Albert II of Belgium has announced his abdication, effective 21 July. He’s the 3rd European monarch to abdicate this year, and the first Belgian to voluntarily abdicate (his father, Leopold III, was forced to because of his actions during WWII). Juan Carlos of Spain has also been under some pressure to abdicate. Prince Charles must be fuming with jealousy; his mother is older than them all and she’s still going strong. He’ll be lucky if he get’s his crown before he turns 80.
Charles would be, even now, the oldest person to be crowned King of England/Great Britain.
Edward VII was already a grandfather when his mom, Victoria, kicked off, but he was in his late fifties, not mid-sixties.
It suddenly struck him that he was king of the Belgians! 
And the fourth overall. Sheikh Hamad, the Emir of Qatar, abdicated a couple of weeks ago.
I’ve seen it recounted, that Victoria took a decidedly dim view of her eldest son, chiefly because of the immorality in her eyes, of his personal life. She reckoned him thus not fit to be the monarch; and greatly hoped that she might outlive him, and bent all possible will-power to that end. Unsuccessfully, as we know.
There are suggestions that Elizabeth feels the same way about Charles, and entertains the same hope, as with Victoria vis-a-vis Edward. Possibly a better chance for Elizabeth, of her hope coming true. It’s gathered that in the 21st-century situation, the Queen is not greatly bothered about her eldest’s private life; more so, about his being a potentially meddling, obsessive twit, with a number of strange bees in his bonnet.
Has an English monarch ever willingly abdicated?
God no.
If Elizabeth II was to abdicate, she’d possibly need a lot of time to let her realms get their shit together. In 1936 the other PMs could just telegraph “cool kthx” and it could be done in 12 hours or so, but now it’s a multinational legal issue that could take a little bit of time to settle. That’s why the changes to the way succession works will have taken at least two years by the time they come into force, although that’s not really an urgent issue.
I’m aware of Albert and Beatrix, but who’s the third?
Meanwhile the U.K. breathes a sigh of relief that she’s still there.
Elizabeth’s uncle’s abdication was more-or-less voluntary … at least for anyone not into sentimental love stories. There may have been a few other debatable cases of English Monarchs abdicating. Edgar the Ætheling, a grand-nephew of Edward the Confessor, was proclaimed King after the Battle of Hastings, but eventually submitted to William Conqueror. Elizabeth the Heiress of York abdicated, in effect, in favor of her husband King Henry VII.
I couldn’t figure this out either. Constantine II (who is denied a Greek passport because of his insistence that “King of the Hellenes” is his only surname) just had his 73rd birthday – has he given Greece to his son?
The Pope. In legal terms, the Vatican States are an elective monarchy, they just happen to get their very own title.
I thought that by this point, the crowns of the Commonwealth Realms were theoretically separate entities. Granted, some realms have said, “We’ll just follow what the UK does,” but any realm could announce it was following a different succession or none at all (abolishing its monarchy), right? So the UK could change its monarchy, the followers would follow, and the others would remain the same.
So, if Elizabeth II were to abdicate, that would take effect in the UK and the Commonwealth Realms that formally follow the UK’s succession. She would have to make separate arrangements for the other Realms that don’t formally follow the UK’s succession. Theoretically, she could remain Queen there even if she abdicated in the UK. Or if one of the non-following Realms didn’t like the next person to take the throne, they could theoretically choose someone else. Or abolish the monarchy entirely (which seems to be the most common change-possibility bruited.)
Prince Charles is such a ninny. I can’t imagine anyone in the UK or the commonwealth wants him running anything. At least Edward the Caresser knew European politics very well and was respected in diplomatic circles. Had he lived a decade longer, I wonder if he would have been able to temper his nephew’s political ambitions in Germany and possible avert or reduce the effects of WWI.
You’ll pardon my ignorance here, but why should it be a big deal? She’s the head of state, with no real power. I would think that her presence or absence would trouble absolutely no one.
“I will belge no more forever.”
Of course. :smack:
Takes after his father, does he?
Is there a particular reason that Charles is so unpopular with some Britons?
He’s a meddling, obsessive twit, with a number of strange bees in his bonnet.