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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Graeme Murray & Michael Moran

Author Hilary Mantel predicted William would be last King with George never taking throne

Late Wolf Hall author Hilary Mantel predicted Prince George would never be king and said she didn't see a future for the monarchy.

Ms Mantel, who died today at the age of 70, is famous across the world for her bestselling and painstakingly-researche novels in which she analysed the complexities of the Tudor era.

She would write from the perspective of King Henry VIII’s advisor, Thomas Cromwell, while away from her books she had been known to make headlines with her outspoken views on the royals of today

She once told The Times she admired the devotion to duty of then-Prince Charles and the late Queen.

She said: “I think they do it as well as anyone possibly could, take it as seriously as anyone could.”

Hilary Mantel predicted that William would be the last king, and his son George would never take the throne (WireImage)
Hilary Mantel poses for photographers with her book 'Wolf Hall' before she died (DANIEL DEME/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)

But the late author, who undertook forensic research into the dramatic Tudor era to make her novels as authentic as possible, did not see a long-term future for the Royal Family.

She said her “back of the envelope” calculation was that the British monarchy would probably survive for another two generations, the Daily Star reports.

Ms Mantel suggested Prince William, when he eventually success his father King Charles III, will be the last British monarch. Before she added poignantly "poor Prince George".

She said: “I think it’s a fair prediction, but let’s say I wouldn’t put money on it.

Prince William, Prince of Wales and Prince George of Wales during the State Funeral of Queen Elizabeth II (Getty Images)

“It’s very hard to understand the thinking behind the monarchy in the modern world when people are just seen as celebrities.”

“I’d like us all to say less. And let them have a chance to find some resolution.”

The controversial author also drew criticism for her views on Kate Middleton and insisted the Princess of Wales was not permitted to have a personality of her own.

She pointed to the first official portrait of the Duchess, which she said showed "the strained smile of a woman who really wants to tell the painter to bugger off".

Members of the Royal family transfer the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II to the State Gun Carriage (POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Ms Mantel was one of the most successful novelists of her generation and sold more than 2.5 million books in addition to Wolf Hall which alone sold than a million copies.

The author had a long struggle with her health after having surgery for endometriosis in her early twenties which she said left her “minus ovaries, womb, bits of bowel, bits of bladder”.

Posting on Twitter, HarperCollins wrote: "We are heartbroken at the death of our beloved author, Dame Hilary Mantel, and our thoughts are with her friends and family, especially her husband, Gerald.

"This is a devastating loss and we can only be grateful she left us with such a magnificent body of work."

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