An image is being shared on social media platforms to claim that it shows a recent visual of the flag at the Buckingham Palace being hoisted at half-mast.
While several users have just shared the photo claiming that it is recent, some have speculated that this might mean that either King of the United Kingdom Charles III or Princess of Wales Kate Middleton have passed away.
An archive of the post can be found here.
(Source: X (formerly Twitter)/Screenshot)
What is the truth?: The image could be traced back to at least September 2022 and shows the flag at half-mast after the death of UK Queen Elizabeth II.
What led us to the truth?: We performed a reverse image search and found the same image uploaded on an X handle named 'Rory Challands'.
According to the account's bio, Challands is a news correspondent for Al Jazeera English.
The image was shared on 8 September 2022.
It should be noted that Queen Elizabeth, who was the longest-reigning monarch in British history, had passed away on 8 September 2022 at age of 96.
Several news reports published at that time indicate that the flag was hoisted at half-mast after the Queen's death.
Why is the claim being shared?: Social media platforms have been rife with rumours of King Charles III's death. This comes into context after it was announced on 5 February that the King was being treated for cancer.
Following these rumours, the official handle of British Embassy in Kyiv dismissed the claims of the King's death.
Conspiracy theories about royal family: Recently, there have been several theories floating around Middleston where several users have enquired about her whereabouts. She caught widespread media attention when she posted an edited photo.
Flags at half-mast: According to a report by The Independent, there are several reasons due to which the Union Flag can be hoisted at half-mast.
The report was published on 9 September 2022.
(Source: The Independent/Screenshot)
Conclusion: It is clear that an old image is being shared to claim that it shows flag at the Buckingham Palace hoisted at half-mast.
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