Prince Charles' secret weapon as King that may outshine Prince William's popularity

Prince Charles may be more qualified to become King than Prince William, despite scoring significantly lower than his eldest son in popularity polls, a royal expert has suggested.

• Prince Charles could have an advantage over Prince William when it comes to being a strong King, a royal expert has revealed. 
• The Prince of Wales is the first in line to the throne and will become the 62nd monarch of Britain when the Queen dies. 
• In other royal news, the Queen’s corgis: How many of these adorable dogs does the monarch have in 2022 and what are their names?
  

Prince Charles may have the upper hand over Prince William when it comes to being King despite being less popular than his son, a royal insider has revealed. 

As the eldest of the Queen's children, the Prince of Wales is first in line to inherit the throne and will automatically become the 62nd monarch of Britain. His wife, Duchess Camilla, will also enjoy a promotion, ascending to the status of Queen Consort after years of speculation about her future role in the Royal Family. 

Prince Charles' promised succession, however, hasn't exactly received unanimous approval from the British public. 

Popularity polls have repeatedly shown the 73-year-old to be a somewhat divisive figure, with his overall favorability rating standing at 60% as of December 2021. This C+ grade drops even further if you ask the younger generation, with just 43% of 18 – 24-year-olds holding a positive view of the royal heir. 

Prince William, on the other hand, has proven to be far more likable in the eyes of the British public, hovering at an 80% popularity rating in the latest polls. A recent survey also found that 42% of Brits believe that the Duke of Cambridge should immediately become King when the Queen dies, bypassing his father, who has been waiting to ascend the throne for seven decades, in the line of succession. 

Charles' public image has suffered serious damages throughout his life as a working royal, with his failed marriage to the late Princess Diana and his ongoing affair with Ms. Camilla Parker Bowles nearly toppling his reputation in the 1990s. His popularity has steadily increased in the years following the scandal, but it remains unlikely he'll ever manage to reach the A-list status of his eldest son. 

Prince William's higher popularity doesn't necessarily mean he's the superior candidate for Kingship, however. While the 39-year-old undeniably fares better than his father with the general public, he may be outshined by Charles when it comes to the practical duties of leadership. Unlike William, who has only been prepping to be King for a little over three decades, Prince Charles has reportedly been in training for the lofty responsibility since the 1950s. 

"We’ve had Prince Charles from the age of four preparing for the job that it seems that very soon he’s going to be doing. That tour [of Canada] will show the Queen, and shows us, that he’s up for it," royal biographer and journalist Duncan Larcombe told The Royal Beat this year. 

It's understood that Prince Charles has already been considering options for housing when he does become King. The royal heir currently resides at Clarence House with Duchess Camilla, but is reportedly determined to move into an apartment at Buckingham Palace once he ascends the throne.

"Despite what everybody thinks about him not wanting to live there, he will certainly have accommodation there," a royal source told the Mail on Sunday in October 2021. "But it will be a much more modest flat-above-the-shop situation akin to that of the Prime Minister at Downing Street."