After a "Relentless" Few Months, King Charles Must Complete a "Crucial Duty" Before He Can Take His Summer Vacation

2026 has been exceedingly busy for the Royal Family. King Charles, in particular, has had a frantic schedule as monarch. But before The King can take his much-needed summer vacation, there's one thing he is required to do, one royal expert reports.

Hello! magazine's royal editor, Emily Nash, shared, "[A]s The King looks ahead to a few precious weeks of downtime in Scotland, following next Thursday's opening of the Commonwealth Games, there is one final piece of business that cannot wait."

Rather than being able to enjoy a quiet period at work before his summer vacation officially begins, King Charles will be "appointing a new prime minister," says Nash. Basically, the monarch's job is literally never finished.

The high turnover of prime ministers in the U.K. is not only low-key embarrassing, it's also fairly unprecedented. For reference, Queen Elizabeth II reigned for 70 years, during which she worked with 15 different prime ministers. Meanwhile, Labour Party politician Andy Burnham will be the fourth prime minister King Charles has worked with during his reign, which is yet to pass the 4-year mark.

Having inherited one prime minister from his mother's tenure on the throne (Liz Truss), Burnham will only be the third person whom King Charles has invited to form a government. Per Nash, "At this rate, Charles would overtake his mother's record of 15 prime ministers by 2037."

Nash further noted that, alongside his cancer treatment, King Charles has been tasked with "navigating political upheaval, international crises, and family challenges, all while maintaining a remarkably full program of public engagements."

Clearly, when The King finally does embark upon his summer vacation, he'll have well and truly earned the rest.

Shop Books About King Charles and the Royals