Do viral images and videos authentically document U.K. Defense Secretary Wes Streeting wearing a skirt and heels while holding a women's handbag? Those visual materials were digitally manipulated to alter his outfit. In the images published by established media organizations, Streeting was seen wearing a suit and men's shoes.
The claim appeared in a post (archived here and here) on X where it was published by @coolfonpl on Nov. 9, 2026. The Polish caption read:
Wes Streeting, minister obrony Wielkiej Brytanii. Putin się zesrał. Ze śmiechu.
The automatic translation on X read:
Wes Streeting, UK defence minister. Putin shit himself. From laughing.
This is what the video shared in the post looked like on X at the time of publication:
(Image source: post by @coolfonpl on X.)
In some cases, similar fabricated still images (archived here) on social media appeared to show Streeting -- seemingly in the same outfit -- photographed from a different angle:
(Image source: post by @Pascal_Laurent_ on X.)
The previous day -- Nov. 8, 2026 -- was the U.K.'s Remembrance Sunday (archived here) dedicated to the fallen service members. One ceremony held on this day was a service at the Cenotaph in London, an event attended (archived here) by the King and the royal family.
One clue was that the account that posted the claim on X was labeled (archived here) as a "parody account" and its self-description said that it publishes memes, among other things.
Streeting (archived here) became the secretary of defense in July 20, 2026. Shortly after that, he publicly said (archived here) that he was facing more online homophobia than ever before.
The photos that appeared on Streeting's account on X on Nov. 8, 2026 (archived here) portrayed him wearing men's boots:
(Image source: post by @wesstreeting on X.)
Still images documenting the Nov. 8, 2026, ceremony published by established media organizations -- for example, here (archived here), here (archived here), here (archived here) and here (archived here) -- confirmed that Streeting was wearing classic pants and flat men's shoes.
A search on Google News for the keywords seen here (archived here) showed no media reports saying anything about him wearing a skirt on the occasion.
The original video (archived here, here and here) was first published on Instagram on the day of the event. It showed the U.K.'s defense secretary wearing a formal men's suit:
(Image source: post by @louiserrington on Instagram.)
