Prince Charles' Popularity Rating In The UK May Surprise You

Prince Charles is first in line to the throne and is expected to become king immediately following the death of his mother. However, some experts believe that there's a chance that Charles, 72 as of publication, may decide to pass on becoming the monarch and allow his firstborn son, Prince William, to take over the role as head of the royal family, per Marie Claire.

Experts at the University College London's Constitution Unit divulged their thoughts on the possibility of Charles passing on the title to William when the time comes for him to ascend to the throne. "Having waited over 60 years as heir apparent, it would be perfectly natural for Prince Charles to want to assume the throne and perform the royal duties for which he has spent so long preparing in waiting," the UCL experts mused. "But it would be equally natural if, after reigning for a few years as an increasingly elderly monarch, he chose to invite Parliament to hand on the throne to Prince William."

In addition to his advanced age, Charles may have another reason to abdicate the throne and allow William to ascend, and that is his popularity. Although Charles isn't the least popular member of the royal family, William is said to be more well-liked than his father.

Newsweek reported that Prince Charles has managed to maintain his approval rating in the United Kingdom, despite a recent scandal that involved his charity. Of course, Charles is no stranger to scandal, as his marriage to Princess Diana and affair with current wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, previously plagued him. Despite it all, Charles, as of publication, holds a 54% overall approval rating, per YouGov. That rating places him as the sixth most popular member of the royal family behind Queen Elizabeth (who has a 72% approval rating), his late father Prince Philip (who is sitting at a 62% approval rating), his son Prince William (who comes in at 62%), Kate Middleton (who has a 60% approval rating), and his sister Princess Anne (who is sitting at a 54% approval rating).

As of publication, Charles holds a 33% approval rating among Millennials, a 45% approval rating with members of Generation X, and is most popular among Baby Boomers with a rating of 54%. Meanwhile, Charles' wife, Camilla, holds the 10th spot in the list of overall popularity among the royals with 33%, which includes 25% among Millennials, 32% with Generation X, and 46% among Baby Boomers.

While Charles' popularity may be higher than some fans may have thought, his approval rating is still significantly lower than that of Elizabeth and William. Time will tell if that impacts his future on the throne.