«King Charles informs me that a new succession plan is being prepared. I can't say more. My mouth continues to remain sealed…”. The message published on X is from Nicholas Witchell, retired BBC royal correspondent, therefore an authoritative source and very close to King Charles (patron of the Normandy Memorial Trust co-founded by the royal journalist). Witchell adds that he posted the tweet after a night spent in the rain outside Kensington Palace. Definitely news.
Evidently the conditions of King Charles, who was diagnosed with cancer more than two months ago, a few days after being admitted to the London Clinic for surgery on his enlarged prostate, are much more serious than we know, to the point that it has already started the machine to outline the succession of the heir to the throne, Prince William. Let us remember that it was never indicated which organ was affected by the cancer. Palazzo, last February 5, had limited himself to saying that the tumor was considered treatable also because it was discovered early and that King Charles would immediately begin to undergo regular treatment. Despite the initial good prognosis and the king's positive attitude towards his illness with that “he remains totally positive about the treatment”, the Palace is preparing for any eventuality.
Succession plans establish the “how” and the “when.” And to confirm that they have already been started is the royal expert Tom Quinn, who al Mirror said that everything would have been kept hidden from Prince Harry. In fact, Palazzo fears that King Charles' second son, as he has amply demonstrated in the past with bombshell interviews, scandalous books and uncomfortable Netflix documentaries, will spill everything to the press at the first breath of wind against him. “No one trusts” reiterates Tom Quinn due to his unsavory past revelations about the Royal Family.
The news perhaps also leaks to reassure the subjects in a moment of crisis for the British monarchy, after the absence from the scene of two key figures of the royal family, after Kate Middleton's photogate and after all the speculation that followed and which raise uncertainties about the future of the dynasty.
The succession plan
So what would happen if King Charles abdicated or even died? In Great Britain the throne passes immediately to the heir to the throne, Prince William while his 10-year-old eldest son, Prince George, would become the next heir to the throne and his wife Kate Middleton the queen consort. Following in the line of succession is Princess Charlotte who, thanks to a 2013 law, the Succession to the Crown, remains ahead of her younger male brother, Prince Louis. The law applies to royals born after October 28, 2012, and ended the centuries-old practice whereby a minor son could pass ahead of his older sister in the line of succession to the throne. The order of succession is determined by descent, being inherited by the sovereign's children. Once the heir to the throne has had children, they take their place behind him in the line of succession, even if the parent dies. For example, if Prince Charles had died before Queen Elizabeth, Prince William would have been first in line to the throne. And not Prince Andrew, Queen Elizabeth's second son. British monarchs have the option to choose a name upon accession to the throne. In the event that the current Prince of Wales retained his, he would be king William V.
The role of Harry
Instead it seems completely the news is unfoundeda fantasy, yet another, released on various media and social networks, according to which Prince Harry, fifth in line to the throne, and his wife Meghan Markle are reportedly preparing a return to London with the chance to once again take on the role of working royals in the Firm and lend a hand. A royal source had said some time ago to Page Six that Harry would definitely “try” to help his father if the king asked him to. The return of the Dukes of Sussex to the English royal scene was born among others a thousand speculations in a moment of great difficulty for the monarchy, increasingly streamlined and reduced to the bare bones, in which we can glimpse a power vacuum with two of the most important royals, King Charles and the Princess of Wales, out of action for serious health reasons and Prince William who, now, is intermittently, since he also has to take care of his sick wife and children.
Again according to royal expert Tom Quinn «Queen Camilla, Prince William and Princess Royal Anne with the Dukes of Edinburgh, Edward and his wife Sophie, are more than capable of coping with the commitments of the busy royal agenda and in any case there is no 'there is more space for Meghan Markle at court. Even if Prince Harry were allowed to temporarily rejoin the Firm, his wife would certainly not be part of the package.”. The two brothers barely speak to each other anyway. So the idea that Prince William would accept Harry coming home is unthinkable to royal experts. On Thursday evening, on the occasion of the Diana Awards celebration in London, Prince William gave his speech at the Natural History Museum in London while Prince Harry released his video message only after the ceremony was over.
Prince Harry's last trip to London, immediately after the announcement to the world of King Charles' cancer diagnosis, was the occasion for a flash meeting, as the press reported, which lasted only 30 minutes with the Duke of Sussex who left for California the next day.
Operation Menai Bridge
Finally, it must be said that Palazzo moves very early with its organizational machine. Suffice it to say that the preparations for the funeral of a monarch begin from the first day of his accession to the throne and are taken care of down to the smallest detail, as demonstrated also on the occasion of the death of Queen Elizabeth whose funeral has been planned for decades. Buckingham Palace recently admitted that it is also working onOperation Menai Bridge, the funeral of the ruler, whose code name in this case is named after a suspension bridge in Wales. Naturally, the wish for King Charles is to live a long time, like his illustrious parents. «God save the King!».
Source: Vanity Fair
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