One sentence on the royal website shattered the usual silence. No explanation. Just a line: “A formal announcement will be made at 6:00 p.m.” For a monarchy that never moves without choreography, it felt like a rupture. No subtle leaks to trusted journalists. No advanced whispers through palace aides. Just a timestamp and that alone sent shockwaves through the royal-watching world. No one needed more than that to know something was wrong. The absence of detail was the alarm. Journalists scrambled. Phones rang with questions no one could answer. Newsrooms stretched airtime, guessing at possibilities. Theories surged some absurd, others disturbingly believable. A health crisis? A sudden abdication? Was someone forced out or stepping into power? The vacuum of information only deepened the tension.
