Is a slow-motion transition underway?
"On Friday, the Queen was able to attend the Royal Windsor Horse Show -- one of her favorite events -- and was pictured smiling as she arrived. Nonetheless, while nobody doubts Elizabeth's commitment to duty and service, the reality is that she can only firmly commit to working from home at the moment. That inevitably elevates Prince Charles' role and profile, alongside that of Prince William. Both will now have to prioritize the Queen's diary over theirs."
"There is no suggestion that the Queen will abdicate and hand the crown permanently to Charles, nor of him becoming Regent, which means making him monarch without the title. But both princes have been activated as Counsellors of State, where the Queen delegates her sovereign power for specific purposes. They now need to be even more available for those duties."
"Charles has already juggled a busy week of engagements alongside the opening of Parliament. He's hosted a Buckingham Palace garden party and popped up at Oxford University, London's Canada House and a sneaker store in south London in the three days since visiting Westminster -- indicating his burgeoning workload. But he is the longest serving heir to the throne in British history, and there is no doubt he has the experience to take up a full royal agenda."
"The more we see him doing so, the more familiar we will be with him in that role. It's the mechanism for readying us for the next monarch, and reduces the culture shock that some will feel when it happens. Charles may not be as well-loved by the public as his mother right now, but we won't truly know how accepted he will be as a monarch until he becomes King."
