Can Prince Charles Abdicate The Throne To Andrew Or Edward Instead Of William?

Prince Charles is the longest-serving heir apparent in British history, and it’s only a matter of time before he would one day replace Queen Elizabeth II and become king. But royal family fans are a curious bunch, prone to asking hypothetical questions such as whether or not it is possible for Charles, as the king in the future, to opt to give up the throne to Prince Andrew or Prince Edward instead of his son, Prince William.

Of course it’s not likely that Prince Charles will give up the chance of becoming a king. After all, he has been preparing for the role all his life, and it would simply be a waste of his time and effort to abdicate.

Yet someone posted the question “What happens to Prince William if Prince Charles abdicates the throne to his brother?” on the forum Quora. Surprisingly, the question yielded a few interesting comments as royal family fans expressed different opinions on the matter.

For instance, Quora user Wajahat Ali believes that when he becomes king, it is possible for Charles to renounce his claim to the throne, which would then make Prince William, the next in the line of succession, the new king. However, Ali also stated that Charles can even renounce his entire line, which includes himself and his sons, princes William and Harry, and their descendants.

“As King, Prince Charles can renounce the Throne for himself and his descendants including his Heir Apparent, the Duke of Cambridge, resulting in the accession of the Duke of York,” Ali wrote.

“The Sovereign has the prerogative to edit the line of succession, name any successor and to legitimise and illegitimise any member of the Royal Family (infact even an ordinary subject), albeit with an Act of Parliament as the current line of succession is Law and would need to be revoked with another Act of Parliament,” he added.

While it may require an Act of Parliament, Ali argues that it is highly likely that Charles’ wishes, as the Sovereign, would be respected. “The point is, Prince Charles as King can theoretically abdicate the Throne in favour of his brother barring his descendants from the line of succession, I refer you to the Instrument of Abdication 1937 signed by Edward VIII as a precedent,” he concluded.

However, most people believe that it’s impossible for Charles to pass the throne to his brother Prince Andrew or Prince Edward. “IF, for some strange reason, Charles abdicated and Parliament accepted it, William would become King. Period,” commented Eileen Wood.

Marian Clarke, another Quora user, agreed with Wood. “This is the British Monarchy you’re asking about not some country in the Middle East where ‘kings’ and ‘emirs’ are allowed to choose their successors according to a whim,” she wrote.