Social media went into meltdown last night after rumours began to circulate Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II had passed away.
The unsubstantiated rumours began after a tweet from an anonymous Twitter user claimed the 93-year-old sovereign had died on the morning of Sunday, December 1, with a media blackout implemented until Monday morning.
The tweet in question included a screenshot of a WhatsApp conversation between two individuals known as ‘Gibbo’ and ‘Ricey’. Other members of the group included ‘Burnsy’, ‘Cheeks’, ‘Josh’ and ‘Morty’.
The exchange, which bore a decidedly less than regal profile pic, has been widely shared, and purported to contain info from a ‘guards reg WhatsApp Group’. However, perhaps unsurprisingly, it has since been found to be a hoax.
Royal expert Charlie Proctor – who works as Royal Central’s editor-in-chief – has since been forced to rubbish the rumours, confirming the nonagenarian monarch was indeed ‘alive and well’.
Proctor tweeted:
I see we have reached that time of year where I have to dispel rumours of HM’s passing.
The Queen is not dead. She is alive & well and is very much looking forward to hosting President Trump and other world leaders at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday for the NATO reception.
With more than just a touch of shade, Proctor added:
A lot of people tagging Donald Trump in this tweet. He won’t be able to see it as he blocked me a couple of years ago after I compared him to a chocolate omelette.
I was simply trying to be diplomatic in saying The Queen is looking forward to seeing him. Make your own mind up.
The longest reigning monarch in history, Her Maj has been on the throne since 1952 and even the most anti-Royal amongst us can admit to feeling some affection for her clipped Christmas speeches and assortment of corgis.
A country where our bank notes didn’t bear her bubble hairdo would feel quite strange indeed. However, we could well soon be seeing Lizzie taking a step back from royal duties, passing the top job on to her eldest son, Prince Charles.
Just a few days ago, a Royal source told The Sun:
The scandal surrounding Andrew and Epstein gave Charles an opportunity to step in to show that he can run The Firm. No one is bigger than the institution of the Royal Family. Not even Andrew, the Queen’s favourite son.
Charles recognised that and acted decisively — like the king he may well soon be. This was the moment when Charles stepped up as Prince Regent, the Shadow King.
According to the source, there is talk within the palace walls of the Queen retiring from public life once she reaches the age of 95, much like her husband Prince Phillip.
Queen Elizabeth’s retirement plans have not been detailed, and the palace have yet to release an official ‘bucket list’.
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Jules studied English Literature with Creative Writing at Lancaster University before earning her masters in International Relations at Leiden University in The Netherlands (Hoi!). She then trained as a journalist through News Associates in Manchester. Jules has previously worked as a mental health blogger, copywriter and freelancer for various publications.