Elizabeth was never supposed to be Queen until her goofy uncle abdicated.
IIRC, the last few British monarchs were never first in line for the throne (Victoria. Georges V and VI, and Liz).
If the Harkles are familiar with that bit of British history, that may explain the plane crash comment. And a lot more.
BTW, has anyone heard if either of the Harkles have been vaccinated for CoupFlu?