At the age of 76, King Charles seems to love his work more than ever before. Despite still undergoing cancer treatment following his diagnosis last year, the monarch shows no signs of wanting to slow down when it comes to his royal duty.

While some royal fans have questioned whether Charles would ever step back from his role as King and hand the crown to his son and heir Prince William, 42, one person who knows the monarch very well believes this will never be the case. Grant Harrold, who was the former butler for Charles between 2004 and 2011 when he was The Prince of Wales, said to abdicate would not be in the King’s nature. The former royal butler also said he thinks Charles will, like his mother the late Queen Elizabeth II, carry out his duties until his “final breath”.

Speaking on behalf of Prime Casino, Harrold said: “Charles has already put things in place in case he is in a position where he is unable to carry out duties himself.

“He’s appointed Princess Anne, Prince Edward, Queen Camilla, and I believe Sophie as Counsellors of State. That means if he’s no longer able to fulfil his role, those individuals - his siblings, his wife, and his son and daughter-in-law - can step in and carry out duties on his behalf, just like what happened during the later years of the Queen’s reign.

“But abdication? No. Just like his mother, he’ll continue to serve until his final breath.”

He continued: “That sense of duty is ingrained in him - it’s who he is. No one truly knows what’s going on in the King’s mind, but from what I saw - and I don't believe he’s changed in this regard - abdication would be the very last thing he’d ever consider. It’s just not in his nature.”

The King’s relentless work ethic has also been hinted at by his wife Queen Camilla, 77.

On their royal state visit to Italy last month, Camilla told the UK Press: “He loves his work and it keeps him going.

“And I think it’s wonderful, you know, if you’ve been ill and you are recovering, you’re getting better and now he wants to do more and more and more.

“That’s the problem. That’s what he’s driven by. Helping others.”