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This is part of the Associated Press' ongoing effort to fact-check misinformation that is shared widely online, including work with Facebook to identify and reduce the circulation of false stories on the platform.

NOT REAL NEWS: Queen Is Not Making Prince William King

Queen Elizabeth II has not announced that she will pass the crown directly to her grandson Prince William, despite what articles circulating online claim.

The popularity of the younger royals — Prince William, Prince Harry and their wives Kate and Meghan — has spurred speculation that the 92-year-old monarch might make William king rather than her 69-year-old son and heir, Prince Charles. Charles' image is sullied in some eyes by his messy divorce from the late Princess Diana, his second marriage to the also-divorced Camilla Parker Bowles and his tendency to share his strong opinions on everything from the environment to modern architecture.

But it's wishful thinking. The line of succession is governed by centuries-old rules, and the deeply traditional queen has no intention of altering it.

Even if the queen did want to change it, she doesn't have the power to do so unilaterally. The royal family's official website explains that "the succession to the throne is regulated not only through descent, but also by Parliamentary statute." Altering it would need approval from lawmakers, not only in Britain but in 15 other countries — including Canada, New Zealand and Jamaica — where the British monarch is head of state.

Also contrary to some reports, the queen has not announced that William's wife Kate, currently the Duchess of Cambridge, will be known as Queen Consort once her husband takes the throne. The palace has declined to comment on what Kate — and before her, Camilla — will be titled when their husbands are monarchs.