Prince William and Kate will be crowned King and Queen in July as coronavirus hits royal family: Report
Although there is an age-old tradition that needs to be followed when it comes to declaring a member of the British royal family as the monarch, things have taken a turn for the worse amid the coronavirus pandemic and given the unprecedented circumstances, Prince William and his wife, Kate Middleton, might be the ones who will take over from Queen Elizabeth II.
Conventionally, that is not what is supposed to happen as according to the royal family tree, it is Prince Charles' turn to sit on the throne. He would have then eventually been followed by his eldest son, William.
However, Charles tested positive for the novel coronavirus last month which forced him to isolate himself along with his wife Camilla Parker-Bowles at Balmoral Castle in Scotland. He displayed only mild symptoms and was in good health despite the illness.
On the other hand, the Queen was potentially exposed to the virus when a royal aide at Buckingham Palace reportedly tested positive for the coronavirus while the monarch was still at her London residence. The 93-year-old was shifted out of the palace to Windsor Castle to join her husband and both of them went into self-isolation together.
In the absence of the Queen and Prince Charles at the forefront to carry out their royal engagements, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have stepped up to shoulder the majority of the workload. According to In Touch weekly's April 6, 2020 issue, in light of how ably the duo has been handling the situation, she has made the decision to hand over the crown to William.
“The Queen’s life is on hold – she doesn’t know if or when she’ll be able to return to Buckingham Palace or resume her duties, which is why she’s been forced to rethink her position. It wasn’t an easy decision, but in the end, she knew in her heart it was best of William and Kate took over the reins now,” a source told the entertainment news outlet.
The outlet also added that there was a huge possibility that William and Kate will be declared the future king and queen in July. “It will be a $1 billion event the world has never seen – a huge celebration with all the royals there,” the tipster added, International Business Times reported.
However, In Touch Weekly's report must be taken with a grain of salt as the outlet has previously claimed with little evidence back in December 2019, that the Queen thought the duo should take the throne instead of Charles. However, Clarence House rubbished the news at the time confirmed that the monarch was not planning to retire any time soon despite her advanced age. "There are no plans for any change in arrangements at the age of 95 — or any other age,” the statement said.
At the end of last month, it was reported that Charles is out of self-isolation and is in good health after being diagnosed with the novel coronavirus, royal aides revealed. After that, he paid tribute to emergency service workers in a three-minute video he recorded as a part of his role as patron of Age UK.
"At such an unprecedented and anxious time in all our lives, my wife and I are thinking particularly of all of those who have lost their loved ones in such very difficult and abnormal circumstances, and of those having to endure sickness, isolation, and loneliness," he said in the video.