Britain’s royal family sent the internet into overdrive on Thursday morning.
Rumors began swirling online after the Daily Mail reported that Queen Elizabeth II’s “entire household” had been called together for an “emergency meeting” at Buckingham Palace.
Royal officials later revealed the real reason for the all-hands meeting was to announce the retirement of Prince Philip, the queen’s 95-year-old husband, from official engagements later this year.
But in the time it took for the palace to make the official announcement, speculation and panic took over ― with much of it centering on the possibility that Prince Philip, also known as the Duke of Edinburgh, or another senior member of the royal family had died.
Prince Philip is, however, in apparent good health (he opened a new stand at the Lord’s Cricket Ground in London on Wednesday).
Here’s a roundup of just some of the other rumors ― plausible and otherwise ― that took hold of Twitter overnight before the royal family made its announcement:
The queen was going to abdicate.
Prince Harry had gotten engaged to Meghan Markle.
The queen was abdicating in favor of Prince Harry.
Prince Harry was going to be revealed as a wizard.
Britain was going to reclaim the United States.
Britain was going to declare war on France.
The palace’s empty rooms were being listed on Airbnb.
The Ministry Of Magic had fallen.
One of the queen’s Corgis had died.
The queen was going to be the new ‘Doctor Who.’
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