Queen 'to hand power' down to Prince Charles in two years as she turns 95

  08 July 2019    Read: 1837
 Queen

The royal, 93 , is reportedly discussing bringing in the 1937 Regency Act in two years, which allows the monarch to hand over power if it is felt they are unable to perform their duties.

The Queen will hand over the majority of her duties to Prince Charles when she turns 95, a royal expert has claimed. 

The royal, who turned 93 in April, is reportedly discussing bringing in the 1937 Regency Act in two years, which allows the reigning monarch to hand over power if it is felt they are unable to perform their duties to the fullest. 

The Act will mean Prince Philip, a Houses of Parliament spokesperson and a third senior person will have to declare evidence supporting the Queen's request to relinquish the majority of her duties. 

The Queen will still retain her title, but Charles, 70, would take on the majority of the duties performed by the sovereign, while The Duke of Edinburgh, now 98, would become Guardian of the Queen.

Speaking to Yahoo's The Royal Box, Mr Dampier said: 'There is talk that when she reaches 95 in a couple of years she may slow down and possibly the Regency Act will be brought in.

'She will still be Queen but Prince Charles will, in fact, take over most of the duties.'

'He is starting to do that already, being at the state opening in Parliament and the Commonwealth conference.

'He is starting to take over a lot of the duties and doing the investitures.'

Charles has already been taking on an increasing number of royal duties over recent years.

Palace sources have previously indicated that the Queen has told her inner circle that, if she is still on the throne at the age of 95, she will ask for the piece of legislation – granting her eldest son full power to reign even while she still lives. 

One senior former member of the Royal Household previously told the Mail: ‘Out of the profound respect the Queen holds for the institution of monarchy and its stewardship, Her Majesty would want to make sure that she has done everything she can for her country and her people before she hands over. She is dutiful to her core.

‘Her Majesty is mindful of her age and wants to make sure when the time comes, the transition of the Crown is seamless.

The 1937 Regency Act grants power to the heir apparent ‘in the event of the incapacity of the Sovereign through illness, and for the performance of certain of the Royal functions in the name and on behalf of the Sovereign in certain other events’. 

In the Queen's case, three people - including Prince Philip and the Speaker of the House of Commons - would have to declare evidence that the royal was unable to perform specific duties.

It is predicted that while the Queen would retain her title, Prince Charles would step in for 'most of her duties'.

The last time the Regency Act was invoked was in 1810 during the reign of George III, when the monarch became permanently deranged. 

It meant his eldest son assumed the title Prince Regent for ten years until, on his father’s death, he became George IV.


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