Prince George will never be King as monarchy will die out before, novelist predicts

Published date12 September 2021
Publication titleDaily Star: Web Edition Articles (England)
Hilary Mantel claimed in an interview with The Times that the monarchy will cease to exist within two generations.

The 69-year-old is best known for her Wolf Hall trilogy that traced the rise of blacksmith's son Thomas Cromwell to Henry VIII's chief minister and then his downfall and execution.

The novelist said she admired the devotion of Queen Elizabeth, 95, and heir Charles, Prince of Wales.

"I think they do it as well as anyone possibly could, take it as seriously as anyone could," she said.

But when questioned on how long the monarchy would last, Hilary told the publication that her "back of the envelope" calculation was just two generations.

"It's very hard to understand the thinking behind the monarchy in the modern world when people are just seen as celebrities," she said.

If her view turns out to be correct, Elizabeth’s great-grandson, Prince George, eight, who is third in line to the throne after his grandfather Charles, 72, and father Prince William, 39, would not become king.

Hilary caused outraged in Britain this month by telling La Repubblica that England was now a washed-out place that ran on "the memory of power”.

She described Brexiteers as callow and often ridiculous opportunists.

"I'd like people to stop shouting and...

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