Categories InternationalUnited Kingdom
False

Publish Date (HKT) 2022-09-30

Social media post misrepresents the screenshot of a Dutch comedy TV show as ‘the interior of Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin’

 

Screenshot of the Facebook post. 

 

The Claim and Our Verdict 

The claim: A collage of two photos was shared Sept. 19, 2022, on Facebook, along with a claim that these photos show that a camera has been installed in Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin. 

Fact-checking:  

  1. The photos are actually the screenshots of the Dutch comedy TV show “The Evening Show with Arjen Lubach.” Arjen Lubach, host of the program, said that the images taken inside the Queen’s coffin were from a live broadcast of the BBC Extra Plus channel. However, the BBC does not have any channels called BBC Extra Plus.
  2. Keyword searches did not find any videos shot from the inside of the coffin in BBC’s recent coverage of Queen Elizabeth II’s death.
  3. Moreover, some Dutch media have reported or commented on the content of The Evening Show with Arjen Lubach. They call it a controversial joke.

Our verdict: The photos circulating online are actually screenshots of a Dutch comedy TV show. They do not show the interior of Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin. 

 

News Brief 

A collage of two photos was shared Sept. 19, 2022 on Facebook, along with a claim that these photos show that a camera has been installed in Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin. Putting two photos side by side, the left one in the collage shows a convoy passing through a crowd, and the right one shows an old woman lying in a confined space. The Dutch-language subtitles translate as, “…from Balmoral to Edinburgh, where she will lie in state.” The caption, written in traditional Chinese, translates as, “Such a joke to put a camera inside?” 

Queen Elizabeth II died at Balmoral Castle, Scotland, on Sept. 8, 2022. Three days later, the Queen’s coffin was delivered from Balmoral Castle to the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh and was placed on view to allow the public to pay their respects on Sept. 12. Some comments on the Facebook post have mentioned the Queen, while some shared memes of the Queen. It suggests that some users were misled to believe that the photo has been taken by a camera installed in the Queen’s coffin. 

As of the publication of this report, the post had received 11 comments as well as three likes or reactions. Similar claims have been circulating on Weibo here and here. 

Fact-checking 

Reverse image searches have found a YouTube video published Sept. 13, 2022. The YouTube video is an episode of a Dutch evening comedy show “The Evening Show with Arjen Lubach.” The host Arjen Lubach is a Dutch writer and actor. The seven-minute-and-20-second mark of the YouTube video corresponds to the Facebook image.  

Screenshot comparison of the Facebook video (top) and the YouTube video (bottom). 

In this episode, right before the above-mentioned scene appeared (around the seven-minute mark of the YouTube video), Lubach said, “And there is even a channel there…BBC Extra Plus, with a live report from the inside.” However, the BBC does not have any channels called BBC Extra Plus. Searches through all recent BBC reports on the Queen’s death have not found any videos taken from the inside of the coffin. 

Moreover, some Dutch media have reported or commented on the content of this episode of The Evening Show with Arjen Lubach. They call it a controversial joke. 

Conclusion 

The photos circulating online are actually screenshots of a Dutch comedy TV show. They do not show the interior of Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin. 

References 

  • Facebook, post, Sept. 19, 2022. 
  • Weibo, post, Sept. 16, 2022. 
  • Weibo, post, Sept. 17, 2022.