The Queen reportedly dedicated significant time and energy to educating her grandson about the roles and responsibilities expected of him as King while he was studying at exclusive Eton College in Berkshire, UK.
Speaking to Channel 5, royal experts Paul Burrell - former butler to Her Majesty - and Richard Kay, a royal correspondent, revealed the monarch felt Charles was too "independent" to be her heir while she saw the Duke of Cambridge as "more malleable".
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According to Mr Kay, William often walked from school to Windsor Castle on Sunday to spend the afternoon with his grandmother where they discussed matters like "the art of kingship".
"In many ways, the Queen had almost given up on Prince Charles," the journalist revealed.
Mr Burrell, who had a first hand insight into the daily life of the Windsors, confirmed this claim.
Clever Queenie
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"On Sundays she'd [Queen Elizabeth] say to me, would you place an extra plate setting? Because William is going to walk up the hill from Eton.
"And I know exactly what she was doing - she was beginning to introduce him to Windsor as the seat of monarchy," he added.
Keeping it in the family: Prince Charles with William and Kate in 2013
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The Prince of Wales is the eldest son of the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh, making him the heir presumptive to the throne.
Yet a 2019 survey revealed almost 50 percent of the British public would like to see him step aside to let William become King.
Alice MurphyAlice Murphy is a freelance journalist and self-professed news addict. Originally from Ireland, Alice is on a mission to visit every country in the world (telling stories along the way). She is most commonly found eating sushi, drinking strong coffee and reading horoscopes.