The example of Charles

Being king is a young man's game, that seems to be the message coming from Madrid as more reports on the reasons for the abdication of Juan Carlos begin to circulate.  The outgoing King of Spain has apparently told close aides that he wanted to step aside so his son would become monarch in his prime - and not grow old waiting, like Prince Charles.

Juan Carlos I of Spain - concerns over his son waiting too long for a crown are said to be behind his decision to abdicate

It's yet another reminder, if one is needed, for Prince Charles that he is the oldest heir on the continent and will most likely be the oldest monarch in Europe when he finally takes his country's throne.  But it is interesting that his long wait is seen as so important by other monarchies.  And important enough to be spoken of, according to reports, by a king to one of his confidantes.

Juan Carlos and Sofia of Spain at one of their last public appearances before the king announced his abdication on June 2nd 2014

Because the revelations that Juan Carlos considered the example of Charles when weighing up whether to give up the throne he has held for 39 years show that, in some ways, the British heir has become best known for being an heir.  Despite decades of charity work and campaigning, the Prince of Wales is becoming better known for being the boy who waited.

The man who would be king - Charles, Prince of Wales

Charles has been heir to the British throne longer than any other person in history - 62 years and counting.  When he became first in line he was just four.  Now, he is entitled to an old age pension and will probably be in his seventies, perhaps even his eighties, when his time to reign finally comes.  And while the Queen passes on more of her overseas duties to him, because she herself is getting older, the fact remains that the Prince of Wales is still many years away from being head of the House of Windsor.

Elizabeth II and Charles, Prince of Wales - the story of her long reign is also the story of his long wait to be king

Across the English Channel, a new wave of younger men are taking their country's thrones. Philippe, King of the Belgians is 54 this year - Charles was at senior school when he was born. Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands was born in 1967, when Prince Charles was at university.  But the time Prince Felipe was born, in 1968, the future King of Great Britain was close to completing his degree.  Prince Charles, at 66, is closer in age to 76 year old Juan Carlos than 46 year old Felipe.  In fact, the royal closest in age to the prince is King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden who at 68 is just two years older than Charles - except he has been king of his country for 41 years.

King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden has just turned 68

Charles, the son, will be glad that he still has his mother at an age when many are learning to live without that most important of people.  And Felipe, soon to be king of Spain, will be glad to still have his father on hand.  Perhaps more so, as he takes on the role he was born to inhabit with the wisdom accrued through years on the other end of the phone as Juan Carlos settles into retirement.  But the fact that the King of Spain has highlighted Charles' long wait again, as well as his age, underlines the epic nature of the prince's heirdom.  With age comes experience, but in this modern day when so much of kingship is played out in front of TV cameras or on the front of newspapers, is it time to debate whether being monarch is really a young man's game?