His head is heavy after waiting nearly 73 years to wear the crown. This week, Prince Charles gave a speech at the Prince's Trust Awards trophy presentation ceremony at St. James's Palace, and according to People, he cracked jokes and spoke fast: "When speaking about the work that the Prince's Trust charity has done for disadvantaged youth since its creation in 1976, he said, "I am very proud of the work that the Prince's Trust has done for the children of the world. When he spoke of the work that the Prince's Trust charity has accomplished for disadvantaged youth since its founding in 1976, he said, " And before I die, I want to make sure we can go even further!" . At the end of his speech, he encouraged all in attendance to go for a "strong drink" after his speech.

But one joke in particular seemed to reflect the core of an awkward truth. In recounting his experience at TK Maxx (did you know that's what they call TJ Maxx in the UK?), Prince Charles said, "I remember there were an awful lot of people trying to get in while they were waiting for me to come out!" I said.

And then, "The story of my life..."

he added. The line, laced with self-deprecating humor, has sparked new speculation about Prince Charles' future as King of England, especially in light of William and Kate's surge in popularity. The queen will probably continue in her duties for the rest of her life, but at 95 years of age, the difficult question of succession has arisen. And to be clear, Prince Charles is the next in line and has already begun to carve out a more modern approach to the future of the royal family: fewer members, less lavish spending, and a greater emphasis on charity. He may even opt to turn Buckingham Palace into a museum as part of this vision.

However, according to a poll of 3,000 Britons published by the "Express," Prince William is far more popular than his father, with Prince William 10 points more popular than Prince Charles. Apparently the only member of the family more popular is the queen.

Of course, it is not for the British people to decide which royal family will be the next ruler, nor for the queen to decide. According to People, the 1701 Act of Parliamentary Settlement gives the next heir to the throne, which would give William a step up in the line of succession. Only Parliament could change this, and it would not sway Parliament in favor of symbolic status over power. Needless to say, Charles has trained for this position all his life and would probably be willing to take it on.

Of course, he would not necessarily be under pressure to hold the position for the rest of his life, as his mother does. According to a post by the Constitution Unit at University College London, which conducts research on the British political system,

and also according to an interview Prince Harry gave in 2017 (opens in new tab), no one really wants to be the next king He doesn't seem to want to be the next king. He then asked, "Does anyone in the Royal Family want to be King or Queen?" I said.

We don't know what the royal family's real plans are regarding the next generation of monarchs, but the joke Prince Charles made this week indicates that he is at least aware of the pressure to make such intentions public.