Royal Coronation

At 90, Queen Elizabeth has finally decided to give up the crown. But in a surprise move, she’s planning to pass it straight to Prince William!

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One thing that the British royal family has always been known for is their formality: When Queen Elizabeth was photographed arm in arm with First Lady Michelle Obama in 2009, the mere fact that the monarch had deigned to embrace a so-called commoner made headlines around the world. 

But, as that (international) incident illustrated, the rules aren’t set in stone and if anyone can ignore them, it’s the Queen herself. Now, palace sources are claiming that the 90-year old ruler has decided to break the ultimate protocol: She’s planning to step down from the throne early next year — and will pass the crown directly to her grandson Prince William!

MAKING HISTORY

“It’s an extraordinary move,” says a royal insider, pointing out that only one other British monarch has ever willingly abdicated, and under very different circumstances. (That was the Queen’s uncle, King Edward VIII, who resigned in 1936 because he wanted to marry American divorcée Wallis Simpson.) But the Queen’s decision to retire does have some precedent: Over the last several years, a few elderly European kings and queens (including Juan Carlos