The April Fool Archive

Royalty-Themed April Fool's Day Hoaxes

Prince of Wales Weds Princess ‘X’ (1935)

"H.R.H. Edward, Prince of Wales, is seen placing a ring on the finger of his bride. Note that she is masked. This precaution was considered necessary to hide her identity from several thousand members of the Girls Who Have Danced With the Prince of Wales Association, whose protest demonstration staged outside the palace during the ceremony had reached the proportions of a riot."

[Photo distributed by the Newspaper Enterprise Association] More…

British Royalty To Visit Gastonia (1939)

North Carolina's Gastonia Daily Gazette reported that King George VI and Queen Elizabeth had, in a surprise move, announced they would visit Gastonia during their forthcoming tour of the United States. The decision was motivated by the King's "desire to view at first hand some industrial sections of America."

However, the paper warned that some special accommodations would need to be made for the visiting royalty: "Since British custom decrees that English royalty must be officially greeted in full regalia of their native country, it will be necessary for Gastonians officially representing the city to wear the customary formal garb of the English court, and orders have already been placed with a leading New York costumer for knee breeches, silk stockings and English wigs which members of the Gastonia city council will wear on this occasion." More…

Queen Faces Challenger (1991)

The Independent ran an article headlined "Queen faces challenge on her right to be monarch." It reported that a 65-year-old Welsh farmer, Arthur Wynd, had been identified as the illegitimate child of a forgotten son of the Queen's grandfather, King George V, thus making him the rightful heir to the British throne. Wynd was obtaining a court order to force the Queen to submit her DNA to genetic fingerprinting to prove his case. The article also noted that his mother had called him Wynd in the hope that people would call him "Mr. Wynd, sir." More…

The Queen Visits the Bookie (2004)

The Daily Mail ran a photo, allegedly taken by an Austrian tourist named Otto Breeching (an anagram for "bet on the corgi"), showing the Queen with her corgis at a bookmaker placing a bet on the Grand National: "The Daily Mail can reveal that the Queen has insisted on placing her bet in person every year since a flutter went disastrously wrong... And what of the latest wager? A betting shop spokesman would say only that the VIP customer had placed 'a sizeable sum' on one horse to win at the Aintree meeting on Saturday. He declined to name the horse, adding: 'If everyone finds out what she's putting her money on, all the odds will go crazy.'" More…

Prince Charles Goes Lingerie Shopping (2005)

The Daily Mail published pictures of Prince Charles visiting a lingerie shop to pick out gifts for Camilla:

"He is caught pondering over a matching camisole and apparently seeking advice from his young son Prince Harry on the delicate question of how one should invite one's wife to turn one on." More…

Gypsies at Windsor Castle (2005)

The Sun reported that gypsies had set up camp on the Queen's lawn at Windsor Castle, claiming this as their right under a 650-year-old law. The gypsies claimed to be descended from the original builders of the castle who were given permission to pitch tents there by King Edward lll. The Queen was upset, but gypsy leader Ralph Fitteris tried to placate her by suggesting, "We could do her a good deal on tarmac." More…

Buckingham Palace For Rent (2009)

Vacation rental agency Holidaylettings.co.uk posted a listing on its site for Buckingham Palace:

"This stunning accommodation offers deluxe living in the heart of England's capital city. A gated property with secure parking and armed guards, this is the perfect property to relax in complete luxury. Exquisitely furnished with many priceless antiques, royal collections and rare artefacts. 400 people work at the Palace to cater to your every need, including domestic servants, chefs, footmen, cleaners, plumbers, gardeners, chauffeurs, electricians, and two people who look after the 300 clocks." More…

BMW Royal Edition (2011)

BMW ran ads in UK newspapers announcing that in honor of the forthcoming wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton, a special "Royal Edition" of the BMW M3 Couple would be available for one month. It would come in three colors: Regal Red, Bridal White and Imperial Blue.

It would also be adorned with a commemorative "Will" emblem. More…