But despite being heir apparent since he was just three years old, royal watchers now fear Charles’ controversial past and “political meddling” may jeopardise his future.
According to Express, experts believe the 71-year-old’s forward-thinking approach to the monarchy could divide the UK and potentially fuel republican sentiment.
Charles has never been one to shy away from speaking his mind, and last year he shocked the nation when it was reported he intends on “slimming down” the royal family.
According to the British publication, Charles wants to diminish the Monarchy to just a few select members – mostly direct family, as one of his first rulings as king.
While some royalists welcome change, others fear Charles forward-thinking efforts could be too drastic a change from the Queen’s monarchy people have become used to.
The publication also drew a comparison between Charles’ future reign and the current Thai King Maha Vajiralongkorn, also known as King Rama X, who has been criticised for his changes to the monarchy.
Like the Prince of Wales, King Rama X was the oldest Thai heir to ever take the throne, at the age of 64, almost three years after the death of his father in 2019.
But after the Thai king reportedly took a more active influence over the nation’s political agenda and military, protesters have since made it clear they don’t want the monarchy to change in such a way.
While there is no suggestion Charles will follow in the footsteps of King Rama X, many believe the monarchy will ultimately change when he takes the throne, which could cause uproar.
That said, royal author Phil Dampier believes Charles’ plan to restructure the British monarchy wouldn’t work with the current state of the royal pecking order.
“Prince Charles has said that he wants a slimmed down monarchy but I don’t think he had in mind it would slim down quite as quickly and quite as much as it has,” Phil previously told the publication.
He continued: “We’ve got Prince Philip who’s retired, we’ve got the Queen who is 94, Princess Anne is 70 this year. Prince Charles and Camilla are in their 70s.
“Harry and Meghan have left, and Andrew is out in the cold. It is slimmed down a lot already and I’m not sure, if it slims down much more, they’re going to struggle to fit all the jobs,” he added.