abdicate

11 Reasons Queen Elizabeth II Will Never Abdicate

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II smiles during a visit to the Science Museum on March 07, 2019, in London, England. There are compelling reasons why Queen Elizabeth II will probably never give up the throne. Simon Dawson/WPA Pool/Getty Images

The Queen may have been reigning since 1952, but that doesn't mean she's retiring very soon. Here are reasons why she will probably never give up the throne.

1. Queen Elizabeth II promised to rule until death

Then 21 year-old Queen Elizabeth II vowed to rule as the Queen of England until her death. “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,” she said. A promise is a promise and she’s kept it for 67 years now.

2. Abdicating due to age is not done in the UK

Some royal families in other countries practice this tradition where monarchs step down after reaching a certain age. However, there is no such tradition in the United Kingdom.

In fact, abdication is more of a breach of tradition in the UK. Abdicating the throne for any reason is very rarely done. And when it does happen, it causes quite a scandal. An example of this is when Prince Edward VIII stepped down from his throne to marry American socialite Wallis Simpson.

3. She's not abdicating partly because of Edward VIII

One reason she's probably not stepping down has something to do with what happened during Edward VIII’s reign, which caused a crisis within the royal family. Due to her uncle's abdication in 1936, the Queen's life changed forever.

Elizabeth's father, George VI, took on the role of king, and then Princess Elizabeth became an heir to the throne at the age of 10. “The Queen saw what happened when her uncle abdicated,” royal producer Nick Bullen tells Yahoo UK. “Many people say becoming the king, for her father, is what ultimately killed him,” he added.

4. She’s great at delegating duties to her family

The Queen appears to know her limits instead of trying to do everything herself. She has already been delegating tasks to her children and grandchildren for years. Abdicating the throne is not needed if she’s able to do her responsibilities in a wise and logical way.

5. She's keen to riding the wave of popularity of the younger royal family members

The Queen is enjoying the popularity that the younger generation of the royal family brings to the monarchy and is determined to keep riding the wave. “I think the Queen sees what those boys and their wives bring, I also wonder whether she even throws forward to the great grandchildren,” Bullen explained. “Princess Charlotte, already at the age of 3, knows how to work a crowd. Maybe now through her grandchildren she can see a way of just staying on the crest of that wave,” he added.

6. The British people aren’t in favor of her abdicating

There’s a greater chance for the Queen to consider abdicating if she’s not wanted by the public. But her approval rating proves that the people are still happy to have her as their ruler. One survey shows that 70 percent of the United Kingdom would like the Queen to remain in power for as long as she lives.

7. There’s an anti-monarchy sentiment from the public

Even if the public is happy with the Queen, it doesn’t mean that they are pro-monarchy. While the people wish to see Elizabeth remain as queen in her lifetime, they would like it if she be the last reigning monarch of the UK.

8. Prince Charles might be appointed as “Prince Regent”

There were rumors about the Queen appointing her son, Prince Charles, as “Prince Regent” when she turns 95. However, in British history, appointing a regent does not equate to abdicating the throne. Besides, the Queen isn’t even legally empowered to appoint a regent.

According to the Regency Act of 1937, appointing a regent only gets to happen under specific circumstances. Even if she does go ahead with it, it doesn’t mean she’ll stop being the queen.

9. The public isn’t fond of the idea of Camilla being the queen

When the Queen dies or abdicates and Charles ascends the throne as king, traditionally Camilla would get the title of “Queen.” However, the public isn’t exactly supportive of a “Queen Camilla.” Back then, Charles assured the people that Camilla will only go by the title of “Princess Consort.” But he’s since deleted that statement from his official website.

11. She just likes being queen

Ruling a monarch is not something for everyone. The fact of the matter is that the Queen was made to do it and is good at it. The Queen most likely would never retire simply because she likes her job as the queen.

10. When Elizabeth dies, she dies as a queen

In the summer of 2018, the government performed a dress rehearsal for the Queen’s death day, code named London Bridge. It sounds morbid, but it is to ensure that when that time comes, the event will be done with grace. During the rehearsal, it was clear that the plan is for the Queen to be the reigning monarch until she passes away.

02

Oxford-educated prince to take baton from popular emperor

TOKYO -- Emperor Akihito's announcement in 2016 that he would abdicate the throne was greeted with alarm by Japan's conservatives. Imperial law only envisages succession after the death of a monarch, so traditionalists worried that allowing an emperor to quit would undermine the imperial system.

Akihito, brought up in the shadow of World War II, believed his job as emperor was to serve as a national symbol -- and to embody the pacifist principles of the Constitution of Japan, which Abe and other conservatives are keen to alter. The emperor said health problems made it difficult for him to continue performing his duties, which had long included making as many trips as possible to console the spirits of war victims.

Yet whatever the politics, the 85-year-old Akihito has remained popular with the Japanese people, who seem to have taken in stride his decision to become the first emperor to abdicate since 1817.

"For the Japanese people themselves, this will be a tough goodbye to a highly popular emperor. But at least he will be handing over duties to his son, who is likely to be very enthusiastically received," said Nancy Snow, professor of public diplomacy at Kyoto University of Foreign Studies.

Crown Prince Naruhito, 59, who will become Japan's 126th Emperor on May 1, is expected to carry on the tradition of the world's longest continuous monarchy -- all while standing as head of state for a modern, democratic Japan.

Like his father, Naruhito received a Western education, studying at Merton College, Oxford, between the ages of 23 and 25. In 1986, he met his wife Masako, a diplomat educated at Oxford and Harvard universities, and they married in 1993.

A nearly yearlong process of imperial succession kicked off in March, beginning with ancient rites at a Shinto shrine, and will culminate in Tokyo with a triumphant coronation parade and receptions for foreign dignitaries.

On Mar. 12, the hokoku no gi ceremony was held within the Imperial Palace grounds, with Emperor Akihito reporting to the Imperial Family's ancestors and deities his plan to abdicate.

Next, Akihito is expected to travel to western Japan to report his abdication at the Mausoleum of Emperor Jinmu, the first emperor, and again at Ise Shrine that honors Amaterasu-Omikami -- in Shinto legend, the sun goddess and the imperial ancestress.

Akihito's final duty will be the handover ceremony, taiirei seiden no gi, on Apr. 30. He will return the three sacred treasures of the Imperial Regalia -- the sword, the mirror and the jewel -- formalizing his abdication. The new reign begins the next day, when Naruhito will inherit the Imperial Regalia.

For the Japanese public, the celebration is heightened by a lengthy Golden Week holiday: The days for the abdication and the accession have been made national holidays, resulting in a rare 10-day vacation period. Tourism and restaurant operators are expected to enjoy a surge in custom -- but there is also unease over swings in business activity, as holidaymakers front-load purchases before the nationwide hiatus.

The enthronement events will continue into autumn, when the official proclamation will be marked with an open car parade streaming through central Tokyo. The final event -- daijokyu no gi, the "Great Thanksgiving Festival" -- falls on Nov. 14-15.

Even as a new emperor marks a break, old debates will trail into Japan's next era. The issue of male-only succession reared its head during Akihito's tenure, and is expected to continue under Naruhito; the number of royals has shrunk, in large part since female members of the imperial family lose royal status when marrying a commoner.

03

Nearly Half Of Great Britain Wants Prince Charles To Abdicate The Throne When The Queen Dies