Where there is smoke, there is usually fire. At least, that is the thinking that prompted a popular British bookmaker to suspend betting on the notion that Queen Elizabeth II will announce that she is abdicating the throne during her Christmas Day speech. Apparently, a rash of bets were rolling in, leading Coral to initially offer odds of 10-1 that Elizabeth was about to hand over power. Then they suspected that maybe a tip had come from Buckingham Palace, leading to the sudden spike, and so they suspended betting altogether.
As for whether or not Elizabeth actually is ready to shift power over to either Prince Charles or Prince William, sources say it is not happening. The queen signed on for a lifetime of serving the British people, and that is how she intends to spend her final days right to the end. While it is the palace's official policy not to comment on anything connected to bookmakers, it is worth noting that Elizabeth has never addressed any kind of personal matters during her Christmas Day message and this year's has already been recorded.
Queen Elizabeth's health has been failing for the last few years, but no serious diagnosis has ever been made public. We simply have heard that old age is causing her body to slow down, but in day-to-day life the queen is still quite hands-on with the family business. Given that fact, it makes sense that she would be more inclined to hang on to power until her last breath.
The real question is who will rule after Elizabeth. While it is Charles's birthright to take the throne next, Elizabeth has made no secret of her preferring to see William and Kate Middleton ruling England next. She has taken steps to modernize the monarchy, and the younger royals have really helped to usher in a new era.
Do you think there is a chance that William might bypass his father on the way to the throne at Elizabeth's request? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below.
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