英國王儲查爾斯談繼位：年齡太大等不起

Prince Charles, the longest-waiting heir to the throne in British history, has spoken of his "impatience" to get things done.

Joking about the vigour with which he pursues his pet projects, he declared: "Impatient? Me? What a thing to suggest! Yes, of course I am."

He added: "I"ll run out of time soon. I shall have snuffed it if I"m not careful."

Charles was speaking a few days before his 64th birthday during a visit to Dumfries House, a stately home in East Ayrshire he has helped save for the nation.

The comments, which were recorded for a film on the Clarence House website, were in the context of his involvement with Dumfries House.

But they will fuel speculation that the Prince is more eager than ever to take the throne.

In 2008, he became the longest-waiting heir in British history, overtaking his great-great grandfather Edward VII.

Courtiers insist Charles is fulfilled by his present role as one of the hardest-working members of the royal family, undertaking hundreds of charitable engagements a year.

But many royal commentators have suggested he feels frustrated his reign has not yet begun. With a history of longevity in his family – the Queen is 86 and in good health while the Queen Mother lived to 101 – Charles may have some time to wait until he succeeds his mother.

He has nothing but praise for the way the Queen has led her country for 60 years.

But he has previously hinted at his impatience with the long wait for succession. In 1992, when his then-brother-in-law Charles Spencer became Earl Spencer on the death of his father, Charles told him: "You are fortunate enough to have succeeded to the title when still young."

In 2004, after a Guards officer congratulated him on his 56th birthday, the Prince is reported to have said: "I"m now at the age at which my grandfather died."

Professor Robert Hazell, director of University College London"s constitution unit, said Charles had to fit a unique job description.

"He is an age when most people are starting to contemplate retirement, yet he"s not actually started the job he has spent his adult life preparing for. That is burdensome."

Royal biographer Penny Junor said: "He is impatient, but when he becomes king, his activities and all the projects he most enjoys where he can make a difference will be seriously curtailed."英國史上等待繼位時間最長的王位繼承人查爾斯王子近日談到他已經「等不起」了。

在他談到自己推行寵物計劃的活力時，他開玩笑說：「迫不及待？我嗎？這說的什麼話！是啊，我當然等不及了。」

他補充說：「我所剩的時間不多啦。也許一不小心，我就離開人世了。」

查爾斯在他64歲生日的前幾天拜訪鄧姆福瑞宮時說了這些話。鄧姆福瑞宮是東艾爾郡開放供參觀的豪華古宅，查爾斯王子也曾為保住這一英國古宅出了力。

查爾斯在為克拉倫斯王府網站錄製一部影片時說了這些話，當時他正在訪問鄧姆福瑞宮。

不過這些言論也引發了人們的猜想，認為查爾斯王子比以往更迫切地希望繼承王位。

2008年，查爾斯王子超過了他的曾曾祖父愛德華七世，成為英國史上等待繼位時間最長的王位繼承人。

英國朝臣堅稱查爾斯很滿足於他目前的角色，作為英國王室工作最努力的成員之一，他每年要參加數百個慈善活動。

不過許多王室評論員指出，查爾斯對至今尚未開始統治感到沮喪。因為他的家族有長壽史——女王現在86歲，依然身體健康，女王的母親活到了101歲——這意味著查爾斯要繼承母親的王位可能需要等很長時間。

對於女王60年來領導英國的方式，查爾斯只有讚美之詞。

不過他先前也暗示了自己等待繼位時間太久，已經不耐煩了。1992年，他當時的小叔子查爾斯?斯賓塞在父親去世時繼承了斯賓塞伯爵的封號，查爾斯王子告訴他說：「你夠幸運的了，在你還年輕時就繼承了這一頭銜。」

2004年，一位禁衛軍軍官向56歲生日的查爾斯表示祝賀時，據報道查爾斯王子說道：「我現在這個年紀是我祖父去世的年齡。」

英國倫敦大學學院的憲法研究中心主任羅伯特?哈澤爾教授說，查爾斯需要一個獨特的職位描述。

「在他的年齡，大多數人都已經開始考慮養老的事情，而他卻還沒有開始他成年後一直所預備做的工作。這挺惱人的。」

王室傳記作家彭妮?朱諾說：「他是不耐煩了，不過當他成為國王時，他最喜歡從事以及他能發揮影響力的活動和所有項目都會被大大削減。」