Prince George, seven, is being raised by Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, 39, and Prince William, 38, with the expectation he will one day be king. Unlike his younger siblings – Princess Charlotte, five, and Prince Louis, two, George is expected to rule one day, but when will that be?
When will Prince George be king?
Prince George was born on July 22, 2013, and as Kate and Prince William’s eldest child, he is heir to the throne.
George’s official royal title is His Royal Highness (HRH) Prince George of Cambridge.
George is currently third in line to the throne after his grandfather, heir apparent Prince Charles, 72, and his father Prince William.
So before Prince George becomes king both his grandfather and father are expected to reign first.
At 72, Charles is the eldest heir apparent in British history, however, Queen Elizabeth II, 94, continues to rule into her 90s and shows no sign of stepping down soon.
Charles’s age means there is speculation he could abdicate and hand the crown straight to William when the Queen dies.
This would shorten the period Prince George has to wait before he takes the throne.
George is likely only to become king upon his father Prince William’s death at which point the crown will automatically pass to him.
In the tragic event that Prince William was to become king but die before Prince George turned 18, then Prince Harry is expected to step in as regent and rule until George reaches maturity.
Constitutional expert Iain MacMarthanne explained: “In the event of Prince William having become king, and dying before Prince George had reached his majority, and there having been no further provisions passed by Parliament – such as in 1953, then the rather anomalous position would arise, given present circumstances, whereby Prince Harry, as next in line who had attained a majority, would become Regent.”
Could the monarchy end before Prince George becomes king?
Royal author and expert Clive Irving has claimed the monarchy could collapse in the wake of Queen Elizabeth II’s reign in his new book The Last Queen: Elizabeth II’s Seventy Year Battle to Save the House of Windsor.
Asked if Prince George might never be king, Mr Irving told Express.co.uk: “Before you can assess how William, and later George, might work out, you have to allow for the way the monarchy will look under King Charles, and whether under him it can survive.
“All polling shows that younger Britons don’t find the monarchy relevant.”