After a health scare last week, the King is being urged to ease back on his workload and think about handing over some of his duties to his sister-in-law Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh.
There were concerns for His Majesty’s wellbeing after he had to return to hospital for observation several hours after undergoing his regular cancer treatment, apparently due to suffering from temporary side effects.
Buckingham Palace said the issues were “a minor bump in the road” and he’d return to “business as usual” after a pre-scheduled break.
But royal experts say the workaholic sovereign needs to slow down and maybe consider redistributing some of his engagements.
“Charles has always worked hard and is renowned for burning the midnight oil, and even falling asleep at his desk working so many hours,” says royal writer Phil Dampier. “But those days must be a thing of the past, and it’s vital he looks after his health and cuts down his workload.”
Sophie would be only too happy to take on more, he says. “She has done superbly on recent jobs here and abroad, and has become a star performer. She should be allowed to do more.”
Ingrid Seward, editor-in-chief of Majesty magazine, agrees that Sophie, 60, would be an ideal stand-in. “Everyone loves her and she could step up.”
Ingrid says the problem with Charles, 76, easing back is that he cares too much about his job and wants to “work until he drops”.
“Having cancer treatment for more than a year is quite a slog for anyone, let alone having the responsibility of being king. He has all these engagements but when he gets home, he has to deal with all the government boxes and correspondence. He works late into the night.”
In the 10 days before he needed medical attention, Charles had 18 engagements, including nine on a three-day trip to Northern Ireland.
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