Prince Charles gets READY FOR THE THRONE as Queen slows down
PRINCE Charles is getting ready to become the next monarch experts say as he marked 2018 as by far the busiest British royal.
Prince Charles gives a touching speech at his 70th birthday party
The heir to the throne turned 70 last year but looks more active than ever as he prepares to take the place of his mother the Queen. Increased public duties and a higher profile as seen as vital steps to prepare the nation for a change at the very top of the monarchy. Queen Elizabeth II has been slowly handing over responsibilities to other members of the Royal Family over the past years, during which she stopped travelling abroad and carrying out important ceremonies, including laying the wreath at the Cenotaph on Remembrance Sunday.
And Charles seems to have willingly picked up most of them.
Despite having reached and surpassed the usual retirement age of 65, Prince Charles carried out 507 engagements out of the 3,900 scheduled for members of the Royal Family last year, according to the official list of royal duties, also known as Court Circular.
And he has visited 10 foreign nations as Prince of Wales.
Prince William, who is second-in-line to the throne, only managed half that, although that was a huge increase over 2017.
Charlie Proctor, of Royal Central, highlighted how the Duke of Cambridge is preparing to become Prince of Wales.
He told Daily Star Online: “Year on year, Prince William has been taking on more public duties.
“In 2013, he carried our just 62 engagements. Compare that to 2018, he conducted 220 engagements which is significantly more.
“The increase in engagements shows that William is preparing to one day become Prince of Wales, and eventually King.
“Although he has a young family and will obviously want to spend quality time with them, he needs to find the right work/family life balance.”
And his private life did interfere with his work, as on April 23 his wife Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, gave birth to their third child, Prince Louis.
This led Prince William and Kate to take some time off to enjoy the first months of their newborn.
Prince William came eight in the ranking showing the total number of engagements carried out by royals.
Notably, he was preceded by the Queen’s four children, Prince Charles, Princess Anne, Prince Edward and Prince Andrew, the monarch herself who, aged 92, still undertook 293 royal duties, 10 more than in 2017.
She was followed by Sophie, Countess of Wessex, and the Duke of Gloucester.