King Charles was reportedly worried when Prince William and Kate Middleton were expecting their first child. According to a source, the 76-year-old allegedly panicked, thinking that the “monarchy could lose its identity.” As per RadarOnline’s report, he wondered whether the royal house name of Windsor would continue if his elder son’s firstborn was a girl.
For those unversed, William and his wife welcomed their first child, Prince George, on July 22, 2013. Later, in 2015, they became parents of a daughter named Princess Charlotte, followed by their second son, Prince Louis, in 2018.
King Charles thought the monarchy was getting a ‘female heir,’ says source
King Charles and Prince William’s firstborns were sons, respectively. But when the monarch learned that Kate Middleton was expecting, he was reportedly anxious. RadarOnline mentioned royal author Valentine Row’s new book, “Power and the Palace,” in which the author talked about the king’s worries. In it, Row claimed that the father of two used to ask his aides hypothetical questions about the monarchy getting a “female heir.”
Meanwhile, a source told the outlet that the king was concerned about the crown’s “long-term survival.” Allegedly, he was anxious about the transformation in the “traditional royal structures” if Middleton gave birth to a girl.
According to an insider, he was not being “sexist,” but was thinking of “symbolism” and “lineage.”
Furthermore, King Charles reportedly discussed several hypothetical scenarios with Richard Heaton, then Permanent Secretary to the Cabinet Office, during his visit to Clarence House in 2012. According to Row’s book, Prince William’s father apparently asked the guest if the House of Windsor name would change if a girl were born. He seemingly wanted to know what name the royal family would get if his hypothetical granddaughter got married.
“He was genuinely worried about how a name change might look,” a palace insider said. They stated that the “Windsors” play a pivotal role in the “monarchy’s identity,” calling it the “brand.” Reportedly, the king was afraid of the crown’s reputation. “Charles feared that if the name shifted, it might weaken the royal image or confuse its continuity,” they added.
Originally reported by Suushmmita Sen on Reality Tea
