Plurality of Britons want Charles as king

LONDON, Nov. 14 (UPI) -- As Prince Charles turned 60 Friday a poll found that more Britons now want him to become king than want the throne to go directly to his eldest son.

While 42 percent of those surveyed by YouGov said Charles should succeed Queen Elizabeth, 35 percent wanted Prince William, The Daily Telegraph reported. In 2005, the year Charles married his longtime love, the divorced Camilla Parker-Bowles, 42 percent preferred William and 31 percent his father.

Charles has been heir to the British throne since his grandfather died when he was 3. Friends have said he has come to terms with the probability that his reign will be a short one, since his mother, at 82, appears to be in good health and is the daughter of a woman who lived to be 101.

The prince was wildly unpopular after his divorce from Princess Diana, and her death in 1997 created a backlash that seemed to threaten the future of the monarchy.

Charles, during his long tenure as Prince of Wales, has used his position to advocate for sustainable agriculture and livable architecture. He is barred by British law from taking a political role.