A SIDEWAYS GLANCE : SIX DEGREES OF JIM LAMPLEY.

When Rudyard Kipling wrote ``The Man Who Would Be King,'' there was no Prince Charles, Prince William or the Artist Formerly Known as Prince to consider.

Fastforward to a turbulent 1997.

One of the present debates raging in England - fueled by conspiring Americans - is whether Queen Elizabeth II should stay in charge or bequeath her throne to her son Charles or grandson William. No one, meanwhile, seems wild about Harry.

According to our charts, however, the candidate equally as qualified - based purely on entertainment lineage - is our own Lord Jim Lampley.

He's been to the royal box as HBO Sports' Wimbledon anchor. He's worked with royalty in England (if you count Billie Jean King). We know of no one, especially a sportscaster, who can recite the Queen's English any better.

Whereas Lampley has just (about) as much right as anyone to be the next resident of Buckingham Palace, we aim to prove it:

Prince Charles sired Prince William,

Prince William turned around is William Prince.

William Prince, a famous U.S. soap opera star in the '50s, played the role in the movie ``Vice Versa'' (1988), where Fred Savage has his personality switched with with Judge Reinhold.

Judge Reinhold, who holds no law degree, starred in ``Beverly Hills Cop'' with Eddie Murphy.

Eddie Murphy played a prince in ``Coming to America,'' with the king played by James Earl Jones.

James Earl Jones, was in ``Naked Gun 33-1/3'' with O.J. Simpson.

O.J. Simpson recently had to relinquish his Tudor-style home in L.A., as did Jim Lampley when he moved the family to Utah.

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2 Photos

PHOTO (1) PRINCE CHARLES

(2) LAMPLEY