This year marks the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee as she has been on the throne for 70 years. The Queen ascended the throne after her father, George VI after her uncle abdicated to marry American divorcee, Wallis Simpson. Some members of the public believe that the Queen should step down and either let Prince Charles take the throne or have it passed directly to Prince William. However, here are 5 reasons why Her Majesty would never abdicate.
Discover our latest podcast
The Queen is dedicated to the people of Great Britain
Queen Elizabeth made a promise on her 21st birthday in 1947 before she ascended the throne. She told the people on a radio address from Cape Town in South Africa:
I declare before you all, that my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service and the service of our great imperial family to which we all belong,
The Queen has kept true to her promise. On the 70th anniversary of her ascension to the throne, Her Majesty renewed her promise:
My life will always be devoted to your service,
Abdication isn’t retiring
Abdication is a very drastic step. Choosing to abdicate doesn’t mean the Queen is retiring, it is much more than that. Abdicating means denouncing the throne. When Queen Elizabeth’s uncle, Edward VIII abdicated in 1936, he created a constitutional crisis that threatened the existence of the Royal Family. The Queen saw all of this unravel and immediately understood the importance of the throne and loyalty to the crown.
No British monarch has abdicated due to old age
If the Queen were to abdicate due to old age, which does seem reasonable from an outsider's perspective, it would send the message that being queen is a job that needs to be done and not the state of her existence which is to be embraced. Moreover, abdicating due to old age is not a viable reason.
Read more:
⋙ The Queen had an active role in organising Prince Philip’s memorial service
⋙ The Queen: The Prince of Wales is on standby for the Queen’s speech at Parliament
⋙ The Queen refuses to been seen in a wheelchair despite having increasing mobility issues
Prince Charles isn’t young either
It wouldn’t make sense for the Queen to abdicate due to her advanced age, as her son, Prince Charles who is the next in line, is also advanced in age. Indeed the heir to the throne was born in 1948, meaning that he is already in his late 70s. So if the Queen were to abdicate, she would be replacing an elderly monarch with another.
The Queen delegates her duties
Ever since the Queen’s late husband retired in 2017, other members of the Royal Family have been accompanying her to events. Furthermore, since October 2021, the Queen has been advised to rest by her doctors after an overnight stay, she has been attending less and less public events and carries out ‘light duties’. This means that Her Majesty has been delegating her duties already to the next generation in line to the throne.
