Former Prince of Wales once questioned rules as William prepared for the throne
A new book has revealed that Charles, long before becoming King, once raised awkward questions about royal succession that left him at odds with the government.
In Power and the Palace, author Valentine Low recounts a 2013 episode when Charles was excluded from talks on the Succession to the Crown Act, which modernised the monarchy by ending male preference in the line of succession. With William and Catherine expecting their first child at the time, Charles had succession firmly on his mind.
In December 2012, he invited senior civil servant Richard Heaton to tea. According to Low, Charles pressed him with questions: “What would happen if my first grandchild were a girl, and she married a Mr Smith? Would the royal house be Smith or Windsor?” He also asked about scenarios involving Catholic spouses and hereditary peerages.
Officials later admitted Charles had been deliberately kept out of the loop, with discussions channelled through Buckingham Palace instead. Not long after, a Daily Mail article suggested that both Charles and William had not been consulted on the new law—an apparent leak that sparked frustration within government circles.
Low writes that ministers believed Charles had misrepresented his meeting, leaked details of a private discussion, and criticised government policy—earning him what one official called a spot “in the doghouse.”
Despite the tension, Charles appeared to smooth things over by inviting Heaton on the royal train to visit one of his charitable projects. “It wasn’t an apology,” Low noted, “but it was the next best thing.”
The Succession to the Crown Act of 2013 has since proved significant. It ensured that royals born after October 28, 2011, would take their place in line strictly by birth order, regardless of gender. The change was made clear in 2018, when Princess Charlotte kept her position ahead of her younger brother, Prince Louis.
