London: Putting an end to the debate over succession, Prince William has hinted that he has "no desire" to become the next monarch, encroaching his father Prince Charles` role as heir to the British throne.
Since his engagement to long-time girlfriend Kate Middleton, there has been a surge in William`s popularity with opinion polls saying that majority of Britons believe the 28-year-old would make a better king than his father.
But, royal aides insisted that Prince William has "no desire to climb the ladder of kingship" prematurely, although two recent polls by ICM and YouGov claimed that most people want him to succeed the Queen as the next monarch.
"There is no question in Prince William`s mind that the Prince of Wales will be the next monarch," a senior royal aide told The Sunday Telegraph.
"Prince William is aware of the speculation, but he is very thick-skinned. He knows his place in the royal family and he considers himself to be very low down the food chain. He has no desire to climb the ladder of kingship before his time."
Royal sources also said that Prince William did not share his late mother`s view that he is more suited to the role of king than the Prince of Wales.
In an interview to the BBC in 1995, Princess Diana had said that the role of king would bring "enormous limitations" to Prince Charles, and that Prince William may be better suited to succeed the Queen as monarch.
"Prince William is enormously proud of his mother and all her achievements, but that is so far off what he thinks. He is very close to his father and incredibly supportive of him and his work as the Prince of Wales," the newspaper quoted a royal source as saying.
"Both of them will let nature take its course. There is no suggestion from anywhere within the institution that a generation will be skipped."
According to the polls, only 15 per cent of the public felt that Prince Charles, 62, would make a better king, while 56 per cent preferred Prince William for the top post.
Royal aides also confirmed that William, who works as a search-and-rescue helicopter pilot at RAF Valley in Anglesey, North Wales, will not be stepping up his royal duties following his marriage next year.
PTI
