British Royal Family

Did a video posted to Facebook in September 2022 show the body of the late Queen Elizabeth II being placed into a coffin? No, that's not true: The video in question was originally posted to social media more than three weeks prior to the queen's September 8, 2022, death. While the post does not make the claim outright, its timing…

Was a debt jubilee, the cancellation of a broad range of debts from the public record, "officially declared" after Queen Elizabeth II's death? No, that's not true: At the time of writing, no such announcement has been made. The man who posted the rumor online was promoting his online store selling precious metals. The claim appeared in a Facebook post…

Does this video prove that 30 British aircraft intercepted Russia's Black Sea fleet? No, that's not true: The video shows a compilation of file photos, some not even of British aircraft, with subtitles. At least one shows an obsolete aircraft. Some of the subtitles do not make sense in terms of a military operation such as: "an early warning aircraft…

Did the queen "surprise everyone by declaring new king and queen"? No, that's not true: Queen Elizabeth, the 96-year-old British monarch, has not decided that her son Charles and his wife Camilla will be skipped over in favor of Prince William and Kate Middleton becoming the next king and queen of England. Queen Elizabeth issued a statement declaring the exact…

Did Queen Elizabeth pass away as reported by Hollywood Unlocked? No, that's not true: This is a baseless claim from one American entertainment blog that was published two days after Buckingham Palace announced that Queen Elizabeth II had tested positive for COVID-19 and that she was "experiencing mild, coldlike symptoms." A plan called "Operation London Bridge" has been in place…

Does Bob Cratchit, a character from the Charles Dickens classic novella "A Christmas Carol" make the equivalent of $530.27 a week, which is more than the current weekly federal minimum wage in the United States? Probably not: The novella, set in Victorian-era London, states that Cratchit is paid 15 "bob" -- a colloquial term for British shillings -- per week…

Did Romana Didulo become commander in chief of Canada? No, that's not true: according to a spokesperson from the Canadian government, the head of state of Canada is still Queen Elizabeth II and the head of government is Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Didulo is simply the leader of Canada1st, a group that is not "part of or beholden to the…

Did the media fail to report the deaths of 11 Marines in Afghanistan this week? No, that's not true: The deaths referred to all occurred in 2010. Only two were Marines. News media reported on each of the deaths at the time. They did all happen in a single week: July 13-18, 2010. The story reappeared in a post (archived…

Was Queen Elizabeth found guilty in a missing children murder case? No, this is not true: A claim that the British monarch tried and convicted in the disappearance of 10 native children from the Catholic-run Kamloops residential school in British Columbia is completely made up. There is no evidence such a crime ever occurred. The story appeared as an article…

Did courts "quietly confirm" that the MMR vaccine, which protects children against measles, mumps, and rubella, causes autism? No, that's not true: Court cases cited in articles falsely making the claim concluded with damage awards for encephalitis blamed on vaccinations, and not for autism. These misleading reports also cite research from Andrew Wakefield, a doctor who lost his medical license…