If the King’s pledge of full support for all investigations holds, police inquiries could delve into decades of royal communications. Should anything emerge that threatens lasting damage to the institution — or to the untarnished legacy of Queen Elizabeth — the consequences could be profound.
The “Benedict Lever”
In such circumstances, some argue it would be time for Charles to consider an extraordinary step: abdication in favour of Prince William.
Spain offers a recent precedent. King Felipe VI ascended the throne while his father, King Juan Carlos, was still alive. In another sphere, Pope Benedict XVI stepped down after concluding he was not the man to guide the Catholic Church through mounting crises, making way for Pope Francis — a leader seen as better equipped for reform.
Pope Benedict recognised that the Church had failed abuse victims and attempted to address those failures. Ultimately, he determined that new leadership was required. There was no time to lose.
If any missteps by Elizabeth or Charles were to pose an existential threat to the monarchy, some believe a similar calculation would be necessary.
