- The Washington Times - Monday, January 20, 2014

In what’s being billed as a “gentle succession” and a historical shift, Queen Elizabeth II has agreed to cede some of her powers to Prince Charles.

The prince will take on head-of-state duties normally reserved for the queen, the Mirror News reported. The power shift is only “wise” and “plain common sense” for a queen with 62 years on the throne who’s approaching age 88, courtiers said, in the news outlet.

The transfer isn’t yet complete; basically, the two will engage in a “job share,” courtiers said. But the first step in the succession direction will happen this week when the separate press offices for the queen and prince combine, the Mirror News said.

“This is about passing the baton to the next generation,” one source told the Mirror News. “The Prince of Wale’s diary is chock-full. Even he realizes with the best will in the world he can’t go on like that. This is not going to be a sudden shift. It is a gradual process which will be borne out over the next few years. It’s a gentle succession.”

The aide told the Mirror News that the queen will still work daily, but that “Charles will be doing less of his campaigning and the things he likes to do and more of the head of state role.”

The aide also insisted that the queen is “still in excellent health,” but that it was inevitable: “She will become “a little more frail because of her age. Charles and Camilla will be doing much more of the public work on her behalf.”

• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.

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