Prince Andrew might’ve been Prince William’s regent.
If Prince William had become king in his teens, he might’ve had to endure his uncle, Prince Andrew as his regent until he became an adult. We shudder at that idea if it is true.
Martha Ross of Mercury News alleges the third child of Her Majesty had his eye on the top job. Essentially, he craves power he will never have. At the time, he believed he had it upon the death of William’s mother, Diana, Princess of Wales.
The linked article claims that upon the death of the beloved Princess of Wales, Prince Charles’ popularity had taken a massive nosedive. Nigel Cawthorne, Prince Andrew’s biographer, says that at the time, the Duke of York served as Her Majesty’s favourite son and this caused friction with his older brother.
Given his affair with Camilla, Charles became public enemy number one. Nobody wanted him to take the throne, and the people preferred William.
Being only fifteen at the time of his mother’s passing, William wasn’t quite old enough to become king in the event of his grandmother’s death. Going back to Andrew, and if he had gotten his wish, he would not have given the power to his nephew without a fight. All this sounds very Shakespearean to us. Maybe he thought he’d be like Scar from The Lion King.
Andrew’s Attempted Power Trip – Titles For His Daughters
Andrew demanded his daughters, Beatrice and Eugenie, have princess titles. We referenced this in our post on Meghan Markle not being a princess. Charles reportedly wasn’t impressed as he plans to slim down the monarchy.
Problem Spotted And Why It Would’ve Jumped Over Harry
Now, when we read what allegedly happened, something struck us as odd. Regardless if Charles’ popularity had dropped, he would’ve still been king. The Queen would’ve wanted it if had she died early. Why skip over him and place William in the top job when he wasn’t ready?
The line of succession (to our knowledge) would’ve moved up because both Charles’ sons were minors when their mother died. The role of ‘heir’ would’ve gone to Andrew until William came of age.
Andrew missed his shot by a margin. Going back to Harry, if it had happened in the present-day, the Duke of Sussex would’ve taken the role of regent until George was old enough.