The End of the British Monarchy?

Author Clive Irving has told Sky News why he thinks Prince Charles and his “autocratic tendency” could topple the monarchy after the reign of Queen Elizabeth II comes to an end. In his new book The Last Queen, Mr Irving details the struggle facing the Royal Family after the death of the current monarch.

He praised Queen Elizabeth and how she has become one of the world’s most “revered figures” partly due to her becoming “ageless and timeless”.

“Prince Charles looks like a throwback to the 18th century Hanoverian princes,” Mr Irving said. “His comfort zone is a refashioned 18th century world which doesn’t contain any of the things he doesn’t like which includes anything basically modern”. The author, who has previously written books on other key members of the Royal Family, said Prince Charles has hints of a “tyrant king” and will build a royal court much like a “echo chamber to reinforce his own views”. “That’s also an autocratic tendency which I think is completely out of tune with the times,” he said.

“The prospect of Charles the Third is pretty frightening, he’s not a figure of the moment”.

Mr Irving said given Charles’ perception as antiquated, the Royal Family would “have to justify far more rigorously” to stay afloat than ever before once Queen Elizabeth dies.