Queen won't renounce throne and will serve until her death, say sources: 'Abdication is a dirty word for her'
Royal sources have revealed to Katie Nicholl of Vanity Fair that Queen Elizabeth would “never abdicate” because “it is simply not in her DNA to abandon her people or duty”. The insiders have claimed that “abdication” is a “dirty word” for the monarch “never to be uttered in her presence” and she plans to “serve until her death.” Sources said the 94-year-old is very much into planning the platinum jubilee of her reign and won’t probably celebrate her 95th birthday lavishly next year since she is saving the festivity for the platinum jubilee celebrations. “The Queen loves a Jubilee, and she is very much looking forward to her Platinum Jubilee,” an insider said.
Last week, it was disclosed that in 2022, to celebrate the monarch’s 70-year reign, the May Bank Holiday Weekend will be shifted to Thursday, June 2, and an extra holiday will be given on June 3, so that people can have four days of fun. “This historic event will reflect on Her Majesty’s reign, and her impact on the UK and the world since 1952,” a press statement said. “Activity will build across 2022 in the run-up to the four-day weekend when the eyes of the world will turn to the UK. The four-day celebrations will feature an extensive program of events that mix the best of British ceremonial splendor and pageantry with cutting edge artistic and technological displays. These will be interspersed with the traditional nationwide fanfare and celebrations.”
The announcement came amid the speculation that the Queen will step down from her duties to give the throne to her son, Prince Charles, in 2021. But sources dismissed all the speculations as they said, “As a young woman she vowed to serve until her death and that is what she plans to do. She would never abdicate — to her it is a dirty word never to be uttered in her presence.” Her biographer Sally Bedell Smith said: “Her Majesty will most assuredly not step down when she turns 95 in April 2021. Unless she becomes incapacitated mentally or physically (which would trigger the Regency Act), she will remain Queen until her death.”
A Buckingham Palace spokesman added, “The Platinum Jubilee offers an opportunity for the Queen to express her thanks for the support and loyalty Her Majesty has received throughout her reign. The Queen hopes that as many people as possible will have the opportunity to join the celebrations.”
According to reports, at the age of 94, the Queen has already surpassed her great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria as Britain's longest-living monarch. She took the responsibility of the throne when she was just 25 on February 6, 1952, after the sudden death of her father George VI. But her coronation took place on June 2, 1953. Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said as reported by The Daily Mail, “Her Majesty's Platinum Jubilee will be a truly historic moment — and one that deserves a celebration to remember. We can all look forward to a special, four-day Jubilee weekend when we will put on a spectacular, once-in-a-generation show that mixes the best of British ceremonial splendor with cutting edge art and technology. It will bring the entire nation and the Commonwealth together in a fitting tribute to Her Majesty's reign.”