The Winners And Losers Of The Royal Family Hierarchy When King Charles Dies
King Charles III's cancer diagnosis shocked the world when it was announced by Buckingham Palace in February 2024. "He remains wholly positive about his treatment and looks forward to returning to full public duty as soon as possible," their statement read. However, given King Charles' history of health issues and his age, many began pondering the possibility of his death. What will happen, and more importantly, what would it mean for the rest of the royal family?
When King Charles dies, Operation Menai Bridge will come into effect. It's a code name for the plans that will be set in motion after his death to ensure a smooth transition of power. While the details of Operation Menai Bridge remain top secret, we know one thing for sure: his first-born son and heir to the throne, Prince William, will immediately become king.
However, when a new monarch takes the throne, it's not just a shuffle in the deck — it's a complete game changer. We're taking a deep dive into the dynamics between the royal family and the potential ramifications that will shape the future of the monarchy. We're dividing key royal figures into two categories: the winners, namely those who will benefit from the change in power, and the losers, those who could face significant challenges.
Winner: Prince William
Most people would see the clear winner as Prince William, who will inherit the throne when King Charles III dies. William is the eldest son of Charles and the late Princess Diana and currently holds the title of Prince of Wales. While he'll get the coveted position of king, his role will come with unprecedented pressure.
When Charles became king, he promised to implement a slimmed-down monarchy, reportedly cutting 20% of royal jobs. However, according to royal expert Pandora Forsyth (via Express), this decision has backfired as there are not enough royals to participate in engagements across the U.K. and abroad. Another factor that could weigh on Prince William is his outdated training. William received training from Charles and the late Queen Elizabeth II, who are of different eras. With William already facing pressure to modernize the monarchy to ensure it stays relevant, he may be left unprepared for his role despite training for it his whole life. It's also important to note that William will be inheriting a monarchy whose public support is at an all-time low, sitting at 55% according to a study from the National Centre for Social Research.
At the end of the day, William will emerge as a victor, attaining the power and influence inherent in kingship. Nevertheless, he will need to exert additional effort compared to those who came before him.
Winner: Princess Catherine
If King Charles III dies and Prince William becomes king, his wife Princess Catherine will become queen consort, which denotes that she is the spouse of the king but has no constitutional power.
According to royal experts, it's Catherine who holds the fate of the monarchy in her hands. "The pressure is really on [Catherine] to make sure that the monarchy remains relevant, relatable, and appealing into the future," royal expert Camilla Tominey said on "This Morning" (via the Daily Mail). We can already see small actions taken by Catherine since Queen Elizabeth II's death to modernize the monarchy and boost its public perception. She broke royal protocol by wearing red nail polish, she's more publicly affectionate with her husband, she swapped the traditional tiara for a flower crown at Charles' coronation, and she's even broken the queen's unwritten rule prohibiting selfies.
When she becomes queen consort, Catherine will have even more power to go against outdated traditions. She has always been extremely well-liked, with a 44% positivity score. The fact that she had a "normal" upbringing also makes her more relatable to the public. Given her popularity, it's likely Catherine will be applauded for her efforts in modernizing the monarchy and the history books will credit her as the person who ensured its survival. Therefore, we're placing her in the winner category.
Winners: Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis
As the second and third-born children of Prince William and Princess Catherine, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis are known as "spares." This comes from the phrases "an heir and a spare," describing how first-born children are heirs to the throne, while younger siblings are "spares" that can take the heir's palace if anything happens to them before they have children of their own to succeed them. This term is where Prince Harry got the name for his memoir "Spare," where he describes the anguish of being brought into the world to ensure a stable line of succession. "I was the shadow, the supporting actor, the plan B," he wrote (via the BBC).
According to royal commentator Kinsey Schofield, the cost of the title is that "the spare typically is so completely lost and they fall into trouble" (via Express). We've seen this with Princess Margaret, Prince Andrew, and Prince Harry. However, it seems Charlotte and Louis won't suffer the same fate. Their parents have vowed to break the cycle of the spare heir and encourage them to pursue careers of their own. "I think that William's children will be encouraged to find their purpose and pursue those things, and it not really being about waiting to see if something happens to the heir," Schofield said. So unlike their older brother Prince George, Charlotte and Louis will actually have a say in their future. Therefore, they both belong in the winner category.
Winners: Prince Edward and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh
We're putting Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh, and his wife Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, in the winner category due to their close relationship with Prince William and Princess Catherine. Despite a reported feud between William and his uncle in 2001, the duo seem to have mended things, and their wives have reportedly formed a close bond.
"Sophie and Catherine have developed a friendship [which] I think both value highly," former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond told OK! (via Yahoo!). The four royals are often spotted together at royal engagements, and it's reported that William and Catherine view Edward and Sophie as people they can rely on and trust. "I think William and Catherine feel they can confide in Edward and Sophie and there are so few people a royal can entrust with their thoughts and feelings," Bond added.
Being confidants of the future king and queen could have numerous benefits for Edward and Sophie. They could potentially be called upon to take on more prominent roles within their royal duties. William may also look to them for advice, giving the couple more influence. Maintaining close ties with the reigning monarch could also boost their status, relevance, and public image.
Loser: Prince Harry
Prince Harry shocked the world when he and Meghan Markle stepped down as senior royals in January 2020, due to the hostile treatment they received from the British media and the palace's failure to protect them. In 2021, Harry and Markle gave a tell-all interview to Oprah Winfrey where they alleged the palace was concerned about their son Archie's potential skin color. Then, in 2023, Harry released his memoir "Spare" which contained shocking bombshells about the royal family, including an allegation that his brother Prince William physically attacked him.
Despite calls for Harry to be stripped of his titles, royal biographer Angela Levin revealed that King Charles III was willing to "leave the door open" for Harry to return to his royal duties (via GBNews). However, the door will likely be shut when William becomes king due to his strained relationship with Harry.
According to royal journalist and author Omid Scobie, William's loyalty lies with the monarchy, not his brother, and there is "no going back" for the brothers (via the Daily Mail). William reportedly sees his brother as a brainwashed defector and a threat to the crown. "His freedom to exert his own thinking outside of the confines of the institution has made him the enemy," Scobie wrote (via the Mirror). Any hope of Harry returning to the monarchy will likely die with Charles. While technically this makes Harry a loser, leaving the crown is what he wanted, so perhaps he's a winner in his eyes.
Loser: Prince George
Prince George, the eldest son of Prince William, is currently second in line to the throne. At the time of King Charles III's cancer diagnosis, George was only 10 years old. In the event of Charles' death, George will become one of the youngest heirs to thrones in modern history, which comes with a lot of pressure.
Growing up as a member of the royal family comes with intense public visibility and scrutiny. Just look at Prince Harry, who was lambasted in the media for partying as a teen. But growing up as the future heir to the throne comes with even more pressure and responsibility. Despite his parents' wishes to give George as normal an upbringing as possible, his life will be anything but. Every move he makes will be ruthlessly scrutinized. Every mistake he makes will be magnified. His freedoms will be limited and his future is predestined. Just like his father, who wanted to be a policeman when he grew up, he'll have to put aside his own desires for the interests of the monarchy. "Is there any one of the royal family who wants to be king or queen?" Harry asked Newsweek. "I don't think so, but we will carry out our duties at the right time." That's a lot to put on a boy so young, and growing up with that much pressure would be hard on anyone. Because of this, we're putting young George in the loser category.
Loser: Prince Andrew
In 2015, Prince Andrew's controversial friendship with Jeffrey Epstein and the multiple allegations of sexual assault against him dominated the news. The disgraced royal was stripped of his HRH titles and military roles, damaging the relationship between King Charles III and Prince Andrew. However, it seems that Charles may have had a change of heart. According to a palace insider, the king invited his younger brother to join him at the Balmoral castle in August 2023. "The King and Andrew are now on much better terms and making him the first member of the family to join him is an olive branch," the royal source told Express. According to historian Andrew Lownie, it looks like the palace may be making room for Andrew's return. "Until now, the family have been trying to distance themselves from Andrew, but Sunday's ballet suggests that there's been a change of strategy," Lownie told The Daily Beast.
However, Prince William does not share the same soft spot for his disgraced uncle. "While King Charles has, so far, shown no inclination of conclusively stopping his support for his wayward brother, Andrew would be foolish to think that William will unquestionably support his uncle in the same way," wrote royal journalist Omid Scobie (via the New York Post). Considering it was reportedly William who pushed for his uncle to be punished, there will be no way back for Andrew when William is king, and for this, he belongs in the loser category.
Loser: Camilla, Queen Consort
If King Charles III dies, his wife Camilla, Queen Consort, will become Camilla, Queen Dowager, a title given to widows of the king. Since she is not Prince William's mother, she will not get the title of Queen Mother, which is traditionally given to the mothers of reigning kings.
Camilla is obviously in the loser category as she will have lost her husband, the man she loves and has spent decades with. But there's another reason we're putting her in this category — her complicated relationship with her stepson and the future king, William. According to Prince Harry, William was greatly affected by their father's affair with Camilla. "Willy long harbored suspicions about the Other Woman, which confused him, tormented him, and when those suspicions were confirmed he felt tremendous guilt for having done nothing, said nothing, sooner," Harry wrote in his memoir "Spare" (via Hello!). He also revealed that he and his brother directly asked their father not to marry Camilla. Royal biographer Angela Levin, author of "Camilla: From Outcast to Queen Consort," also weighed in on the subject. "William has made it clear that Camilla is the wife of his father, but not a step-grandmother to his children," she wrote (via Express). While William has seemingly accepted Camilla into the family, she may become an outcast to the royals once again when Charles is gone.
Loser: Princess Anne
Princess Anne, King Charles III's sister, is renowned as one of the hardest-working royals of the monarchy, serving the crown diligently since she was 18 years old. According to a study by The Guardian, Anne has undertaken over 11,000 royal engagements from 2002 to 2022, more than anyone including Charles. She's worked with 300 charities, organizations, and military regiments, served as president of the Save the Children fund for almost four decades, and has been involved in the creation of several charities herself.
Because of her impressive portfolio and public image, experts believe she may be called to take on more responsibilities if Charles dies. However, this may take a huge toll on her due to her age. "Anne is incredibly hardworking, and I think Anne has a lot of people's respect, but she also is a senior citizen," royal commentator Kristen Meinzer told Business Insider. "How much longer can we have all these senior citizens doing this much work all the time — doing hundreds of engagements a year?"
Due to Anne's commitment to the crown, it's possible she'll put the monarchy's needs above her own, which could have a negative impact on her well-being. Therefore, we're putting her in the loser category — even though she deserves a medal!
Losers: Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie
Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie are the daughters of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York. In 2022, there were rumors that King Charles III could strip the sisters of their royal titles. "Unfortunately for Princesses Eugene and Beatrice, their father's conduct has had rather an adverse and actually disastrous impact on their royal futures," royal expert Hilary Fordwich told Fox News Digital. "The Princesses are most likely to become Lady Beatrice and Lady Eugenie since their father, Prince Andrew's, sexual assault scandal has purportedly poured ruin on their chances of becoming working royals."
Beatrice and Eugenie have stood by their father despite the scandal, and are reportedly feuding with their uncles and cousins over their part in stripping Andrew of his royal titles. "According to very good sources, Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice are seemingly struggling to remain cordial with Prince William, Catherine, and Charles," said royal expert Neil Sean (via Express). Moreover, the Daily Mail's Editor at Large, Richard Kay, claims the York sisters are pushing for royal roles but it is "unlikely to happen" due to Charles' wish to slim down the monarchy.
It's likely that nothing will change for Beatrice and Eugenie when William is king, as he shares the same sentiments as his father regarding both the disgraced Prince Andrew and slimming down the monarchy. Therefore, we're putting Beatrice and Eugenie in the loser category.