After a gossip website with 2.8 million Instagram followers announced her death, Queen Elizabeth II became the target of a widespread false news outcry.

According to Hollywood Unlocked, the 95-year-old Monarch, who has COVID-19, was found dead shortly before she was expected at British Vogue editor Edward Enninful’s nuptials.

On February 22, the claim was released late in the evening U.K. time, allowing it to grow viral in America when much of Britain was sleeping.

Several portions of the storey, most notably the suggestion she was planned to attend Enninful’s celebrity wedding at the Longleat estate in Wiltshire, were quickly discredited.

The queen is not known for attending the weddings of the affluent and famous; in fact, she did not attend her own son Prince Charles’ legal ceremony at Windsor Guildhall in 2005 because she has a personal policy of only attending religious weddings.

Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, were refused a church wedding due to now-outdated Church of England restrictions relating to the bride’s status as a divorcee with a surviving ex-husband—so the queen attended a blessing for the pair later that day.

Marlene Koenig, a royal analyst, tweeted: “I’m sorry to break the news to you, but that’s not how it works when a sovereign dies. I recommend that you seek out fresh sources. She would also not attend the wedding of the vogue editor because she does not know him and only attends family weddings.”

Buckingham Palace does not comment on internet rumours of this nature and would not be drawn when approached by Newsweek, although Kensington Palace was open for business on Wednesday morning.

The official Twitter account of Prince William and Kate Middleton shared information about the Duchess of Cambridge’s solo tour of Denmark.

Yesterday was all about understanding the very earliest stages of a child’s development here in Denmark 🇩🇰.
 
Today we move on to learn about the next stage of their life, focusing on children’s mental health and wellbeing.

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— The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (@KensingtonRoyal) February 23, 2022

After testing positive for coronavirus on Sunday, the queen is feeling mild, cold-like symptoms and has postponed the day’s scheduled video meetings.

However, she was well enough to continue light chores just hours before Hollywood Unlocked’s article, implying that her health would have declined abruptly if the tale were accurate.

The article’s wording was also extremely unroyal, with references to the “royal realm,” a phrase that does not appear elsewhere on the royal family’s website and is not commonly used.

Elizabeth was also “discovered deceased,” according to Hollywood Unlocked, terminology that would be more appropriate in a police press release than in royal communications.

We don’t post lies and I always stand by my sources. Waiting for an official statement from the palace.

— Jason Lee (@theonlyjasonlee) February 22, 2022

On Twitter, however, Jason Lee, the founder of Hollywood Unlocked, stayed firm in his reporting: “We never post false information, and I always stand by my sources. We are awaiting an official word from the palace.”

Many mocked the report, with comedian James Jefferson writing on Instagram, “The Royal Family: ‘Damn the Queen died, hit up Jason real quick!’ [face with tears emoji]”

It also sparked criticism from more serious quarters, with Dayo Okewale, a House of Lords head of staff, writing: “The Queen is dead, according to Hollywood???? There is no trustworthy source to back this up. #False.”

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