Why The Queen's Problems Will Soon Become Prince Charles' Major Issues

It has not been an easy year for Queen Elizabeth. The trouble started back in March when her grandson, Prince Harry, and his wife, Meghan Markle, sat down with Oprah Winfrey for an explosive interview in which Meghan detailed how she had been the victim of racially-motivated bullying while living with the royal family. Among other things, Meghan also claimed that she was prevented from seeking medical help for her declining mental health.

As you can imagine, that was cause for stress enough, but the queen also suffered a personal tragedy when her husband of nearly 70 years, Prince Phillip, died in April. Since then, the queen has noticeably cut back on her royal duties. At first, it was assumed she needed time to regroup and recharge after her husband's death, but in recent months its become clear that the issue is related more to her physical health.

Elizabeth was hospitalized for one night in October for vague health reasons; she then sprained her back. "Once you get to 95, it's not quite as easy as it used to be," Prince Charles said when asked about his mother's health, per Today. "It's bad enough at 73!" But the reason Elizabeth and Charles have to worry may not be what you think.

Right now, perhaps the biggest problem facing Queen Elizabeth isn't the country or the fact that she can't ride horses anymore — it's Prince Charles. Having been queen since 1952, Elizabeth is adept at handling scandal and keeping private things private. Her kids and grandkids, however — not so much. Additionally, Elizabeth has been overwhelmingly popular among the British people throughout her rule. On the other side, her heir, Prince Charles, reportedly has an approval rating somewhere in the low to mid-30s, per Newsweek.

Another issue facing Charles, besides the public's general dislike of him, is his allegedly stormy relationship with his heir, Prince William. "They [Charles and William] are two people doing a very similar job," a royal expert told the outlet. "With [Charles and William] I think there's an element of competition, the older man not really wanting to step over just yet and let the younger take his crown." Additionally, Prince Harry has his own issues with his dad, revealing that the Prince of Wales even stopped taking his calls. Take that and add in the fact that the upcoming season of "The Crown" will chronicle Charles' divorce from Diana and her untimely death — and you can see that Charles isn't exactly in favor right now. 

In short, the main problem Charles will inherit from his mother isn't ruling the country. It's ruling his family and managing the public's growing distrust of them. Heavy lies the crown.