Authors
Kushel HM is a mechanical engineer-turned-journalist, who loves all things football, tennis and films. He was with the news desk at the Hindustan Times, Mumbai, before joining Newschecker.
Pankaj Menon is a fact-checker based out of Delhi who enjoys ‘digital sleuthing’ and calling out misinformation. He has completed his MA in International Relations from Madras University and has worked with organisations like NDTV, Times Now and Deccan Chronicle online in the past.
Claim
Kate Middleton is now officially going around the UK wearing a hijab in the wake of the recent race riots.
Fact
Viral video dates back to March 2023; the Prince and Princess of Wales went to thank those involved in relief efforts for victims of the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria.
Several social media users are circulating a 17-second video, purportedly showing Kate Middleton, Princess of Wales, wearing a hijab while greeting people. According to the users, “Middleton is officially going around the UK wearing a hijab now”, a clear sign that “Britain has now fully adopted Muslim culture”.
The video went viral against the backdrop of anti-Muslim and anti-immigrant riots that erupted across the UK following the murder of three girls at a Taylor Swift-themed event in Southport, a seaside town in northwest England, after false messaging on social media wrongly identified the suspected killer as an Islamist migrant.
The archived version of the post can be seen here.
Fact Check
Newschecker noticed the watermark reading, Daily Mail, on the top-left corner of the video, following which we ran a keyword search for “Daily Mail Kate Middleton hijab” that led us to this Daily mail report, dated March 9, 2023, sharing a longer version of the viral video. The video was also uploaded by the Royal Family channel on Youtube on March 9, 2023, stating that the Prince and Princess of Wales visited the Hayes Muslim Centre to thank those involved in the earthquake aid effort in Turkey-Syria. A devastating 7.8-magnitude earthquake near the Türkiye-Syria border in the early hours of February 6, 2023, followed by another one nearly as strong, caused one of the biggest disasters to impact the region in recent times, killing tens of thousands of people.
“Kate Middleton, 41, opted to recycle an Alexander McQueen black pleated dress…for the outing at Hayes Muslim Centre in London today. As a mark of respect, the couple removed their shoes and Kate covered her head with a scarf, a black and white veil by Pakistani brand Élan, which is part of a set worn by the mother-of-three when she visited the country in 2019,” read the Daily Mail report.
Similar reports can be seen here, here and here, confirming that the viral video is from last year when Prince William and Princess Kate visited West London’s Islamic community centre to thank them for their donations and efforts to aid Turkey and Syrian earthquake victims.
Also Read: Video Of Brutal Murder In Andhra Linked To Violence in Bangladesh
Conclusion
Viral video, claimed to show Kate Middleton going around UK wearing a hijab in the wake of the anti-immigrant riots, is actually from March 2023 when she met volunteers working towards relief efforts for victims of the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria.
Result: Missing Context
Sources
Daily Mail report, March 9,.2023
Youtube video, Royal Family channel, March 9, 2023
If you would like us to fact-check a claim, give feedback or lodge a complaint, WhatsApp us at 9999499044 or email us at checkthis@newschecker.in. You can also visit the Contact Us page and fill out the form. Follow our WhatsApp channel for more updates.
Authors
Kushel HM is a mechanical engineer-turned-journalist, who loves all things football, tennis and films. He was with the news desk at the Hindustan Times, Mumbai, before joining Newschecker.
Pankaj Menon is a fact-checker based out of Delhi who enjoys ‘digital sleuthing’ and calling out misinformation. He has completed his MA in International Relations from Madras University and has worked with organisations like NDTV, Times Now and Deccan Chronicle online in the past.
