Charles, Prince of Wales, is the next in line to the throne and has been the heir apparent since the age of three. The oldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip will be 71 years old in November. The prince has been waiting for almost 68 years for his birthright, as compared to his mother, who had become Queen at 25 years of age when her father, King George VI, passed away in 1952.
Her Majesty is currently 93 years old and is still in good health, placing all thoughts of succession in the background for the moment. Despite this, the Prince of Wales is already getting ready to succeed his mother, already attending meetings of the Duchy to prepare his future role.
Prince Charles is already the longest-serving Prince of Wales, taking the title from Edward VII. Edward VII became King of Britain in 1901 at the age of 59 and reigned until 1910.
Unofficially, Prince Charles has held the title of oldest monarch to be crowned in Britain’s history since he turned 65 in 2013. Prior to Elizabeth II’s eldest son, the oldest to be crowned was William IV, who had become king at the age of 64 in 1830.
Although the Prince of Wales is the longest-serving heir apparent in British history, Charles is not the oldest heir to the throne. This title belongs to Sophia of Hanover, who by the Act of Settlement of 1701 was declared the rightful heir to Queen Anne. However, she did not become Queen as she died two months before Queen Anne in 1714.
As the Queen is still very much active and in excellent health, it may take some time before Charles attains the throne. The Queen Mother herself lived to the age of 101, making Charles 78 should Queen Elizabeth II live to that age as well.
Because of his age, rumors have been swirling around about Charles abdicating the throne in favor of his eldest son, Prince William. This is of course just a rumor, and the Prince of Wales’ loyal aides deny the allegations, firmly stating that the prince has no such plans.
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