The Queen is getting on in years and so
is her heir apparent, Prince Charles.

Isn't it time she retired and handed the
throne over to him?

What do other OLO posters think?

The Queen will probably live to be 100 so she's got a few years left yet. I don't think Charles will ever become King while she is still alive, but he may find himself accepting the responsibilities of King during that time (He may be titled the Crown Prince). As far as the Queen is concerned, she undertook the role of Queen for life and intends to keep that commitment.

Dear Steel Mann,

The Queen did take on her role for "life."
But what does "life" mean?
Does it mean "working life" as it does for you
and me, or does it mean until one dies?

It seems to me that she could take a page
ou of her own mother's example,
and retire to some castle somewhere.
Making the necessary appearances, as required.

Afterall she's earned a rest, everyone would agree
on that.

Charles would probably be grateful to ascend
the throne while he can still walk.

The other question that I forgot to
mention of course is that of Queen Camilla.

Isn't it time that the "bygones" of the
past be forgotten? Afterall even Prince
William and Prince Harry now fully accept Camilla,
because she makes "Charles," happy, and doesn't
allow him to take himself too seriously.

I think that the British would eventually
accept her as Queen.

Time heals all wounds, so they say...

Foxy,

I think you have misunderstood. Elizabeth's mother was never the Queen in her own right. She was Queen-consort i.e. the spouse of the reigning monarch. Her title after his death was Queen-Mother i.e. mother of the reigning queen. Just as Phillip is not "King Phillip" and does not get to become King if Elizabeth pops her clogs before him. Thus also, there is absolutely no possibility of a "Queen" Camilla.

And no, monarchy does not have a use-by date. Unlike other jobs, there is no retirement age: it's life tenure. Ageing monarchs have been a cause for worry for the past couple of thousand years - but the fact remains that they don't get handed a gold watch and a piece of cake when they get to a certain age.

Queen Victoria also remained on the throne for, what seemed to her ageing son, far too long after he had achieved his majority. However, no matter what their own thoughts upon the subject, all members of royal families are brought up in the knowledge that dying in harness, as it were, is part of the job description.

Dear Romany,

Thanks for your comments.

You're right of course.
The Queen will not retire.

I knew that the Queen mother
was not a queen in her own right.

It was just wishful thinking
on my part. I only meant to use
her, as an example for her daughter, but your
point is well taken, the Queen's position is
entirely different.

About 'Queen Camilla' I'm not so certain.

If Charles is crowned king, I can't imagine
Camilla not being crowned queen. She would not
be a queen in her own right, (same as the previous
Queen mum), but I think that Charles would insist
on his wife being granted that privilege.