NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Queen Elizabeth is preparing the public for the British monarchy’s future.
During the Platinum Jubilee, which marked her 70 years on the throne, the 96-year-old limited herself to a few appearances due to her ongoing mobility issues. Prince Charles, her eldest son and heir, took the lead in several events, including taking the salute on horseback at Trooping the Colour.
“[The queen] sees this as a great opportunity for the transition to be visible,” royal historian Robert Lacey told People magazine in this week’s issue.
“She is in the saddle, but this gets people accustomed to [Charles’s] future role as king,” chimed Sally Bedell Smith, author of “Elizabeth the Queen: The Life of a Monarch.”
QUEEN ELIZABETH II’S PLATINUM JUBILEE ABSENCES EXPLAINED: ‘SHE WOULD NOT WANT TO STUMBLE’
Prince Charles and Queen Elizabeth II stand on the balcony of Buckingham Palace following the Platinum Pageant on June 5, 2022, in London.
(Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)
“There was a feeling of celebrating the past and anticipating the new era,” she noted.
The Platinum Jubilee also displayed a soft side to the Prince of Wales. During the Platinum Jubilee Pageant, the 73-year-old’s grandson, Prince Louis, happily ran over to him and sat on his lap.
“How utterly charming that was,” a palace insider told the outlet. “When you consider that he has been said to be a remote parent, to see him do that was charming.”
Even before the festivities, Charles has been taking on more royal duties in preparation for what would be the greatest role of his life.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER
Prince Charles sits Prince Louis on his knee during the Platinum Pageant in London on June 5, 2022.
(Chris Jackson/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)
Just last month, Charles presided over the State Opening of Parliament, one of the monarch’s most important duties. True Royalty TV co-founder Nick Bullen, who has worked closely with Charles for about a decade, told Fox News Digital that the prince isn’t in a hurry to become king.
“[Charles] is the longest-serving Prince of Wales in history,” said Bullen. “And this is a job that he’s been preparing for his whole life. But I’ve filmed him, and we’ve got documentaries on True Royalty TV where he says this, that it’s not something that he wishes for because it’s an odd mix to wish for the top job. To be king is to wish for your mother to pass away. No one is going to wish for that.”
“He has really thrown himself into the job and is ready to be king when the moment comes,” Bullen shared. “But it’s not something that he is counting down the days for.”
Bullen is an award-winning documentarian who has been making programs about the British royal family for 20 years. In celebration of the Platinum Jubilee, the subscription video-on-demand service is highlighting a new special titled “Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee: The Collection,” along with six documentaries featuring historic footage and interviews from the queen’s reign.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Prince Charles during Trooping the Colour on June 2, 2022, in London. Trooping the Colour is a military ceremony performed by regiments of the British Army that has taken place since the mid-17th century. It marks the official birthday of the British sovereign.
(Photo by Samir Hussein/WireImage)
Bullen noted that Charles has been enjoying carving out his role as future king as he takes on more responsibilities in support of his mother.
“He’s 73 and has been preparing for a lifetime,” said Bullen. “To finally take on some of that mantle has been great for Charles. He’s been enjoying it. And he loves doing some of the heavy lifting for his mother. He certainly wants to make it as easy as possible for his mother, as any child would. So there are many feelings surrounding this. But he’s certainly not in a hurry to become king.”
There’s one question that Charles has been pondering, one that has been on the minds of many senior royals: what will the future of the monarchy look like?
“The queen is very much alive, but you can feel this change happening,” said Bullen. “There’s an evolution happening. What’s really fascinating is that the queen, who has an unbelievable 70-year reign, has barely put a foot wrong. She is revered across the world as a state woman, as a world leader. The Prince of Wales will step into that role. The big challenge that he will face is ensuring that he can still make the monarchy feel relevant.”
“He’ll be potentially older when he does take on the crown,” Bullen shared. “The biggest challenge he will face is making this institution relevant to a young audience, in particular.”
