“They say / George Washington’s yielding his power and stepping away / Is that true?” sings a baffled King George III in “Hamilton,” upon learning that the famous president has declined to run for re-election, before acknowledging, “I wasn’t aware that was something a person could do.” His namesake may not be aware of it, either. As the oldest child of the future king — William, Prince of Wales — Prince George is being strictly raised in the ways of the monarchy. One day, the prince will be King George VII (though he could also choose one of his other names). But it’s also entirely possible he may not. Although British tradition has long dictated that the crown be passed down to the oldest heir in the royal family, exceptions do exist.
In 1936, King Edward VIII declared his “irrevocable determination to renounce the throne for myself and for my descendants,” (per the U.K. National Archives). Having been forbidden from wedding American divorcée Wallis Simpson (a scandalous notion at the time), the king chose to pass on his royal responsibilities to his younger brother. The newly anointed King George VI carried on to the best of his abilities, but perhaps his greatest accomplishment was giving the world his older daughter, Queen Elizabeth II. Thus, the youngest George may choose to go the same route as his great-great-uncle, but what would happen if he did decide to give up the crown?
England might have a new queen sooner than anticipated
Despite all the lofty expectations, there’s always the possibility that Prince George might refuse the honor of ruling Great Britain when the time comes. The royal could have his heart set on a different career that would be impossible to juggle with his duties. George might make himself ineligible to rule by converting to Catholicism or marrying a Catholic who refused to convert. According to the British constitution, a monarch must belong to the Church of England, and Roman Catholics are ineligible to rule. There could, sadly, be a health issue that would interfere with his ability to govern. Or even, though unlikely, George might simply decide that he just isn’t cut out to reign (as Shakespeare famously wrote, “Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown”).
What happens next would depend on George’s family status at the time. If the prince had children, the crown would pass to the oldest one, unless George specifically chose another one of his offspring to take his place instead. If George were childless, then his sister, Princess Charlotte, would become queen, and her own eldest child would be the heir apparent. If she couldn’t, or wouldn’t, take the crown and assuming Charlotte was also childless, then their baby brother, Prince Louis, would get the job. But if — and this is a huge if — none of Prince William’s children were able to ascend the throne and none of them had an heir, then the next in line would be none other than Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex. Naturally, one imagines William will be encouraging all of his children to become parents just to keep that possibility from happening.
Prince George and Prince William are identical in many ways, right down to the way they wave to crowds and drink water. Their father-son bond is apparent every time the lovable duo appears in public together, which has gradually been occurring more often now that George is getting older. There’s no reason to worry the young prince might give up his place in the royal line of succession someday, even though William and his wife Catherine, Princess of Wales, are raising their children to follow the destinies that suit them best. Still, there might be one other roadblock to George wearing the crown.
In recent years, support for the British monarchy has been steadily slipping, and it has become harder for the palace to justify itself in the modern world. As royal expert Robert Hardman told Reuters, “The big threat to the future of the House of Windsor is not mobs storming the gate, it’s not revolution, it’s becoming irrelevant.” Likewise, a palace insider informed the outlet that the royals may decide the price of ruling isn’t worth it anymore, reasoning, “It is a privilege, but it carries a great burden. I would never wish that life on anyone.” One expert, Dame Hilary Mantel, even predicted to The Sunday Times that the monarchy might not last long enough for another King George reign.
As such, it’s entirely possible the young prince may be out of a job without having to abdicate. But George has the advantages of family wealth, access to a good education and networking options even a Trump would envy. If he can’t sit on the British throne, he’ll surely find a way to stand on his own two feet regardless.
