Michel de Notre Dame, often known as Michel Nostradame and Nostradamus, was a French pharmacist and alleged fortune-teller born in France in 1503. He rose to prominence with his work Les Prophéties, a compilation of 942 lyrical quatrains that purportedly prophesy the future.
Nostradamus is said to have prophesied various future events in his work, first published in 1555. Some of the most noteworthy incidents included the fire that ravaged London in 1666 and the killing of France’s King Henry IV in 1610.
Of the four major claims for 2024, the one that stands out is the succession to the British throne. The mystic claimed this quatrain:
According to author Mario Reading’s 2006 book Nostradamus: The Complete Prophecies for the Future, these phrases refer to the monarchy in the 2020s. He argued that Charles III would abdicate his position as King. Although William is the heir to the throne, Harry has been mentioned as a potential alternative.
The prospects of “the people” forcing Charles out are slim, but the new cancer diagnosis is concerning for the freshly minted monarch.
How much can we believe?
Of course, this prognosis lacks specificity. Britain, King Charles, and Prince Harry are not mentioned. Neither is this year. So, why do so many people believe these predictions?
As historian Dan Jones observes, “Nostradamus has the virtue of ambiguity mixed with apocalyptic intensity. That is not rare. Many sayers of sooth, including Merlin and Geoffrey of Monmouth, have done the same. This ambiguity lends itself to what we now call confirmation bias. In desperate times, soothsayers have a ready audience for their wild ramblings. “It is the intersection of cynicism and gullibility.