Queen Elizabeth II died Sept. 8 at 96 years old, ending her 70-year reign and leaving the throne to her eldest son, now King Charles III.
A video that has been widely viewed on Facebook claims Charles has since relinquished the throne to his eldest son, Prince William, who is next in the line of succession.
“Bad news for Queen Camilla as Charles cedes throne to William immediately,” reads the caption of the Sept. 18 video, which was viewed more than 100,000 times in 10 days.
But the claim is incorrect. Charles has been officially proclaimed king and has chosen the name King Charles III as his title, though a date for his coronation has yet to be announced. There is no indication he has given up the throne. Instead, he has already begun carrying out his duties as monarch.
The seven-minute video never actually claims Charles ceded his throne. Rather, it cites a Washington Post report that quotes Robert Hazell, a professor of government and constitution at University College London, as saying that when Charles made his personal declaration during his accession ceremony, his phrasing “indicated very clearly that he expects to be king for the rest of his life.”
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USA TODAY reached out to the user who shared the claim for comment.
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