948, weighing 7lb and 6oz. A proclamation was posted on the Palace railings just before midnight, announcing that Her Royal Highness Princess Elizabeth had been safely delivered of a son who had been named Charles Philip Arthur George.”

There is one other possibility, of course. Prince Charles could be bypassed in favor of his son, Prince William. This seemed more plausible when Charles was in the middle of severe marital troubles that ended in divorce. There was a belief, also, that the British people would never accept his new wife, Camilla Parker-Bowles, as queen in light of the problems the couple’s relationship caused the beloved Princess Diana. However, a lot of time has passed, and Charles and Camilla have remained scandal-free in recent years, going about their duties with a certain sturdy determination. This has won them back some fans.

It’s believed, though, that when Charles becomes King, Camilla will be called Princess Consort rather than taking the title of Queen.

Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, attend a Candlemas service at Saint Michael’s Church, Camden on February 2, 2012 in north London, England.

People Magazine reports that Queen Elizabeth doesn’t have the power to wave a magic wand and skip over Charles for William anyway. “The 1701 Act of Settlement is the act of Parliament that determines the succession to the throne, and requires that a monarch’s heir must be his or her direct successor (and a Protestant),” reports People.

Furthermore, it’s believed that Prince William is not particularly eager to take the throne, whereas Charles is an active and engaged member of the Royal Family who seems keen to take the job.