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Folks have been speculating about a possible royal leapfrog for decades. One tabloid reports that Prince William could supersede his father Prince Charles to become the next king of England. Gossip Cop investigates.
‘Waiting In The Wings’
According to Star, “72-year-old Charles has hopes his mom will step aside in his favor,” allowing him to become king soon. An insider said, “the queen is in the midst of having a series of meetings with Charles and William and Kate to discuss the most productive way to move forward.” One suggestion is of Prince William “leapfrogging ahead to take the throne instead.
The tabloid says “it’s been a rough few years for the monarchy, and it’s said the queen feels the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge may help turn the tide.” The Cambridges are “young, beloved and eager to take on the job.” The article concludes by saying “they could be just what the struggling monarchy needs right now.”
It’s Not Up To The Queen
Gossip Cop could bust this story in our sleep at this point. Queen Elizabeth doesn’t have the authority to choose a successor, Parliament does. Even if she did prefer Prince William, and there’s no evidence of that, there would be no way for her to achieve that goal. The rules of succession are very strict and determined not on the whims of the current monarch.
Very Unoriginal Story
This story is extremely common. We’ve busted story after story about shifts in the succession plan. It’s a scintillating story that can sell magazines, but it’s just not how the line of succession works. Unless there’s news directly from the houses of Parliament, you should disregard each and every one of these reports.
No Royal insight
We busted Star last month for claiming Kate Middleton was fighting Camilla Parker Bowles over who will be the next queen. There’s nothing to fight about as neither can change British law. It also claimed Meghan Markle was going to spill royal secrets on the Ellen DeGeneres Show, but that interview never happened.
In September 2017, this tabloid claimed a dying Queen Elizabeth was quitting and ran a story about how Kate Middleton and Prince William will rule, yet Queen Elizabeth is still ruling. This tabloid has been pushing this bogus narrative for years now, but that doesn’t make it any more accurate. Prince William will not be king before his father, so this story is totally bogus.
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Our Verdict
Gossip Cop has determined this story is totally false.