Queen Elizabeth II ‘Will Fade Away Gracefully’ From Royal Duties After Prince Philip’s Death

Apr 27, 2021 by apost team

Queen Elizabeth II, the current monarch of the British royal family, has reigned for nearly seven decades. February 6th, 2021, marked the 69th year since she became the Queen of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth nations. Even before she ascended to the throne at the young age of 27, all eyes were on her as royalists waited with anticipation and speculated what she would be like as a ruler. This year, Elizabeth turned 95, and unfortunately, she did so without her faithful husband, Prince Philip. 

Prince Philip died on April 9, 2021, and was laid to rest in the Royal Vault at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle on Saturday, April 17, 2021. The late prince was buried alongside former kings of England and other royals, the Associated Press reported. Images from inside the funeral, where only a select group of 30 people could attend due to coronavirus restrictions, showed Elizabeth sitting alone in the chapel. The queen is said to be heartbroken after losing her “strength and stay.”

Philip's passing marked the end of an era in the royal family. The stalwart partnership of Elizabeth and Philip was, in many, the face of an enduring and strong royal family, and without Philip by the queen's side, there is a deep sense of loss for the family members as well as the nation. While the queen has resumed work after her Philip's death, many royal experts believe that she may slowly but surely relegate the main duties to Prince Charles and Prince Philip and take a step back. 

According to Express, a former senior member of the royal household disclosed to royal correspondent Robert Jobson that the queen has given "considerable thought" to handing over the throne to her heir and son, Prince Charles. In fact, this matter was discussed back in 2019. The former member had said:

"Her Majesty is mindful of her age and wants to make sure when the time comes, the transition of the Crown is seamless. I understand the Queen has given the matter considerable thought and believes that, if she is still alive at 95, she will seriously consider passing the reign to Charles.”

Per the official royal succession rules, the queen would not be able to give the throne to Prince Charles without abdication, but she can most certainly start to give away her royal duties and responsibilities if her health becomes a concern. Although there is no particular concern other than the normalcy of the queen aging, Elizabeth has already started to have senior royal family members step in and take over some of her duties. 

Speaking to the New York Times, former royal correspondent for the BBC, Peter Hunt, said, "Fundamentally, the queen will fade away gracefully. Covid has helped in the sense that it has accelerated what any sensible 95-year-old woman would want to do, which is not stand on your feet all day long." 

Royal biographer Angela Levin also believes that Philip's death will mark the queen stepping back. "I think although she wants to do her duties she will step back even more,” Levin said in an interview with talkRADIO, “It'll be quite hard to come back after the pandemic and all the isolation."

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Charles and the Queen are set to be together in the upcoming days to plan for the State Opening of Parliament on May 11. It is an event formally marking the beginning of a session of Parliament in the United Kingdom, typically included with a speech from the throne, set to be given by the Queen.

Charles taking on more of the responsibilities may also mean that the workings within the royal family will change dramatically. Levin added in her interview, "Prince Charles has wanted for a very long time to cut the monarchy down to save costs and to make people be worth the money that they got from the taxpayer." She followed up with her own thoughts of what that means for Charles’ future plans, adding, "I imagine that might be when Harry and Meghan are ditched from being members of the royal family."

The queen, on the other hand, has wanted to keep the family together despite the price it may cost. "I think the outer edge, which the Queen has wanted to keep together for a very long time for sentimental reasons, which at her age she didn't really particularly want change which I think is understandable,” Levin explained.

However, the queen may leave the decisions up to Charles soon enough. "In fact, she will be grateful for him to be taking over in making, I imagine, quite big decisions on behalf of the royal family," Levin concluded her thoughts about the future of the Queen and her relationship with Charles. 

While only time may tell about what will happen with the future of the British monarchy, it is clear that Philip's death has had a significant impact on all family members. 

How do you think the future of the British monarchy will change? Do you think the queen will step down soon? Let us know your thoughts, and be sure to ask your friends what they think as well.