The Queen: Would She Consider Abdication or Retirement?

[Dman]

I just hope people wouldn't turn on her and give her flack, IF, she considers stepping aside and making Charles Regent. She has admitted that she's getting slower and older and can't do everything and be everywhere.

I can see the headlines now if she ever decide to step aside due to health reasons. The world news would be in total chaos. Everyone would just have to accept the reality that Her Majesty is getting older and at some point she won't be able to do what she's currently doing. That's just life. She's mortal like everybody else.

Even The Queen Mother knew when to take it easy. She stopped traveling abroad and her official schedule changed up a bit.

 

[NGalitzine]

Even The Queen Mother knew when to take it easy. She stopped traveling abroad and her official schedule changed up a bit.

The QM stopped traveling abroad because her daughter made the decision. The QMs Canadian Secretary said he was told by HM to put out the word that people were to stop inviting her mother. The QM was 90 at the time.

 

[Dman]

Well, it was good that The Queen put her foot down and made her mother stop traveling abroad. The Queen is approaching her 90's and at some point, someone will have to put their foot down on how much official duties The Queen & Duke of Edinburgh do. I'm guessing that will be down to the family, doctors and advisers.

 

[cepe]

I think HM may have done it already - she could have travelled last year, but didn't. I know the DoE went to Canada for 1 day rcently but he could have lots of rest inbetween. The days of 10-20 day tours surely must be over.

 

[Iluvbertie]

If she is going to come down under again then 10 - 20 day tours are the go but...1-2 days of engagements and then a day or two of rest.

 

[Ish]

I don't understand the DoE's 1 day engagement in Canada (which is set for April). To me it seems like a long way to come for just one engagement.

I agree with the general consent that HM (and the DoE) are at a point where they need to limit their overseas tours. I can't see her abdicating in the future, and I hope for her sake a regency doesn't become necessary - being of unsound mind or body is not something I would wish on anyone.

 

[Roslyn]

Well, it was good that The Queen put her foot down and made her mother stop traveling abroad. The Queen is approaching her 90's and at some point, someone will have to put their foot down on how much official duties The Queen & Duke of Edinburgh do. I'm guessing that will be down to the family, doctors and advisers.

And who is going to be the one to put their foot down and tell the Queen Regnant what to do? If the time comes when someone has to tell her what to do, IMO she should no longer be the monarch. Frankly I think that if that point comes she should abdicate. That point could come when she is of perfectly sound mind and could therefore make that decision. I think it would be better for her to do that and allow Charles to step into the role for which he has been trained and waiting since birth than for him to just be her regent for many years. I think that would be grossly unfair to him. The circumstances would be very different from her uncle's abdication.

I think her Majesty created a burden for herself when she made that vow so many years ago, when she was young and fit, to give her whole life to the people. She can give her whole life without being Queen.

 

[vkrish]

I don't understand the DoE's 1 day engagement in Canada (which is set for April). To me it seems like a long way to come for just one engagement.

Hmmm..Maybe with Queen sick and all, he must have arranged a secret rendezvous there

 

[Lumutqueen]

Hmmm..Maybe with Queen sick and all, he must have arranged a secret rendezvous there

But The Queen isn't ill anymore and the engagement is in April.

 

[Iluvbertie]

We really don't know if she is still 'ill' in some way or not - and his engagement was announced when she was ill. There may be more going on with both of them healthwise than we are being told (hopefully not but...)

 

[Lumutqueen]

We really don't know if she is still 'ill' in some way or not - and his engagement was announced when she was ill. There may be more going on with both of them healthwise than we are being told (hopefully not but...)

The engagement was announced the day before she cancelled her visit to Swansea. However the engagement has probably been planned for months.

 

[wbenson]

I don't understand the DoE's 1 day engagement in Canada (which is set for April). To me it seems like a long way to come for just one engagement.

While he was younger then (although in his 80s), he did the same thing in 2004 for a Duke of Edinburgh's Awards dinner.

 

[Iluvbertie]

The engagement was announced the day before she cancelled her visit to Swansea. However the engagement has probably been planned for months.

Yes it was announced the day before the cancelled engagement but we don't know how ill she was at that time. Most engagements are planned months ahead but then again sometimes they are done with much shorter notice so it is possible that the announcement was done to suggest that there wasn't anything really wrong with The Queen.

 

[royal-blue]

It is highly unlikely the Queen will ever abdicate, but I can see her fully retiring if Phillip was was to die. She might spend half the year at Balmoral and half the year at Sandringham from then on.

 

[Iluvbertie]

I don't think she would do that as she simply can't retire. She either has to abdicate and thus give up all official roles or she has to continue being in London for all the official stuff.

 

[royal-blue]

I don't think she would do that as she simply can't retire. She either has to abdicate and thus give up all official roles or she has to continue being in London for all the official stuff.

But if she retired at, say, 90 years old, and carried on with the official stuff without making many apperarances, could Parliament force her to abdicate/a Regency?

 

[Spheno]

But if she retired at, say, 90 years old, and carried on with the official stuff without making many apperarances, could Parliament force her to abdicate/a Regency?

Regency Acts - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[Iluvbertie]

But if she retired at, say, 90 years old, and carried on with the official stuff without making many apperarances, could Parliament force her to abdicate/a Regency?

They didn't force Victoria to abdicate, or create a regency, and she only did the official stuff for 40 years.

So long as the official stuff is being done there is no need for all the fancy hoopla anyway for the office of monarch to continue.

 

[royal-blue]

They didn't force Victoria to abdicate, or create a regency, and she only did the official stuff for 40 years.

So long as the official stuff is being done there is no need for all the fancy hoopla anyway for the office of monarch to continue.

Agreed - I honestly can't see Parliament or even Charles forcing the Queen to abdicate after 60+ years on the throne.

 

[democratnmonocole]

abdication

To mark the Queen's 80th birthday in 2006, Margaret Rhodes, her cousin and one of her few good friends, was interviewed. She made it quite clear that the Queen will NEVER abdicate. She would view it as her mother did of her uncle, as a betrayal of everything the monarchy means for Britain. And the Queen would never do anything to let down her parents (even when they have been deceased for ages). The Queen considers her reign a continuation of her father's. However I absolutely think the Duke of Edinburgh needs to go into full retirement. He looks ill and tired in the photos of today's Maundy service.

 

[padams2359]

That article was ridiculous.

 

[Ish]

If HM goes naked and sings "Yes We Have No Bananas" at Ascot (or anywhere else in public for that matter) I would support a regency... But I'd still be iffy on the abdication.

 

[Roslyn]

 

[Dman]

What Queen Elizabeth can learn from Queen Beatrix:
What Queen Elizabeth can learn from Queen Beatrix | Simon Jenkins | Comment is free | The Guardian

 

[Rebafan81]

Haha, if she sings, I hope someone has their cellphone for video.
The only thing I like about advocating is yesterday was a celebration, a passing of the torch, instead of a state funeral where the new king would have to take on duties while saying goodbye to a parent. This made it a special memory and celebration. Which is so much better. Now Princess Beatrice can travel, enjoy her grandchildren and still be healthy enough to help her son adjust or just be his support system. I am sorry but the Dutch do it the right way in my opinion.

 

[Ish]

Haha, if she sings, I hope someone has their cellphone for video.
The only thing I like about advocating is yesterday was a celebration, a passing of the torch, instead of a state funeral where the new king would have to take on duties while saying goodbye to a parent. This made it a special memory and celebration. Which is so much better. Now Princess Beatrice can travel, enjoy her grandchildren and still be healthy enough to help her son adjust or just be his support system. I am sorry but the Dutch do it the right way in my opinion.

The thing with the Dutch ceremony is that to the best of my knowledge at no point in the inauguration does the new monarch vow to fulfill their role for life. In the British coronation they do make such a vow, and they do so before God. A religious person, like HM, is not going to take that vow lightly and say "it's been long enough, time to turn it in." (Not that that's what the Dutch do, but they do chose to retire).

If the British system is to be changed in favour of abdications then so be it, but I would rather see it happen through a change in the coronation oath that Charles and future monarchs make than by saying that HM is too old to continue reigning. Any demands for HM to abdicate on the grounds that other monarchs have done it are, in my opinion, disrespectful to HM, her vow, and her beliefs.

 

[CanRoyal]

Just catching up on this thread now and saw the posts about the 1 day visit of the DoE recently to Canada.

Almost always (there are exceptions) Canadian Armed Forces planes provide air travel to/from London for official visits of the Queen of Canada and the BRF. While photos of the insides of the planes are not available for security reasons, I remember that they were once described by a tv reporter as "not luxurious, but comfortable".

I checked, and indeed, the DoE arrived (and as far as I know departed) via Canada Armed Forces plane. This means that he essentially had a private plane - there were no other passengers (other than his party).

 

[Hilda Thomas]

Queen Elizabeth was Annointed By The Archbishop.

Queen Elizabeth was also annointed by the Archbishop of the Church of England so she did not only take an oath.

 

[vkrish]

What Queen Elizabeth can learn from Queen Beatrix:
What Queen Elizabeth can learn from Queen Beatrix | Simon Jenkins | Comment is free | The Guardian

This article is totally irrelevant to the title and context of abdication.
It just goes on glorifying the British-Dutch association, just stopping short of calling Britain a Dutch colony (apparently William of Orange "conquered" Britain from Stuarts)..
There is absolutely no discussion about the differences in both monarchies and public perceptions of them in modern society..
Just the newspaper found they might not get anymore right time to sell it, so they've put it in this context..

 

[Rebafan81]

The thing with the Dutch ceremony is that to the best of my knowledge at no point in the inauguration does the new monarch vow to fulfill their role for life. In the British coronation they do make such a vow, and they do so before God. A religious person, like HM, is not going to take that vow lightly and say "it's been long enough, time to turn it in." (Not that that's what the Dutch do, but they do chose to retire).

If the British system is to be changed in favour of abdications then so be it, but I would rather see it happen through a change in the coronation oath that Charles and future monarchs make than by saying that HM is too old to continue reigning. Any demands for HM to abdicate on the grounds that other monarchs have done it are, in my opinion, disrespectful to HM, her vow, and her beliefs.

Wasn't trying to be disrespectful to HM because there is no one who deserves more respect than the Queen. I wasn't even suggesting it, only saying it would be a nice idea. She has been a "royal" jewel in every sense of the word. I only wish it for her because it would give her a chance to enjoy some private time with the Duke and her great-grandchildren as a woman who just turned 87. She has given so much to the crown, she started so young, so I would just like to see her relax and enjoy her golden years. I just enjoyed the idea of the Dutch abdication because it was a complete celebration, but knew it will never happen in Great Britain