Behind every joke is a bit of honesty, and that could not be more true for Prince Charles, who recently joked about his long wait to be king. His mother, Queen Elizabeth II, may not have found the joke quite so funny.

Everyone knows that Prince Charles has waited his entire life to be King of England; after all, it was what he was born and groomed for. Yet his mother continues to hold reign over the country and until she is gone, Charles will not hold the beloved title.

"Impatient? Me? What a thing to suggest! Yes, of course I am," Charles joked this weekend at an event to celebrate his 64th birthday. Charles was asked about his long wait to hold the crown, and his response was most likely part joking, but probably partially honest.

"I'll run out of time soon. I shall have snuffed it if I'm not careful," Charles added. Of course, the Prince of Wales is in fine health and is active in his day-to-day activities, hunting and gardening. His mother, though, is also in good health and shows no signs of slowing down.

At the 2012 Olympics, held in London, Queen Elizabeth was featured as part of the opening ceremonies with Daniel Craig, who plays James Bond. While her majesty had a stunt double jump from an actual airplane, the fact that she was willing to participate delighted her fans across the world.

She has served as queen for 60 years and recently celebrated that milestone with an international tour. Her own mother lived to be 101, and if tradition carries on, Charles could be well into his 70s or 80s before taking the throne. There has been talk for some time, though, that he might abdicate the throne in favor of letting his eldest, Prince William, serve as King.

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However, with Charles being a staunch royalist, the odds of that happening are quite slim. It's more likely that he will rule until his own dying day before handing over the title to William.