King Charles, known for his affection towards all his grandchildren and step-grandchildren, reportedly had some concerns when he first learned that his eldest son, Prince William, was about to become a father.
According to Valentine Low’s new political book, “Power and the Palace,” these concerns revolved around whether Prince William and Princess Kate’s first child would be a boy or a girl.
Low, a former Royal correspondent, revealed that King Charles, then Prince of Wales, was worried about the monarchy’s future if William’s firstborn was a daughter.
The author further disclosed that Charles’ concerns upset Richard Heaton, the former Permanent Secretary to the Cabinet Office.
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This happened when Charles invited Richard to Clarence House in 2012 to discuss the prince’s charities and their government ties, but ended up questioning him about the Succession to the Crown Bill instead.
Reports suggest that Charles was keen to understand what would happen if William’s first child were a girl, particularly in light of the planned Succession to the Crown Bill.
His primary worry was whether the Royal house name of Windsor could be altered if a granddaughter who ascended to the throne got married.
As per Hello!, reports the Express., the question was raised whether the Royal house would remain as the House of Windsor or could it transition to the House of Smith, if a marriage occurred with someone bearing this last name.
Reports also suggested that Charles harbored worries about the future of the monarchy if William’s firstborn was a girl, who could potentially ascend to the throne as Queen, and she married a Catholic.
This concern stemmed from the fact that the monarch is the Supreme Governor of the Church of England.
However, any such worries were swiftly put to rest when Prince William and Princess Kate celebrated the birth of their first child, a son named Prince George, in 2013.
The Royal couple then welcomed their first and only daughter, Princess Charlotte, in 2015, followed by their second son and youngest child, Prince Louis, in 2018.