Why King Charles Abdicating Would Cause a "Crisis" for Prince William and the Royal Family

After King Charles revealed his cancer diagnosis, Prince William started taking on more responsibility on behalf of the Royal Family. There have even been rumors that Prince William and Princess Kate have begun preparing for their future roles as king and queen. But according to one royal expert, if King Charles did decide to abdicate the throne amid his ongoing cancer treatment, the Royal Family would face a huge "crisis."

Speaking to Fox News, royal expert Hilary Fordwich explained, "Prince William has been assuming more responsibilities and there have been preparations for more transitions of responsibility." Fordwich continued, "Both Prince William and Princess Catherine have been readying to assume leadership roles with an accelerated schedule of preparation for their future positions as king and queen. But most certainly, they are not in any way actively seeking an immediate ascension."

As for why no-one is in a rush to see King Charles abdicate the throne, Fordwich told the outlet, "The entire family...are more focused on the best interests of the monarchy's stability and continuity, hence all being content with the gradual transition rather than any immediate decisions. The only definite thing is that an abdication would be a significant departure from all tradition."

It's recently been reported that King Charles refuses to "slow down," despite being hospitalized during his ongoing cancer treatment. As a result, an abdication seems extremely unlikely at present.

Fordwich noted that Edward VIII's decision to abdicate in order to marry Wallis Simpson caused "a constitutional crisis," something King Charles won't want to repeat. "Given his mother's values, King Charles is most likely to do all he can to continue serving, dedicating himself to duty," Fordwich told the outlet.

British broadcaster Jonathan Sacerdoti also spoke with Fox News, saying, "It seems unlikely that The King will want to step back from his duties any more than is strictly necessary." He continued, "Though he had to cancel some engagements recently, it caused very minimal disruption to his otherwise busy schedule. He has always been clear that his work ethic compels him to be as busy as possible."