Was Nostradamus for real? It’s a question people have pondered for centuries now. If you take a good hard look at some of his prophecies, he certainly seems to have got a lot right, albeit in slightly vague ways! His predictions went all the way up to 2023 and beyond, so what did he think might lie in store for us this year? Nostradamus has some ideas about what might happen to the royal family, to society, and to you!
Prophet
So who exactly is Nostradamus and why should we listen to him? Well, he was an apothecary — a sort of medieval pharmacist — who in the year 1550 started to make it big in the prophecy business. Every year he released a new book full of verses about what the future held. Plenty of people thought he was crazy… yet his name lives on to this day.
Past predictions
Perhaps this will sway any Nostradamus skeptics… he really did appear to predict the rise of Adolf Hitler. One of his predictions reads,
“From the depths of the West of Europe,
A young child will be born of poor people,
He who by his tongue will seduce a great troop,
His fame will increase towards the realm of the East.”
That’s unsettlingly close to what happened.
Burning skies
And that’s not all, because many people believe he predicted some of the most era-defining moments of American history too. One of his verses states,
“From on high, evil will fall on the great man,”
which some think refers to the Kennedy assassination. Another prediction says,
“The sky will burn at 45 degrees,
Fire approaches the great new city,”
which sounds unnervingly like 9/11.
Nostradamus for the modern day
We may never know for certain what Nostradamus meant by some of his verses. Obviously they were written centuries ago, when language was very different to what it is now; for all we know maybe some of the things he was referencing could never even have made it to the history books. But all the same, some would argue it’s still very much worth listening to what he has to say.
A great war
Nostradamus has a prediction about war, which is sadly still a part of the human experience,
“Seven months the Great War, people dead of evil-doing.
Rouen, Evreux shall not fall to the King.”
Some believe this is a reference to the ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia, which began in February 2022. Rouen and Evreux, on the other hand, are French cities.
World War III
Since Nostradamus himself was French, it’s not surprising that his prophecy about war should specifically mention cities of his own home country. But if France ends up involved in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, does that mean things have escalated to the point of a Third World War? Obviously, this is one prophecy that absolutely no one wants to come true.
Humans head to Mars… if it’s still there
In among his prophecies about war, Nostradamus added a prediction that went,
“From the celestial fire on the royal edifice,
When the light of Mars will go out.”
What does that mean? Could something terrible — a nuclear bomb, maybe, bringing “celestial fire” — happen to Mars? Humans gaining the ability to wipe out an entire planet, even an empty one, is a very chilling thought.
Uniting
But later prophecies imply perhaps all isn’t lost for the Red Planet. His Quatrain 5/23 — which, like all of Nostradamus’ works, has been translated in different ways over the years — says,
“The two contenders will unite together,
When most others unite with Mars,
The African leader is fearful and trembles,
The dual alliance is separated by the fleet.”
Life on Mars
Some people think that the “African leader” is a reference to Elon Musk, who was born in South Africa. After all, he’s been talking about colonizing Mars for a long time now. But if he’s “fearful” does that mean his plans aren’t going to work out after all? Are there aliens up there? Only time will tell. But if you happen to be reading this article from Mars, ignore this part.
Cannibalism?
One of Nostradamus’ more unnerving predictions about the future of mankind goes like this,
“No abbots, monks, no novices to learn,
Honey shall cost far more than candle-wax,
So high the price of wheat that man is stirred,
His fellow man to eat in his despair.”
His fellow man to what? Yep, Nostradamus thinks we might end up being cannibals.
Sacrifices shall come again
Yet this particular prophecy has also been translated as,
“Within a little while sacrifices shall come again.
Opposers shall be put to martyrdom,
There shall be no more monks, abbots, nor novices,
Honey shall be much dearer than wax.”
That sounds… well, a little more promising. Unless, of course, you’re one of the people getting sacrificed.
Historical precedent
Unfortunately Nostradamus is right in that the price of wheat — i.e. the price of food — has risen in recent years. And people resorting to eating each other in times of starvation also isn’t unheard of, with one of the most famous examples being the case of the Donner Party. Fingers crossed that this one won’t come to pass.
Climate disasters
Yep, you might have guessed a frightening climate prophecy was coming. Nostradamus had a lot to say about the environment and what might happen if we don’t look after it. One of his predictions reads,
“The dry earth will grow more parched;
There will be great floods when the rainbow is seen.”
That certainly sounds like climate change causing disasters.
Boiling fish
And Nostradamus believed this would lead to a shortage of food as well. Another one of his prophecies reads,
“Like the Sun the head shall sear the shining sea,
The Black Sea’s living fish shall all but boil,
When Rhodes and Genoa half-starved shall be,
the local folk to cut them up shall toil.”
That definitely doesn’t sound good!
Lack of rain
British newspaper the Daily Mirror suggested in 2022 that this prophecy was on the verge of coming true. In an article about Nostradamus’ accuracy, it pointed out, “The lack of rainfall meant that this was the driest July in England since 1935, a side effect of global warming… Elsewhere, other countries including France, Italy, and Portugal saw record-breaking droughts this year due to the effects of climate change.”
Hope
It all sounds bad, but maybe it’s not too late. Lots of activists believe that if we really knuckle down and start working on renewable energy, the worst of the climate disasters can be prevented. And at the moment, billions of dollars are going towards just that, so hopefully we won’t end up with a “dry Earth” after all.
Civil unrest
According to Nostradamus, there will be a lot more civil unrest in 2023. He believed that,
“Sooner or later you will see,
Great changes made — dreadful horrors and vengeances.”
Oh dear. This takes the form of “trumpets shaking with great discord” and “an agreement broken.” Of course, there’s never been an era without unrest, but the “great changes” bit rather seems to suggest this time it will be worse.
The heavens draw near to the balance
Yet Nostradamus also thought there was a religious element to all this. After the “dreadful horrors and vengeances” part he noted,
“For as the Moon is thus led by its angel,
the heavens draw near to the Balance.”
And unfortunately, that part is so vague that we may never truly know what it means! Luckily, Nostradamus had some far more specific predictions when it came to the fate of the U.K.'s royal family.
The face anointed
One full translation of the “discord” prophecy reads,
“The trumpet shakes with great discord,
An agreement broken: lifting the face to heaven,
The bloody mouth will swim with blood,
The face anointed with milk and honey lies on the ground.”
Some people thought that this referred to Donald Trump because of the “trumpet” part, but could it refer to another powerful public figure? King Charles III, perhaps? It's hard to tell, but when it comes to Queen Elizabeth II's passing, Nostradamus' words were eerily accurate.
Correct prediction?
As it turned out, the way that modern-day scholar Mario Reading interpreted Nostradamus’ predictions showed that Nostradamus had even managed to foretell the correct date of the monarch's passing. The author wrote in his 2005 publication, Nostradamus: Complete Prophecies for the Future,
“Queen Elizabeth II will die, circa 2022, at the age of around 96.”
And if the rest of what he says is accurate, it’s going to have huge ramifications for King Charles III.
Burning skies
Just as others like him have proffered, Reading's interpretation of Nostradamus' 450-year-old predictions suggests that the famed future-seer had even predicted 9/11 centuries before it happened. One of his prophecies is translated as, “Two steel birds will fall from the sky on the Metropolis/The sky will burn at forty-five degrees latitude/Fire approaches the great new city/Immediately a huge, scattered flame leaps up.” And if that reading is to be believed, then 2023 could be tricky for Britain's new king.
Considered unworthy
Global disasters aside, Nostradamus' foretelling of the royal family's fate has so far rung true. He prophesied the monarch's passing in 2022, and that’s exactly what happened. And unfortunately, that just makes the next part all the more damning for Charles. The text says, “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.”
Broken marriage
And we all know about Charles’ divorce and how much it disapproval it met. When he split from Diana in favor of Camilla Parker-Bowles, the tabloids were merciless and so were his future subjects. After the future monarch had confessed to infidelity, British newspaper The Sun ran a telephone poll and reported that about two-thirds of participants thought he was unfit to rule.
King of the Islands
Reading wrote in the book that after Elizabeth’s passing, “Charles will be crowned in her stead, and become ‘King of the Islands’, the implication here being that he is no longer king of the other regions in the world over which his mother reigned — Canada, Australia, New Zealand, etc — which will have, in the interim, become republics.”
Republics
However this part of the prediction, and Reading’s take on it, is more tricky. Charles is actually still monarch of Canada, Australia and New Zealand, although it’s true that many nations either have or plan to become republics. Barbados cut ties with the monarchy in 2021; in time countries including Jamaica, Belize, and the Bahamas may well follow suit.
Resentments
Interpreting Nostradamus’ prophesy, Reading predicted in the book, “Charles will be 74 years old in 2022 when he takes over the throne, but the resentments held against him by a certain proportion of the British population, following his divorce from Diana, Princess of Wales, still persist.” And it’s doubtless true that some people have never forgiven his infamous affair.
Tampongate
For example, Netflix hit The Crown recently brought the details of Charles’ infidelity to a whole new audience. Season five dramatized the “tampongate” conversation he once had with Camilla, an embarrassing incident that the monarch probably wishes could be left in the past. Even as King, he can’t stop people talking about his affair and his messy divorce.
Heavy is the head
Reading predicted that after Charles got his crown, things would take a turn for the worse, writing, “The pressure on him is so great, and his age so much against him, that Charles agrees to abdicate in favor of his son.” And indeed the prospect of the royals “skipping a generation” had been talked about even before Elizabeth passed away.
King William
Some people have wondered whether Charles might one day end up abdicating because of advancing age, rather than because the people of Britain want him out. In 2022 Conor Friedersdorf of magazine The Atlantic suggested, “A more consequential use of Charles’s reign would be to rule briefly and abdicate at 75… while touting the importance of passing the throne to Prince William in his son’s prime rather than his dotage.”
Henry IX
But what about the next part of the prophecy? Reading posed the question, based on Nostradamus’ “never expected to be King” line, “Does this mean that Prince William, who would have expected to succeed his father, is no longer in the picture? And that Prince Harry, by process of default, becomes King in his stead? That would make him King Henry IX, aged just 38.”
Two options
Could that possibly happen? And in what circumstances would William not ascend the throne after his father? There are only two real options.The first would be if he abdicates, like his ancestor the Duke of Windsor did. But that would mean his oldest son, Prince George, would become ruler of the United Kingdom, not William’s brother Harry.
Royal rules of succession
The same thing would happen in the unlikely event William died before Charles. If that happened, George would take the throne, assuming he was of age. But if Charles and William both died while George was still a minor, a regent would have to be appointed, and who would be the most likely candidate? Yes, Harry.
Regency
Being a regent isn’t quite the same thing as being King, but it’s pretty close. And assuming things really did take such a tragic turn for the royal family, Harry is about the only really viable option for a regent. It basically comes down to either him or Prince Andrew — and after his legal trouble Andrew is almost certainly getting nowhere near the throne.
Negative
But would Harry ever accept the idea of becoming regent, even to help out his own young nephew after a tragedy? Based on his comments since stepping down as a royal, it does seem unlikely. Anderson Cooper asked him in a January 2023 interview, “Can you see a day when you would return as a full-time member of the royal family?” and he immediately answered “No.”
Contingency plans
But the British government may actually be making plans for the possibility, however slight, that both Charles and William die before George comes of age. In October 2022 Viscount Stansgate asked peers in the House of Lords if they were “happy to continue with a situation where the counsels of state and regency powers may be exercised by the Duke of York or the Duke of Sussex, one of whom has left public life and the other of whom has left the country?”
Pain
But despite everything, it’s obvious Harry still cares very much about his family. He said in the Anderson Cooper interview that he still loved William, despite the “pain between the two of us.” He most likely would step up for his nephew George if needed — especially since he, too, has experience of losing a parent at a young age.
Worst possibility
There is a second and even more tragic way Harry could become King, and not just a regent. If something dreadful happened that wiped out the entire Cambridge family — Prince William and all three of his heirs — the throne would go to Harry. He would rule as king with Meghan as Queen Consort.
Heir care
Obviously that scenario is a horrible one to consider, but there are members of the royal household who very much have to think about it anyway. There is actually a royal protocol dictating that two heirs to the throne should never travel together, in case of an accident. But William has broken that rule and often gone on planes with his children.
Prophecy revisited
So those are all the ways that Harry can become king. But what if Nostradamus’ prophecy wasn’t referring to Harry at all? After all, it doesn’t mention any names, just “a man will replace him who never expected to be King.” And there’s one person out there who’s willing to believe he’s actually the man in question.
Secret child?
A British-born Australian named Simon Dorante-Day has long claimed he’s the secret son of Charles and Camilla. According to him, his adoptive grandparents once worked in the royal household under Elizabeth, and his grandmother told him outright that he was Charles’ and Camilla’s child. There’s no cast-iron proof, though.
Out of left field
Now Dorante-Day thinks the prophecy might be about him. He told the Australian news website 7news in 2022, “I’ve had five people approach me in a few hours, sending me over this page from the book. It’s certainly food for thought, because the prediction makes it clear that someone out of left field would replace Charles as King. I can see why some people would think I fit the bill.”
Looking forward
Dorante-Day went on, “I believe I am the son of Charles and Camilla and I’m looking forward to my day in court to prove this. Maybe Nostradamus has the same understanding that I do, that all this will come out one day.” Dorante-Day went public with his claims decades ago in the 1990s, but Charles and Camilla have never responded.
Comments
So this is certainly one of the more complex prophecies that Nostradamus put out into the world. But unfortunately the man who interpreted it, Reading, didn’t live to see people celebrate his book. He passed away in January 2017 after a long battle with cancer. Still, his son Laurie has commented to the media about the royal revelations.
Proud
In September 2022 Laurie told the Wales Online news website, “It's been completely incredible to see so many people discussing and sharing my father’s book. It really was a labor of love for him to write, and if he was here today he'd be wonderfully proud that a number of his interpretations have come to fruition. I look forward to seeing what other predictions come true.”
A royal expert's take
And while several of Reading's interpretations have come to fruition, many remain skeptical about his claim regarding Harry. Royal experts have a different take on what's to come. The coronation of a new monarch is something people of the United Kingdom haven't witnessed in 86 years. Experts have looked at the symbolism behind everything we know about the special event, and their predictions only heighten the great anticipation.
Out on the crown
There are a lot of plans in place for Charles right now. Although a monarch of the United Kingdom doesn’t actually require a coronation to be considered the rightful ruler, eyebrows would definitely be raised if there weren’t one. Especially since said ceremony will be broadcast all around the world. But Charles might not actually want too much extravagance for his coronation. Why?
Heavy is the head
Britain is going through a tough time right now, and the new King is well aware of that. According to those in the know, he’s worried that having an overly ostentatious coronation might negatively impact his reputation. After all, no one wants to be the “let-them-eat-cake” royal! So, a few of the usual lavish traditions might be cut.
A more “streamlined” coronation
In October 2022, a month after Elizabeth II’s passing, royal editor Russell Myers talked about the coronation possibilities on British television. He told the ITV network, “King Charles apparently wants a very streamlined coronation, potentially to do with the cost-of-living crisis. He’s very aware of the fact that a man prancing around in a jeweled crown is probably not the best look when everybody is struggling to pay their bills at the moment.”
The splendor of Britain
Myers said that although Charles’ coronation would be “streamlined,” some grand royal trademarks, such as the golden State Carriage, could still make an appearance. He told presenter Lorraine Kelly, “Some people are saying that we can show off the splendor of Britain in one of these big majestic occasions. But I don’t know, a big debate I think.”
First televised coronation
Showing off “the splendor of Britain” was certainly something Elizabeth’s coronation did. Hers lasted nearly three hours, and those who watched it on TV would have seen the monarch wear no fewer than three extraordinary crowns: the George IV State Diadem, the St. Edward's Crown, and the Imperial State Crown. She was also handed a symbolic orb of gold, jewels, and pearls. But what about Charles?
Finest jewels
Charles may not want to end up “prancing around in a jeweled crown,” but he doesn’t actually have a lot of choice when it comes to the coronation regalia. Like his mother, he’ll almost certainly have to wear the St. Edward’s Crown, a 5-lb beauty of a headpiece that features 444 gems. It’s already been removed from the Tower of London to get it ready for the new monarch.
Elizabeth’s crown
And the new monarch will also have to wear the Imperial State Crown, which is arguably the one most associated with the late Elizabeth. Not only did she wear it at her coronation, but it was also placed on her coffin for her State Funeral. It’s one of the “newer” royal crowns, since it was only made in 1937 — but it’s a truly remarkable creation.
Six robes
Also like Elizabeth, Charles gets to wear a grand total of six robes, one for each stage of the coronation. The names of these, in order of appearance, are as follows: the recognition, the oath, the anointing, the investiture, the enthronement, and the homage. A couple of these robes will be historic pieces, but most of them will have been made especially for Charles.
Special pie
Other items, of varying weirdness, may have to be made for the new King too. One of the best examples? A traditional food enjoyed by the royals at special events is the less-than-appetizing lamprey pie. This delicacy is a pastry filled with the meat from eel-like fish called lampreys. These pies were provided at both the Queen’s 2012 and 2017 jubilees… though her reaction to them has sadly not been recorded.
King and queen
Charles will have more things to worry about at the coronation beyond weird pies, though. For starters, his spouse will be crowned alongside him, something Elizabeth never had to deal with. Prince Philip was a male consort, so the rules were different: rather than getting a crown, he simply had to pledge to be “liege man of life and limb” to his wife.
Controversial crown
But Camilla will be Queen Consort, so she gets a crown as well. But which crown? Well, predictions indicate that there could be some controversy ahead there. Some royal experts have suggested that she might wear the Queen Mother’s Koh-i-Noor crown, named after a diamond with a very unpleasant backstory.
Victorian history
The Koh-i-Noor diamond is one of the most famous jewels in the world, and once upon a time it belonged to Queen Victoria. But where she got it from is more problematic. She was given it during the time of British colonial rule in India, and for a long time now India has demanded its return.
Indefensible
“A stone that might have looked acceptable on the Queen Mother’s head in the Britain of 1937 would look utterly indefensible on Camilla’s, next May,” The Guardian wrote in October 2022. It’s hard to argue with that, but if Charles and Camilla really did want the Koh-i-Noor crown for their coronation, they would surely get it regardless.
Star of Africa
That’s not all. The Imperial State Crown and the royal scepter both hold pieces of a diamond called the Star of Africa, and that, too, was also a product of colonial rule. Immediately after Elizabeth’s death in 2022, groups in South Africa demanded that the gem be returned to its country of origin and not used for future British coronations.
Choosing a date
So Charles has a decision to make here, clearly. But it’s not the only call he’s had to make in the run-up to the coronation. There was a lot of discussion about exactly when the event would be held. At first, experts speculated that it would happen in June, because that was when Elizabeth had hers.
A very poignant date
But as it turned out, the date of the coronation was eventually set for May 6, 2023. And that’s a date that holds a lot of significance for the members of the royal family — and one member in particular. You might be forgiven for thinking the date was specifically chosen because of Prince Harry, in fact.
Historic significance
May 6 holds many historic echoes for the royal family. King Edward VII, the eldest son of Victoria and Charles’ great-great grandfather, died on that day in 1910. Fifty years later, Princess Margaret married her husband Antony Armstrong-Jones on the same date. And there’s also precedent for May coronations, as that’s the month King George VI chose.
Potentially problematic?
Sounds good, except… May 6 also happens to be the birthday of Prince Harry’s son with Meghan Markle, Archie. And there are rumors about whether Harry will want to attend the coronation of his father — or be allowed to attend, for that matter. Was that date chosen to give him an excuse to stay away?
Are Harry and Meghan invited?
Still, “Will Harry be there or not?” was the question on everyone’s lips even before his bombshell memoir about the royals hit shelves worldwide. In December 2022 royal biographer Angela Levin told British tabloid The Sun, “It’s an important occasion, and it can’t just be all about [Harry and Meghan] — and if they do come it will be all about them. I think William will say ‘absolutely not, you cannot come.’”
Strange traditions
But let’s assume for the moment that Charles is too busy worrying about coronation planning to focus too much on his younger son’s escapades. As noted, there will be a lot going on on the day, including some traditions that are downright weird. Will he be able to make his big day both “streamlined” and yet as memorable as his mother’s?
Golden Orb
The coronation planning committee operates under the grand name of “Operation Golden Orb” in case you were in any doubt about how seriously Britain takes these things. Everything involved in the coronation must be held to the highest possible standards, and some of the things that Charles will use on the day — not even just the jewels — are absolutely invaluable.
“A lot less fuss”
In February 2022, before Elizabeth had passed and Charles had become King, an anonymous source told the Daily Mail newspaper, “Compared to the last coronation, there will be a lot less fuss. Last time, special green chairs were commissioned, and guests were able to have them delivered to their homes afterwards. You won’t see that sort of thing this time.”
A very special throne
But there will still be special chairs involved. In order to be crowned, Charles must sit on an ancient seat called King Edward’s Chair, and when we say ancient we really do mean ancient. King Edward I had it made sometime around 1300 to house Scotland’s Stone of Scone, also known as the Stone of Destiny. The stone was returned to Scotland in 1996 but it revisits England for coronations, and the chair itself has been used for crownings since at least 1399.
Stealing the stone
The Stone of Scone was a matter of some contention between Scotland and England for a while. Even though both places are part of the United Kingdom, there’s some bloody history between them. And, just as is the case with the countries who originally owned some of the gems which festoon the Crown Jewels, Scotland wanted it back. Some university students even stole the stone back in 1950.
Ominous prediction
And now a man who calls himself a “psychic medium” has been speaking to the British newspapers about Charles’ use of the Stone of Scone. A 68-year-old called Craig Hamilton-Parker told the Metro newspaper at the beginning of 2023 that he believed there would be misfortune for the new King if the stone came back to England.
Weird feelings
Hamilton-Parker informed the paper, “The Stone of Scone was used during the old coronation of the Scottish kings… [it] was stolen by Edward and brought back to Westminster and only in recent years was it given back to the Scots. I have weird feelings about Scotland, some kind of protest or someone trying to steal the stone.”
Going spare
But security on the day will certainly be on the lookout for any stone-stealers — and worse. Obviously there will be armed guards present, and that’s got people talking about Harry yet again. According to some commentators, the comments the estranged royal made in his memoir were so inflammatory it’d be safer for everyone if he didn’t come.
Sitting down and talking
So it is still up in the air whether Harry and Meghan will attend the coronation, or just stay home and celebrate Archie's birthday. Harry himself told Tom Bradby in his January 2023 interview that he hoped the royals would "sit down and talk" about him attending… but we'll see.
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