“Queen Elizabeth II will die, circa 22, at the age of around 96, five years short of her mother’s term of life” 

This line is an interpretation by writer Mario Reading, which he derived from a book written more than 450 years ago by Nostradamus.

Published in 1555, Les Prophiétes was a book of “mystic poems” written by Michel De Nostradame, better known as Nostradamus, a well-known French astrologer, seer and physician. 

In 2005, Mario Reading published an edited version of the book, using the title “Nostradamus: The Complete Prophecies for the Future” and mentioned Nostradamus’ predictions that came true. According to Reading’s interpretation, one of these predictions was Queen Elizabeth II’s death.

According to fact checkers, there is no mention of Queen Elizabeth in Nostradamus’ writings. The source of the viral rumor is the 2005 book by Reading, which gave its own interpretation of Nostradamus’ words. A screenshot of Readings’ book passage was shown all over the internet. Nostradamus made no predictions specific to British royalty in 2022, but left his words up to the imagination of his readers. 

Nostradamus also might have hinted that King Charles III will not be ruling long due to abdication. He made hints that someone, (maybe Prince Harry? his youngest son), will possibly inherit the throne due to reasons unknown instead of Prince William.

Nostradamus’ actual words went like this:

Because they disapproved of his divorce

A man, who, later, they considered unworthy

The people will force out the King of the Islands

A man will replace him who never expected to be king

Of course, there could be other interpretations. It could refer to any events in our past, present, or the very long future ahead of us. Or, it could refer to something that will not happen. 

It’s an intriguing topic, and as it gained public interest, several media outlets have also become interested in the subject and published their own articles. 

Creator Michael Summers shared a 3-minute video on Facebook on September 16, regarding the prediction. It was flagged by the social media giant for containing false information. A TikTok post by user @akashiccookbook reviewed Reading’s book and read the chapter “Succession to the UK Throne.” Questions and comments from curious users inundated the comments section, with readers eager for more explanations and predictions. 

Before the Queen’s death, Reading’s interpretation of Nostradamus’ book had sold five copies. A week after, it skyrocketed to more than 8,000 copies. In addition to the Queen’s death, Nostradamus also suggested major events such as the 9/11 tragedy, Hitler’s rule, the war in Iraq in 2003, and Hurricane Katrina.

Other than the quatrain being discussed, which doesn’t mention the royals by name, the English translation of Nostadamus’ Les Prophiétes shows no direct reference to the death of Queen Elizabeth II, or any other queen.

Although Nostradamus published cryptic prophecies that mystify, intrigue and often exasperate readers who try to interpret his enigmatic poems, some insist that many of his predictions did come true. Of course, it depends on how you interpret them. 

Again, Mario Reading’s book is not the final authority on the subject, but it’s a fun read. (Maybe not so much for the royal family.)