As King Charles recovers from cancer, the royal family finds itself at a crossroads. The king’s treatment has slowed his public duties down, but the monarch is reportedly working steadily behind closed doors.

However, there is still a looming fear that Charles may not be able to continue as monarch. Opening the door to the dreaded “R” word that would effectively make Prince William King.

What is the “R” word that would effectively make Prince William the United Kingdom’s king?
News.com.au commentator Daniela Elser revealed that one word would set Prince William’s ascension in motion while King Charles is still alive. The “R” word that would effectively make Prince William the United Kingdom’s king is “regent.”

Elser explains, “The uncomfortable fact is that given we have a King with cancer, a Regency is no longer simply the province of bodice-rippers and small-screen make-believe” like Bridgerton. “A William regency would mean that he would be King.”

She continued, “He would undertake the weekly audiences with whoever had the misfortune of occupying Number Ten. He would provide the Royal Assent (i.e., sign bills into laws), and he would get to oversee State openings of parliament while kitted up like he was off to a fancy dress bash.”

What are the benefits of Prince William as regent?
Daniela Elser wants royal watchers to “think of a Regency as a sort of regal power-of-attorney type situation – it would be the Prince of Wales, or as he would be known, the Prince Regent, who would be the capo di tutti capi. The father of three would be King in everything but title.”

“I know, I know, the very thought of this scenario is deeply discomfiting, not only because of what it would mean about Charles’s health but also because of the pressure, responsibility, and work it would unceremoniously dump on the shoulders of William and his wife Kate, the Princess of Wales,” Daniela Elser continues.

Elser continues, “What of Queen Camilla in this situation? She would remain the actual Queen as long as Charles was alive.”

“However, really, of these two women, which do you think would be fawned over, obsessed over, and adored by the public? Who would be the Queen of Hearts, TikToks, newspaper front pages, and hashtags?” the commentator concludes.

How real is Prince William acting as regent during King Charles’ reign?
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Prince William is not planning to take on the role of regent during his father, King Charles’ reign. Royal commentator Daniela Elser came up with a “what if” scenario using royal blueprints passed down through the House of Windsor for generations.

Thus far, King Charles continues to perform his duties to the crown, albeit in a less public fashion than usual. This is reportedly on the advice of doctors who would like to reduce the risk of infection as Charles undergoes cancer treatment.

However, Charles maintains his busy work schedule indoors. He regularly receives his red box of papers each morning and holds Zoom meetings when necessary.

King Charles was last publicly seen during Easter services on March 31. He attended St. George’s Chapel mass alongside his Camilla, Queen Consort.