on 20-01-2014 03:23 PM
THE royal offices of the Queen and Prince Charles will merge in preparation for Charles becoming king.
The mother and son's separate press offices will merge to form one office providing communications for the royal family, the Mirror reports.
One of Prince Charles's senior courtiers is expected to run the new publicity team from a core office in Buckingham Palace.
Royal watchers believe the move to one office is a sign of the gradual shift towards Charles ascending the throne.
For the past 20 years, the Queen and Prince Charles - the longest-serving heir apparent in British history - have operated separate press offices.
The Queen's communication team worked from an office in Buckingham Palace while Charles's media team had an office in nearby Clarence House, his official London residence.
Although the Queen is still active, both sides agreed that plans should be made for a smooth transition, according to British media reports.
The Queen, who turns 88 in April and her husband Prince Philip, 92, are passing on more royal duties to younger royals, including Prince Charles.
The couple are on a "gradual downward trajectory" in the number of royal engagements they will carry out, Britain's Telegraph reports.
The younger generation - Prince Charles, his sons William and Harry and William's wife Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge, will take on a heavier royal workload.
At 88 she deserves to retire, I think!
on 20-01-2014 07:06 PM
A palace statement said: "We are merging the press offices to better co-ordinate various strands of activity
'Transition not takeover'
BBC royal correspondent Peter Hunt said the move, which he said was a return to how the palace communications team was run in the 90s, was about transition and not a takeover.
Royal officials also described media reports of a mother and son "job-share" as incorrect.
It comes after a suggestion by the Sunday Times that the 88-year-old monarch's state visit to Normandy this summer for the 70th anniversary of the D-Day landings could be her final official foreign trip.
She has made more than 260 overseas visits during her reign.
But our royal correspondent said that, as things stand, this would not be the case.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-25798969
on 20-01-2014 07:12 PM
OMG how the media blow everything out of proportion.
In fact the Queen and Charlie were out for a buggy ride in th coach and the horses got a bit much for Liz to handle so she gave the reins to Chassa
on 20-01-2014 07:16 PM
on 20-01-2014 07:42 PM
on 20-01-2014 07:51 PM
on 20-01-2014 08:15 PM
The Queen can not retire. She took an oath at her coronation that she will reign until death. This is something taken very seriously by the Queen.
What I can not understand is the British change of mind about the royal succession.
King Edward VIII had to abdicate to be able to marry a divorced woman. Princess Margaret was not permittd to marry Mr. Townsend (can't remember his first name) a divorced man.
Now they are expecting an adulterer and divorced man, married to a divorced woman to become King of England?
the day Prince Charles becomes King of England I'll turn my back on English Royalty.
Erica
on 20-01-2014 11:37 PM
By that reasoning the next king should be Prince Edward as the only child of the present Queen who has not been divorced.
We have to move with the times....in the 1930s divorce was frowned upon....today it is acceptable.
on 20-01-2014 11:40 PM
I doubt if Charlie wants to be King. I was always under the impression William would take over when the Queen carked it
on 20-01-2014 11:57 PM
@lyndal1838 wrote:By that reasoning the next king should be Prince Edward as the only child of the present Queen who has not been divorced.
We have to move with the times....in the 1930s divorce was frowned upon....today it is acceptable.
Compulsory even !!!