Increasingly persistent rumors of a possible abdication of King Charles III are spreading in Britain after the monarch appeared in public visibly thin and exhausted.

According to several British media outlets, including The Daily Beast and Page Six, the palace is discussing scenarios for a transition of power to Prince William in the event of the king's health deteriorating.

According to royal commentator Tom Sykes, recent photos of Charles, taken during an official event in Scotland, show

"a man who looks frail and exhausted."

In his Royalist Substack podcast, he notes that while the palace maintains a “carefully constructed facade of stability,” the monarch’s appearance raises reasonable doubts about his real state.

A Buckingham Palace source, quoted by journalist Rob Shooter on the Naughty But Nice podcast, claims that Prince William is already “quietly preparing” for his role as future king. “The illusion of perfect health is crumbling. The king is struggling, and the palace is starting to take this seriously,” the official said.

Buckingham Palace has not officially commented on the rumors. It has been known since the beginning of the year that

Charles III is being treated for cancer,

confirmed by the palace in early 2024. According to The Guardian and Sky News, the treatment was successful, but the monarch has limited his public engagements. However, his recent appearances – including a meeting with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak – have shown a significant physical change.

“You can’t photoshop reality,” another royal source told The Telegraph. “The King is 76, he’s had some serious treatment and he just can’t keep up with the pace of his duties anymore.”

Meanwhile, Prince

William gradually takes on key roles in monarchical duties.

In recent months, he led the British delegation at the reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris and represented the UK at the state funeral of Pope Francis in Rome, where he was filmed chatting with world leaders including Donald Trump, Emmanuel Macron and Volodymyr Zelensky.

Royal biographer Hugo Vickers told Page Six that the heir to the throne"is showing increasingly clear signs of being a natural leader." "William has demonstrated a maturity and diplomacy that place him among the world's great figures. His behavior in Paris and Rome was that of a man ready to take on responsibility," Vickers said.

According to royal experts, a possible abdication would follow the model of other European monarchies, where older rulers — such as Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands or King Juan Carlos I of Spain —

voluntarily handed over the throne to their heirs.

Although the palace has not officially confirmed such plans, analysts believe that King Charles III may prefer a controlled and smooth transfer of power to ensure stability for the monarchy and avoid crisis scenarios at a time when public support for the institution in Britain has fallen to historic lows.

As far as current signals indicate, Prince William is already positioning himself as the face of the modern monarchy — actively involved in social causes focused on mental health and climate change, and enjoying a significantly higher public rating than his father.

As British analyst Richard Fitzwilliams sums up: “Transitions of power in a monarchy rarely happen abruptly. But now all signs suggest that preparations are already underway — quietly but purposefully.”