Buckingham Palace aides planned 'regency' over fears Queen Elizabeth II would 'collapse'

Buckingham Palace aides reportedly put “serious and detailed thought” into making the then-Prince Charles regent for Queen Elizabeth II in case of a health emergency.

In a new biography of King Charles’s ascension to the throne, it has been revealed that palace aides grew concerned that the Queen could suffer from a “sudden public collapse during an engagement”.

The book, Charles III: New King, New Court, The Inside Story by Robert Hardman, noted that with the Queen Mother living past 100, it was speculated that Queen Elizabeth would do so too. This meant that “regency seemed almost inevitable”.

The book, segments of which have been published by the Mail on Sunday, reads: “Serious and detailed thought had been given to the prospect of a regency, whereby Prince Charles might stand in for her if she was incapacitated.”

It added: “The working assumption was that there might be a long, slow decline in the Queen’s health or a sudden public collapse during an engagement.”

While the Queen took on fewer engagements as her health declined, Her Majesty never stopped working “even on her deathbed”, according to Hardman’s book.

This echoes the promise she made many years ago on her 21st birthday, announcing to the world that she would serve the Commonwealth until the day she dies.

She said during a broadcast in 1947: “I declare before you all that my whole life whether it be long or short shall be devoted to your service and the service of our great imperial family to which we all belong.”

It has been speculated that the shock caused by her uncle Edward VIII’s abdication discouraged the Queen from considering stepping down and allowing Charles to take the reins.

The Queen tragically died on September 8, 2022 at age 96, sending the UK into mourning.