‘The Simpsons’ did not predict Queen Elizabeth II’s death

 

Screenshot of the Facebook post. 

 

News Brief 

A photo collage was shared Sept. 22, 2022, on Facebook, along with a claim that it shows that animated TV series “The Simpsons” predicted that Queen Elizabeth II would die in 2022. The photo collage consists of three images (see below): Image A which depicts a courtroom scene, with the number “2014” in red; image B which appears to show a cartoon version of Queen Elizabeth II lying in a coffin with a plaque reads “Elizabeth II 1926-2022”; image C which is an enlarged view of the text shown in image B.  

The photo collage on Facebook consists of three images. 

 

Queen Elizabeth II died at Balmoral Castle in Scotland on Sept. 8, 2022. 

“The Simpsons” is an American animated sitcom that has been airing since its debut in 1989. 

As of the publication of this report, the Facebook post had been shared 19 times, and had received 22 comments as well as 153 likes and reactions.  

Fact-checking 

Through keyword searches, it has been found that Matt Selman, the executive producer of “The Simpsons,” shared an article on Twitter on Sept. 23, 2022, titled “D’oh! No, ‘The Simpsons’ Did Not Predict Queen Elizabeth II’s Death.” 

According to Wikisimpsons, an online encyclopedia of “The Simpsons,” Queen Elizabeth II appeared as a cartoon character in six episodes of the series. Based on the appearance list shown on the website, image A was from the 16–minute–and–8–second mark of the fourth episode of Season 15 broadcast in 2003. However, neither images resembling image B (i.e., the cartoon character of Queen Elizabeth II lying in a coffin) nor plots about her death in 2022 have been found. 

 

The 16-minute-and-8-second mark of Season 15, Episode 4 of “The Simpsons.” 

By comparing the image captured from the original episode and the one circulating online, it has been found that the number “2014” shown in image A did not exist in the original episode. Therefore, the image has been altered to include that number. 

Comparison between image A (left) and the 16-minute-and-8-second mark of the fourth episode of Season 15 of the series (right). 

Furthermore, the cartoon character of the Queen in image B looks almost the same as the one who appeared at the 14–minute–and–24–second mark in the fourth episode of Season 15, in terms of appearance, facial expression, style, and outfit details.  The coffin in image B is almost identical to the one which appeared at 13-minute-and-30-second mark in the eighth episode of Season 19 aired in 2007. However, in this episode, the cartoon character lying in the coffin was not the Queen, but a male (see below). There was not an inscription of “Elizabeth II 1926-2022” on the coffin. Therefore, the cartoon character of Queen Elizabeth II lying in the coffin in the viral images have been synthesized from images captured from the fourth episode of Season 15 and the eighth episode of Season 19. 

Comparison between the cartoon character of Queen Elizabeth II in image B (left) and the one appearing at the 14-minute-and-24-second mark in the fourth episode of Season 15 (right). 

 

Comparison between the coffin in image B (left) and the one appearing at 13-minute-and-30-second in the eighth episode of Season 19 (right). 

Similar claims have been debunked by several fact-checking organizations such as Reuters Fact Check and Misbar.