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Wills: I don’t want to take my father’s crown
Prince William has quashed rumours that Charles will never become king
After last week's poll results suggested a majority of Britons would like the crown to skip Prince Charles and go straight to King Wills, Prince William himself has seen fit to pour cold water on any such expectation.
With excitement growing about William and Kate Middleton’s nuptials next year, William today issued a comprehensive rebuttal of suggestions he could advance directly to king after his grandmother’s long reign ends.
An aide told the Sunday Telegraph: "There is no question in Prince William’s mind that the Prince of Wales will be the next monarch. Prince William is aware of the speculation, but he is very thick-skinned.
"He knows his place in the royal family and he considers himself to be very low down the food chain. He has no desire to climb the ladder of kingship before his time."
And he confirmed that the Prince will not take on increased royal duties after his marriage – though there will undoubtedly be an increased number of requests made for his presence or support.
"[William] is not yet a full-time member of the royal family - first and foremost he is an RAF officer - and he will continue in his role at RAF Valley until at least 2013," said the aide. The Prince is a search-and-rescue helicopter pilot based on Angelsey.
But does the second-in-line to the throne protest too much? Some commentators feel he has inherited not just his mother’s doe eyes but also Diana's savvy touch with the media. A pre-emptive strike showing he is not taking his coronation for granted could be a canny PR move.
Of course the matter of succession rests entirely with Charles – as first in line, he would have to abdicate before William could succeed him. ·
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PS and this doesn't mean voting, like, for, like, who gets to stay, like, in the House. Innit.
Why do these so-called monarchists think they can pick and choose their monarch? If you're a monarchist you sign up for the full package, which includes as its central precondition male primogeniture. Those sad sentimentalists craving a Diana look-alike male clone as their 'ruler' should recognise that, if they want to pick and choose their head of state, they'll need to campaign for an elective presidency.