The chilling (and hilarious) predictions made by the British in 1999 about the future of the United Kingdom (including an actual prediction that some got right!)

A list of predictions that Britons made in 1999 about the future, some right and some hilariously wrong, are being shared online.

On December 31, 1999, The Daily Telegraph quizzed a group of Britons about what they thought would happen in the next 100 years.

While some of his answers were outlandish, others are eerily accurate about what life is like today, including predicting Elon Musk’s Space X and even a nod to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Optimistically, most Britons expected a cure for cancer by the year 2100, while others thought that most people would be richer than their parents and England would win the Ashes.

However, only eight per cent correctly predicted that Camilla Parker-Bowles would become queen.

The story was shared on Reddit this weekend and hundreds of Brits shared their opinions.

The British were also wrong when they said Scotland would become independent and cloning would become commonplace.

However, in 1999 Britons were aware of climate change: 81 percent predicted that global warming will lead to massive climate change by the year 2100.

Indeed, in recent days the UK has been hit by storms and heavy rain, with flights canceled and hundreds of homes evacuated.

A few days ago, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) announced that 2024 will be the warmest year on record, ending a decade of unprecedented heat fueled by human activities.

A large majority of those surveyed in 1999 also believed that Scotland would be independent by 2100.

Although this is not the case, there was a referendum in 2014 that was narrowly won with a “no” vote: 55 percent of Scots wanted to remain part of the United Kingdom and 45 percent voted to leave.

With the loss of Alex Salmond – a passionate supporter of the referendum – and the Scottish National Party rocked by an embezzlement scandal that caused a haemorrhage of seats in the last general election, we will have to wait to see what’s next for the party’s candidacy. nation. for independence.

Staying on the topic of politics, 72 per cent of those surveyed in 1999 thought Britain would become part of a federal Europe.

However, the British public chose to distance itself from the European Union after the highly disputed 2016 Brexit vote.

Just over 52 percent of Britons voted to leave the EU, while 48 percent voted to remain.

In 1999, almost two-thirds of Britons surveyed by the newspaper believed a nuclear war would break out “somewhere in the world.”

While this has not happened yet, there was recent talk of a nuclear war after outgoing US President Joe Biden approved Ukraine firing US-made missiles towards Russia.

When he takes office in January, President-elect Donald Trump will inherit a host of national security challenges, including major wars in Ukraine and the Middle East.

And at his side will be Elon Musk as head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

The Tesla CEO also founded SpaceX, a US-based rocket company that sent four private astronauts into space last year and has plans to colonize Mars.

So when the British predicted in 1999 that people would go on vacation to space, they weren’t far off.

Speaking about his vision of building a self-sustaining city on the red planet in the next 20 years, the SpaceX boss said: ‘We’re going to Mars. You might as well be along for the fun ride.

When Musk is there, maybe he’ll check off another prediction from the 1999 list: “we will come into contact with life on other planets.”

Another theory from 1999 stated that we would see more women leaders than men around the world.

While Kamala Harris’ victory in the recent presidential election would certainly have improved the ratio, this has not yet become a reality.

However, recently we have seen more women rise to power, including Claudia Sheinbaum, who became Mexico’s first female president in October 2024.

People like Angela Merkel, who was named Germany’s first chancellor in 2005 and served until 2021.

Some 44 per cent of Britons polled in 1999 were hopeful of England winning the Ashes.

At that time, Australia had held the Ashes consecutively since 1989, and would win two more Tests in 2001 and 2002.

But the respondents’ dream finally came true in 2005, with a 2-1 series victory for England, who finally achieved their biennial bid to lift the urn.

Interestingly, another prediction from 1999 was about to come true in 2020.

About 35 percent of respondents theorized that there would be a “great plague” in the next 100 years that would claim the lives of billions of people around the world.

While the death toll is not that high, Covid-19 is believed to have killed at least 235,000 Britons since the pandemic began, with more deaths caused by disruption of the NHS and regular screening for health problems such as cancer. .

But there is one forecast on the list that has been categorically fulfilled.

In 1999, eight percent of Britons thought Camilla Parker Bowles would become queen, and she did so in May 2023, along with her husband, King Charles.

Although Charles and Camilla were romantically involved long before the turn of the millennium, they were still working hard to present their relationship to the public.

Before Diana tragically died in 1997, the ‘people’s princess’ stated in a now famous interview with Martin Bashir: “Well, there were three of us in this marriage, so it was a little crowded.”

Like the public, Queen Elizabeth did not approve of the previously adulterous relationship, refusing her invitation to a private Charles’ 50th birthday party in 1998 because Camilla would be there, according to city ​​and countryside.

In an effort to stop being vilified by the public, Charles began appearing with Camilla and even invited her on family vacations with Prince William and Harry.

She eventually moved into Clarence House with the future king and the couple announced their engagement in February 2005.

They married at Windsor Guildhall two months later, in April 2005.

When Queen Elizabeth passed away at her beloved Balmoral Castle in September 2022, Charles immediately succeeded her.

He was crowned King Charles III in May 2023 with Camilla as queen consort.