The BBC Royal Announcement Rumours Show How Speculation ...

From abdication to the regency act, rumours have reached fever pitch

Since the Princess of Wales announced she was taking time off to recover from surgery, 'Kate-gate' rumours have spiralled out of control – with genuine curiosity giving way to outlandish conspiracies and memes.

Now, speculation has rocketed after unverified reports emerged on social media that the BBC have been told to be on high alert for an announcement from the royal family.

Before any major announcement, Buckingham Palace are known for giving selected media a heads up. Outlets were made aware of the late Queen’s declining health, with the Palace pre-announcing King Charles’s cancer diagnosis in February to some reporters.

While these new reports have not been confirmed by either the BBC or the Palace, many people online have theories on what the potential royal revelation (and that's a big emphasis on potential) could be about...

Wait, is Kate Middleton stepping down?

Amid Kate’s time away from the public eye, the recent furore over her use of Photoshop on a Mother's Day post has only promoted further speculation about where she really is. Although the Princess has allegedly been spotted in recent days, some have begun to believe the potential royal announcement could be to do with Kate herself.

Rumours - and they are just that, as there's no suggestion this will ever happen- have swirled that the the Princess of Wales could be stepping away from her royal duties, a move which, as with Harry and Meghan, would see major shifts in the royal family. The speculation appears to have stemmed from The National Enquirer, with Radar Online later writing how ‘insiders’ had revealed Kate’s ‘resolve to quit’ after she’s become ‘trapped in The Firm.’

Of course, Kate wouldn’t be the first woman to quit the royal family after marrying into it, but there’s really no suggestion of this happening (this is real 'pinch of salt' stuff). In recent years, the Princess has truly forged her own path when it comes to royal duties, focusing on early childhood and holding an annual carol concert. All statements from the Palace have remained solid on the fact Kate will return to her public duties after Easter.

And there are some hints at an exact date...

On 5 March, the Ministry of Defence announced on their website that Trooping the Colour would be ‘reviewed by Her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales’ when it takes place on 8 June, 2024. However, the post was actually deleted the next day.

Is Prince William becoming the King?

As the line of succession stands, Prince William will take over from his father when the time comes, with his eldest son Prince George next in line after him. Now, some have speculated whether an upcoming royal announcement could be about William.

Rumours have swirled after a TikTok video went viral, alleging that Buckingham Palace was flying its flag at half mast (although this was not the case and the video was criticised for perpetuating rumours). The reason it went viral is because if it were true, a flag at half mast is a sign of mourning. The clip fed speculation regarding King Charles’s current health situation - but the Palace clearly addressed the King’s health in its initial February 5th announcement, in which they revealed Charles remained ‘wholly positive about his treatment.'

There's a reason why many people have been discussing the Regency Act, however, in relation to the King's ill health, because in a situation where the King was unable to rule, the current Act rules that Prince William would effectively become King. Recency would give William all the powers of the King, but cannot change the order of succession to the crown. Regency differs to abdication (in which the King would formally step down and withdraw from the role), as Prince William would only be covering for his father until such a point at which Charles is well enough to work again.

While the half mast video has fuelled rumours, it’s been reported that the video originates from September 2022 – the month in which the queen died – and is currently flying at full mast. The Royal family are not in mourning.

Could King Charles be abdicating?

Another theory is that the announcement could be about the King’s abdication, with theorists suggesting that William is ready to step up.

An abdication would be historical. The only other British King to abdicate in recent memory has been King Edward VIII in 1936. In order to marry divorced American socialite Wallis Simpson, he passed the throne onto George VI, Queen Elizabeth’s father.

Again, there’s no hint that abdication is on the King’s radar - and let's not even get into those Nostradamus predictions.

The UK embassies in both Russia and Ukraine have been forced to confirm that King Charles is still alive, after Russian media sources falsely suggested that the King's death had been announced by Buckingham Palace.

The statement has since been taken down from the TASS website. The British embassies in Russia and Ukraine have confirmed that King Charles is alive.

So, is there really any royal announcement?

Since reports surfaced that the BBC are on standby for a Royal announcement, speculation further swirled that press had already begun to camp outside Buckingham Palace. Naturally, a swarm of journalists and reporters outside the Palace is enough to make anyone questions wat could be coming. However, while there’s plenty of tweets talking about the gaggles of press, there’s no pictures or videos confirming it.

While we haven’t been to Buckingham Palace ourselves, there really seems to be no reason to believe that anyone – press or not – is currently on standby for big news. If there are any press waiting outside,  it may be that, like the rest of us, they’re simply waiting to see if anything happens.

Charlotte Roberts is a news and entertainment writer at Grazia UK. She spends her days covering everything celebrity, culture, and entertainment.