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Before her tragic death 20 years ago, Princess Diana made it clear that she thought her son William should leapfrog to the throne, bypassing Prince Charles.
And now it seems the Queen agrees with her!
Her Majesty has let it be known that she is planning to abdicate in all but name in four years when she reaches 95, and she wants William and Kate to follow in her footsteps, leaving the Prince of Wales and his second wife Camilla out in the cold.
The extraordinary plan, which breaks with all previous thinking, is now being openly discussed in royal circles, and a furious Camilla is livid that William could potentially take the throne – and she’s pointing the finger of blame firmly at poor Kate.
‘Everything is up in the air because the Queen and Prince Philip have lived to such a ripe old age,’ a senior courtier told New Idea. ‘Now that the Duke of Edinburgh has retired at 96, the Queen is having to decide what is best for the fate of the institution she has spent her life protecting.
‘She has always made it clear that she will never abdicate because she believes the vows she took at her coronation in 1953 are sacred.
‘But for some time she has been considering a regency where Charles would take over in all but name as her consort, instead of [Philip].
‘In four years’ time, however, Charles will be 73 and Camilla 74. The Queen knows that Charles will find it hard to cope with being quiet about the issues that concern him and could ruin the monarchy if he becomes involved in controversy.
‘She also knows that Camilla is still unpopular with a lot of the public who adored Diana.
‘She has been looking closely at the situation and has decided it would be better for William and Kate to take over, as they are the future.
‘William has his mother’s fight in him and wants to represent her. He and Harry have at last felt able to speak out about their mother and her amazing legacy.
‘They feel she is with them as they become more and more powerful and play leading roles.
‘Behind the scenes, William has quietly been lobbying his grandmother to let him take on her duties.’
For the full story, see this week’s New Idea – out now.
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