Can Prince George become King as a child and what would happen if he did?

Can Prince George be King as a child? It’s a question you might be asking yourself as you look ahead to what the future holds for those high up in the line of succession.

Prince George might only be ten years old but he’s already second in the royal line of succession and has a huge future ahead of him. He’s set to succeed his grandfather King Charles and father Prince William as King one day and it’s understood that the young Prince already has some idea of his destiny. There’s always fascination about the traditions, protocols and possibilities surrounding the future of the monarchy.

Some fans might have found themselves wondering if Queen Camilla can succeed King Charles and if Pippa Middleton could get a title when her brother-in-law is King. Others might also be curious about whether Prince George could actually be King whilst he’s still a child and we have all the details about if this is even possible.

Can Prince George be King as a child? 

Technically, yes, Prince George can be King as a child because he’s still second in line to the throne. If anything happened to King Charles and Prince William, he would then become monarch as per the line of succession. However, he wouldn’t ascend the throne with the autonomy he would have if he were 18 years old or over and would instead have a Regent appointed.

There hasn’t been a child monarch in the history of Great Britain since the Kingdoms of England and Scotland were unified in 1707. Before that the last time the monarch was a child in England was Henry VIII’s great-niece Lady Jane Grey who ruled for 9 days. 

In Scotland the last monarch who was a child when they ascended the throne was the son of Mary, Queen of Scots - King James VI of Scotland (who later became James I of England too).

What would happen if Prince George became King as a child? 

Because Prince George would still be a minor if he became King as a child, a Regent would be appointed until he becomes an adult according to the Regency Act 1937. The Regency Act was created to make provision for what would happen in the event either that the monarch is under the age of 18 or if the monarch becomes incapacitated through illness.

As per the Legislation.Gov website, if the Sovereign is under 18 years old when they ascend to the throne then until they turn 18 “royal functions shall be performed in the name and on behalf” of them by a Regent. This means that Prince George can be King as a child, but essentially in name only as all of his royal duties would be carried out for him by a Regent until he’s an adult.

Gilded Youth: An Intimate History of Growing Up in the Royal Family by Tom Quinn | £17.59 at Amazon

Exploring what it's like to grow up in the Royal Family, Tom Quinn brings together historical sources with testimonies from palace staff. There are tales of royal mischievousness, including surprising anecdotes about Queen Elizabeth and Prince William, and it's shocking, funny and insightful all at once.

View Deal

Who would be Prince George’s Regent? 

The matter of who Prince George’s Regent would be is a more difficult situation to determine as three people are possible - Prince Harry, Prince Andrew and Princess Beatrice. The Act states that if a Regency becomes necessary then the Regent would be the person next in the line of succession to the crown. This would be Princess Charlotte and then Prince Louis, but since they are younger than Prince George, the next person would be their uncle Prince Harry. 

However, he cannot be Regent unless he remains both a British subject and lives in “some part of the United Kingdom”, as per the Act. In a recent interview with Good Morning America, the Duke of Sussex was asked if he’d thought about becoming a US citizen and said he'd considered it.

“American citizenship is a thought that has crossed my mind but it’s not a high priority right now,” he replied.

Even if Prince Harry doesn’t apply for US citizenship, he doesn’t permanently live in the UK, which would disqualify him from being his nephew’s Regent. He could perhaps choose to relocate back to the UK to support a young King George and become Regent if tragedy should strike, though, as this would be such a shocking and difficult time for the Royal Family. 

If he didn’t and Prince George did become King as a child then Prince Andrew is the next adult in line to the throne. However, the prospect of him being Regent might spark controversy as he stepped back from public-facing duties in 2019 after the Jeffrey Epstein scandal. 

His daughter Princess Beatrice is the next adult in line and so she could potentially become Regent if both her cousin and father didn’t. Although she’s not currently a working royal, Princess Beatrice is one of King Charles’s Counsellors of State because she is one of the first four adult royals in the line of succession.

Could the Princess of Wales become Regent? 

Prince George’s mother, the Princess of Wales, would have guardianship over him if anything ever happened to Prince William during the ten-year-old’s childhood. She would continue to play a huge role in her son’s life and would perhaps be consulted about his reign. However, the terms of the Regency Act seem to indicate that only someone who is born into the Royal Family and is in the line of succession themselves could ever be made Regent. As Kate isn’t in line to the throne herself she doesn’t meet this requirement and so couldn’t be made Regent unless a change was made.