It’s the headline Prince Charles has been dreaming of — but unfortunately for him, it refers to another long-serving European queen and her ageing heir.
Dutch Queen Beatrix, who turns 75 on Thursday, announced she was abdicating the throne in favour of her 45-year-old son Prince Willem-Alexander in a TV broadcast last night.
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The monarch said her son would ascend to the throne on April 30.
She said she had been considering retiring for years, but not because she was tired of serving her country.
“It was not because the office was too heavy for me, but because the responsibility for this country should lie in the hands of a new generation,” she said.
“It is a good time to take this step which I have considered for a few years now. I am grateful for the many years that I have been allowed to be your queen.”
The announcement has fuelled debate over whether Britain’s Queen Elizabeth, 86, should follow in the footsteps of Beatrix and renounce the throne in favour of her son Charles, 64.
A recent UK poll conducted by The Times newspaper found that 75 percent of Britons thought the Queen should rule until her death, with just 25 percent thinking she should abdicate.
But even if the overwhelming majority wanted her to step aside, it is unlikely Elizabeth II would. Traditionally, UK monarchs rule until they die, while Dutch leaders, like Beatrix, always step down when they get older.
If the unthinkable happened and Queen Elizabeth did step aside, the future of the British monarchy would be uncertain.
The people are deeply divided over who they want for their next King. Around 50 per cent of people want Charles to take the throne, while the other half think Charles should pass the crown on to his son Prince William.
Charles became the longest-waiting heir in British history in 2008. He has now been waiting 64 years to ascend the throne.
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He has repeatedly joked about his impatience to take the throne, last year quipping that he was afraid he will “snuff it” before he has the chance to realise his dreams.
“I’ll run out of time soon. I shall have snuffed it if I’m not careful,” he said.
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