Can Queen Elizabeth retire without abdicating?

Bob001

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The 91-year-old queen visited hospitals yesterday to try to cheer up injured survivors of the Manchester bombing. She is universally admired and respected for the way she's conducted herself all her life, including 65+ years as queen. Various royal scandals and silliness over the decades have never touched her. Could a time come when she says "I'm goin' to the beach. Ta-ta?" I realize she could abdicate the throne, something Prince Charles has probably been urging to do since he was about 30. But could she withdraw from public life without abdicating? Would the public accept a queen who only made a handful of public appearances a year? She's entitled to a break without having to give up everything.
 
The Monarch actually has a number of jobs to do, like appoint and dismiss Ministers and Prime Ministers.
She can't retire from that without having someone else take over.
 
Bob001 said:
The 91-year-old queen visited hospitals yesterday to try to cheer up injured survivors of the Manchester bombing. She is universally admired and respected for the way she's conducted herself all her life, including 65+ years as queen. Various royal scandals and silliness over the decades have never touched her. Could a time come when she says "I'm goin' to the beach. Ta-ta?" I realize she could abdicate the throne, something Prince Charles has probably been urging to do since he was about 30. But could she withdraw from public life without abdicating? Would the public accept a queen who only made a handful of public appearances a year? She's entitled to a break without having to give up everything.
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Victoria did.
 
Bob001 said:
The 91-year-old queen visited hospitals yesterday to try to cheer up injured survivors of the Manchester bombing. She is universally admired and respected for the way she's conducted herself all her life, including 65+ years as queen. Various royal scandals and silliness over the decades have never touched her. Could a time come when she says "I'm goin' to the beach. Ta-ta?" I realize she could abdicate the throne, something Prince Charles has probably been urging to do since he was about 30. But could she withdraw from public life without abdicating? Would the public accept a queen who only made a handful of public appearances a year? She's entitled to a break without having to give up everything.
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Charles could be appointed Prince Regent which would mean he had the authority to carry out crown responsibilities, the Queen would remain the Queen but would then be in practice retired. I suspect that although Charles would be the likely choice in theory William could be appointed Prince Regent.
 
Bob001 said:
The 91-year-old queen visited hospitals yesterday to try to cheer up injured survivors of the Manchester bombing. She is universally admired and respected for the way she's conducted herself all her life, including 65+ years as queen. Various royal scandals and silliness over the decades have never touched her. Could a time come when she says "I'm goin' to the beach. Ta-ta?" I realize she could abdicate the throne, something Prince Charles has probably been urging to do since he was about 30. But could she withdraw from public life without abdicating? Would the public accept a queen who only made a handful of public appearances a year? She's entitled to a break without having to give up everything.
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Universally admired? In which world?
 
The Queen is over entitled already. If she doesn't want to do her "job" she can step down that is entirely up to her.

Anyway long before she got to her current age she disappeared for months every year. Generally did very little in the summer and winter months, state visits arranged around her personal interests and so on.
 
As I understand it, with the exception of opening Parliment and occasional business with her Prime Minister most of the Royal engagements are optional.
 
A question for those who would like the Queen to retire, or abdicate, or for the monarchy to be ended: Who do you think those in hospital the Queen visited yesterday would have preferred to see - Theresa May, Jeremy Corbyn, or the Queen? I bet I know the answer!

ETA I googled for a video of the visit. It serves as a reminder that the Queen herself is quite a shy person. The patients were comfortable in her company and there was a gratifying lack of formality.
 
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SusanB-M1 said:
A question for those who would like the Queen to retire, or abdicate, or for the monarchy to be ended: Who do you think those in hospital the Queen visited yesterday would have preferred to see - Theresa May, Jeremy Corbyn, or the Queen? I bet I know the answer!
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This is one of the reasons I have no problem with either the continued monarchy in Britain, or Canada's attachment to the royals... Because sometimes it can be good protocol to have a head of state who is non-political.

(Could you imagine Trump going to meet victims of some horrific accident or attack?)
 
I saw the Queen as a kid once when she was a young woman sweeping past along a road in a car going to meet the Lord Mayor. I was with my younger brother at the time, and my mother, and we were all waving Union Jacks. A few years ago I had a shock when I suddenly noticed Charles and Camilla in an open top car driving near to here. I do regret never seeing or meeting Princess Diana in the flesh, but I suppose its a bit too late now.
 
Darat said:
And I am 100 percent certain Charles has never ever encouraged her to abdicate.
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Would that be because he doesn't want to be king? Or because it would be unseemly to have such a conversation with dear old Mum, like "Can I have your silver when you die?"
 
Darat said:
Universally admired? In which world?
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In the U.S., of course. What other world is there?

My recollection is that criticism of her personally -- apart from the Monarchy -- has been fairly mild over the years, especially in comparison with other royals. What terrible scandal did I miss?
 
Segnosaur said:
This is one of the reasons I have no problem with either the continued monarchy in Britain, or Canada's attachment to the royals... Because sometimes it can be good protocol to have a head of state who is non-political.

(Could you imagine Trump going to meet victims of some horrific accident or attack?)
Click to expand...

Bill Clinton made his 1995 comeback after the OK City bombing doing just that. True story.
 
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