The royal family responds to rumours of Queen’s retirement
A Clarence House spokesman has issued a statement amid rumours that Queen Elizabeth II will step back from her role at the age of 95.
The 93-year-old monarch will continue her reign until the end of her life, the press office for Prince Charles confirmed. “There are no plans for any change in arrangements at the age of 95 – or any other age,” the spokesman told People.
The statement came after reports emerged that the Queen considered pulling back from public life in 2021 following her 95th birthday in favour of Prince Charles. The Duke of Cornwall was said to be in the process of taking over the reins after allegedly taking leadership in the fallout from the scandal involving his brother Prince Andrew.
The claim first came up in Robert Jobson’s 2018 biography of Prince Charles, Charles at Seventy: Our Future King. Jobson wrote that the Queen is likely to “trigger a period of regency”, in which she will grant her eldest son the “full power to reign”.
The Queen’s husband Prince Philip retired as a working royal in 2017 when he was 96 years old.
A palace source told People that the Queen will continue to have a full schedule. “The Queen is as busy as ever in terms of audiences, investitures and meetings. It is business as usual,” the source said.