London: Longest-waiting heir to the British throne Prince Charles for the first time has expressed his feeling of "running out of time", showing signs that he is more eager than ever to be king. In a series of remarkably candid comments, 64-year-old Prince Charles hinted that he feared his legacy as king would be cut short as he has already waited for 60 years of his life to succeed Queen Elizabeth II.
During a visit to Dumfries House, the stately home in East Ayrshire which the Prince helped save for the nation, he joked about his reputation for pursuing projects with notorious vigour but made a poignant reference to his mortality, the Daily Telegraph reported.
He said: "Impatient? Me? What a thing to suggest! Yes of course I am". "I'll run out of time soon. I shall have snuffed it if I'm not careful," he added. The comments, which were recorded for a film on the Clarence House website about the Prince's involvement with Dumfries House, will fuel ongoing speculation that Prince Charles is more eager than ever to take the throne.
In 2008, he became the longest-waiting heir to the throne in British history, overtaking his great-great grandfather, Edward VII. While royal aides insist that he is fulfilled by his current role as heir apparent, supporting the Queen and being actively involved with the Prince's Trust and his numerous other charities, many royal commentators have suggested that he feels frustrated his reign has not yet begun.
With a history of longevity in his family, the Queen is 86 and in good health while Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother lived to the age of 101, Prince Charles may yet have a while to wait until he succeeds his mother. The Prince has previously hinted at his impatience with the long wait for succession. In 1992, on the eve of the Queen's 40th anniversary on the throne, he attended the funeral of his father-in-law, the 8th Earl Spencer, where he is believed to have remarked to Charles Spencer, his then brother-in-law: "You are fortunate enough to have succeeded to the title when still young."
In an Ipsos Mori poll conducted earlier this month, the Prince William was named as the most popular member of the Royal family with an approval rating of 62 per cent, the highest since Ipsos Mori began is royal poll in 1984. Prince Charles's approval rating was 21 per cent, behind the Queen, Prince Harry and the Duchess of Cambridge.
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