Prince Charles may be angling to take over from Queen Elizabeth as the latter approaches age 90.
Charles, 65, has along with aides been studying the act that would hypothetically enable him to take over the throne even if Elizabeth, 88, is still alive.
Britain’s last regency happened in the early 1800s, when George III’s mental illness left him unable to carry out his duties, prompting his son, George IV, to be given his father’s powers under the Regency Act.
“Yes, we have dusted off the Regency Act and taken a look at it,” a source close to Charles told Saga Magazine recently.
Elizabeth has emphasized over the years that she won’t abdicate but the monarch has scaled down her workload considerably as she grows older, noted the Telegraph.
“The Prince of Wales, in turn, has taken on more and more of her duties, including representing her at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Sri Lanka last year,” it said.
And while the Regency Act has been studied, a Buckingham Palace source said, “I’m not aware of anyone looking at this in any great detail.”
