Queen Elizabeth Hit With Death Hoax Amid Health Scare
A report claiming Queen Elizabeth II passed away ignited a firestorm on Tuesday evening. The proximity raised eyebrows due to the false report dropping just days after Buckingham Palace announced she was diagnosed with COVID-19. Buckingham Palace has not commented on the report, but a British politician made clear that the news was false. Queen Elizabeth, 95, marked 70 years on the throne earlier this month.
The website Hollywood Unlocked, which usually covers celebrity gossip, published a report on its website and Instagram page claiming the queen died, citing "sources close to the Royal Kingdom." The site even claimed the queen was scheduled to attend British Vogue editor Edward Enninful's wedding but passed away before she could. It is true that Enninful is set to marry his longtime partner Alec Maxwell soon, but there's no word that the queen planned to attend, even before she tested positive for COVID-19.
After the report went viral, House of Lords chief of staff Dayo Okewale said it was incorrect. "Hollywood unlocked posting the Queen is dead???? There is no credible source that verifies this," Okewale wrote, adding the hashtag "false."
Despite no word from Buckingham Palace, Hollywood Unlocked's reports on the queen's death remain on its website and social media pages. The site's founder, Jason Lee, also responded to the criticism. "We don't post lies and I always stand by my sources. Waiting for an official statement from the palace," Lee tweeted.
Back on Sunday, Buckingham Palace announced that Queen Elizabeth tested positive for COVID-19 and was showing "mild cold-like symptoms." The palace said she would continue "light duties at Winsdoer over the next week" and would continue to "receive medical attention and will follow all the appropriate guidelines." On Tuesday, the palace announced Queen Elizabeth canceled planned virtual engagements but would continue with "light duties." This likely refers to her responsibilities as the U.K.'s head of state, including answering the letters and documents she receives every day.
The positive test came after Prince Charles tested positive for the virus a second time on Feb. 10 just a few days after visiting his mother. Charles' wife Camilla also tested positive. A royal source told CNN there was recently "a number of cases... diagnosed in the Windsor Castle team."
Queen Elizabeth celebrated 70 years as the British monarch on Feb. 6. She only recently returned to making public appearances after her health scares last fall. In October, she was hospitalized overnight for tests. During one of her last appearances before the COVID-19 diagnosis, she was seen with a cane. The queen has a few major events scheduled in March, including a thanksgiving ceremony for her late husband, Prince Philip, on March 29 at Westminster Abbey.