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QUEEN ELIZABETH II’s longevity has helped anchor Britain during an era of unprecedented change, but has also left the royal family an ageing institution.
The 89-year-old queen, who next week surpasses Queen Victoria to become the country’s longest-reigning monarch, shows no sign of abdicating, even if she has stepped back a little from public duties in favour of her 66-year-old son.
Prince Charles’s son William is second in line to the throne and his eldest son George third, followed by George’s little sister Charlotte – a strong dynasty that could continue for another century.
The queen’s landmark is cause for national celebration, the latest in the family’s series of feel-good stories in recent years, including two births, a showpiece wedding and a Diamond Jubilee.
Charlotte will be the first to benefit from a new law ending the age-old bias favouring male succession, meaning that she cannot be passed over in favour of any younger male siblings.
The legal change has helped bring the royals into the 21st Century, but there is still only a slim chance that she will ever wear the crown with so many before her in line for the crown.
- ‘Stuck with elderly monarchs’ -
If the queen lives as long as her mother, who died aged 101, Charles would be about 80 when he finally takes the throne — hardly the image of a young and vital monarchy.
“And if the Prince of Wales lives a long time, then William will also be quite elderly when he succeeds,” said Bob Morris, a constitutional expert at University College London.
“Without some policy and application then we are going to be stuck with elderly monarchs for quite a long time.”
Buckingham Palace has emphasised that the queen’s longevity is a virtue, presenting her as a stabilising influence and celebrating her Diamond Jubilee in lavish style in 2012.
There are few signs that she would consider quitting.
“I think only as a result of extreme illness of one kind or another,” Andrew Gimson, author of “Gimson’s Kings and Queens: Brief Lives of the Monarchs since 1066,” which came out in August, told AFP.
“I think even then, there would probably be a regency.”
However, he said the rise of Scottish nationalism that threatens the future of the United Kingdom will only have reinforced her desire to stay on.
Royal commentator Robert Jobson noted that Pope Benedict XVI and Spain’s Juan Carlos have both retired from what were previously thought to be lifetime roles.
“I don’t know if the queen will continue until the day she dies. I’m sure it’s her intention but we are in uncharted territory,” he said.
- ‘Not a popularity contest’ -
But he emphasised: “It won’t happen that he (Charles) is bypassed. It’s not a popularity contest, it’s not the X-Factor.”
“The bottom line is he is next in line to the throne and even if he should reign just for a few months, that will be the way that things will work.”
“The Prince of Wales knows exactly what’s required of him, should he become either prince regent or the king.”
For now, the queen continues to reign as always, although her schedule and that of her 94-year-old husband Prince Philip have been gradually eased.
She paid a state visit to Germany in June and will attend a Commonwealth summit in Malta in November, but Charles and his sons are increasingly taking on her official duties.
Many commentators predict a slow period of transition of power to Charles.
His advancing years may not prove to be a hindrance given Britain’s demographic make-up, said Gimson.
“The country on average is older, we’re all living longer, so it’s quite suitable to have an elderly and very experienced monarch who knows how things should be done,” he said.
But Charles’ approval ratings remain well below those of his mother and indeed his son.
A recent ComRes survey for the Daily Mail newspaper found that 79 percent of respondents liked William, compared to 77 percent for the queen and 53 percent for Charles.
Just 19 percent said they wanted to get rid of the monarchy, suggesting that for all the Windsors’ problems, a republican revolution looks a long way off.
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Sad to hear that..hope it was nature that was the cause.
Fascinating story : really enjoyed it even if it wasn’t exactly happy ever after .It’s great to know that in spite of everything we have people in our little country so dedicated to wildlife .Have other people in the older age bracket noticed just how drastically the insect population has declined since they were v young .May not seem that important as insects generally can be such a nuisance but clearly it does represent a mini crisis for nature in other areas
@Joan Grennan: it’s particularly noticeable on cars after long summer evening drives. There’s not nearly as many insects squished on the cars. It’s the same here in the US.
@Joan Grennan: it’s no mini crisis, with less insects comes less creatures that feed on them all the way up the chain such as fish and birds. The more of them that are lost such as pollinators the less agri foods that depend on them for pollination will take place. With that go’s some of our food source along with flowers and plants that we need in turn to produce oxygen. Everything is linked and balance is needed for it all to work and what has humanity done for its part in the process, destroyed as much of it as we possibly can for short term gain.
@Mickey Amoko: That’s due to increased usage of spraying on farm land.
@Joan Grennan: I wonder has the reduced insect population affected the number of birds like swallows. I did read before that the swift population is far smaller today than it was 30 years ago.
@Joan Grennan: You’re not the only one who has noticed. One thing we can do to help is to not have a light on at night in rooms with a window open. There may not be vast quantities of insects get attracted in and trapped, but every saving contribution does matter in the longer term.
@Joan Grennan: This is just anecdotal evidence but since we stopped using Roundup (and all other chemical pesticides) around the garden and surrounding fields we’ve seen a huge increase in bees, butterflies and other insects. I’ve even seen dragon flies around the nearby stream which I haven’t seen in 30 years.
I did not realise Cranes were extinct in Ireland as we have regular visits to our shed roof in Dublin by two Cranes including a young bird, they love cat food and are drawn here as we feed three cats daily, the other visitor is a large hedgehog who also shares a passion for cat food, I also see foxes and a badger around so it’s amazing there are such creatures in green belt areas, hopefully we can enjoy them for years to come before the apartment blocks appear and our little friends disappear.
@Honeybee: Likewise in these parts, there are cranes on the local river for a long time. This year I even saw a fledgling when out walking.
@Gearoid De Nogla: you might be confusing them with the common heron. They look very similar.
@Gearoid De Nogla: FYI, you didn’t see a Crane, what you saw was a Grey Heron.
@Honeybee: FYI, you didn’t see a Crane, what you saw was a Grey Heron.
@Gearoid De Nogla: Maybe they were herons?
Having stumbled across some of the “nest cam” videos on YT, it is a wonder that any birds survive. Survival is tough and nature can be cruel.
Crane’s giving birth to live young? Wow
@Gavin Tobin: Well there’s a housing shortage, unless we breed more cranes we’ll never get those apartments finished.
F off there’s a dozen viable from arklow Bridge they must love s.. T
So long fraser and niles
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