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    1. Celebrity
    2. Royals

    Why King Charles Abdicating Would Cause a "Crisis" for Prince William and the Royal Family

    Princess Kate and Prince William have been preparing "for their future positions as king and queen."

    Amy Mackelden's avatar
    By Amy Mackelden
    Published 14 April 2025 In News

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    Prince William and his dad King Charles both wear military uniforms
    (Image credit: Jane Barlow - Pool/Getty Images)
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    After King Charles revealed his cancer diagnosis, Prince William started taking on more responsibility on behalf of the Royal Family. There have even been rumors that Prince William and Princess Kate have begun preparing for their future roles as king and queen. But according to one royal expert, if King Charles did decide to abdicate the throne amid his ongoing cancer treatment, the Royal Family would face a huge "crisis."

    Speaking to Fox News, royal expert Hilary Fordwich explained, "Prince William has been assuming more responsibilities and there have been preparations for more transitions of responsibility." Fordwich continued, "Both Prince William and Princess Catherine have been readying to assume leadership roles with an accelerated schedule of preparation for their future positions as king and queen. But most certainly, they are not in any way actively seeking an immediate ascension."

    Kate Middleton wearing a red coat and Prince William walking next to her in a blazer and blue pants in Wales smiling and looking to the side

    "Both Prince William and Princess Catherine have been readying to assume leadership roles."

    (Image credit: Getty Images)

    As for why no-one is in a rush to see King Charles abdicate the throne, Fordwich told the outlet, "The entire family...are more focused on the best interests of the monarchy's stability and continuity, hence all being content with the gradual transition rather than any immediate decisions. The only definite thing is that an abdication would be a significant departure from all tradition."

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    It's recently been reported that King Charles refuses to "slow down," despite being hospitalized during his ongoing cancer treatment. As a result, an abdication seems extremely unlikely at present.

    Queen camilla wearing a green dress walking next to King Charles on Easter 2024

    "The entire family...are more focused on the best interests of the monarchy's stability."

    (Image credit: Getty Images)

    Fordwich noted that Edward VIII's decision to abdicate in order to marry Wallis Simpson caused "a constitutional crisis," something King Charles won't want to repeat. "Given his mother's values, King Charles is most likely to do all he can to continue serving, dedicating himself to duty," Fordwich told the outlet.

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    British broadcaster Jonathan Sacerdoti also spoke with Fox News, saying, "It seems unlikely that The King will want to step back from his duties any more than is strictly necessary." He continued, "Though he had to cancel some engagements recently, it caused very minimal disruption to his otherwise busy schedule. He has always been clear that his work ethic compels him to be as busy as possible."

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    Weekend Editor

    Amy Mackelden is the weekend editor at Marie Claire, where she covers celebrity and royal family news. She was the weekend editor at Harper’s BAZAAR for three years, where she covered breaking celebrity and entertainment news, royal stories, fashion, beauty, and politics. Prior to that, she spent a year as the joint weekend editor for Marie Claire, ELLE, and Harper's BAZAAR, and two years as an entertainment writer at Bustle. Her additional bylines include Cosmopolitan, People, The Independent, HelloGiggles, Biography, Shondaland, Best Products, New Statesman, Heat, and The Guardian. Her work has been syndicated by publications including Town & Country, Good Housekeeping, Esquire, Delish, Oprah Daily, Country Living, and Women's Health. Her celebrity interviews include Jennifer Aniston, Jessica Chastain, the cast of Selling Sunset, Emma Thompson, Jessica Alba, and Penn Badgley. In 2015, she delivered an academic paper at Kimposium, the world's first Kardashian conference.

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