Authors
Vasudha noticed the growing problem of mis/disinformation online after studying New Media at ACJ in Chennai and became interested in separating facts from fiction. She is interested in learning how global issues affect individuals on a micro level. Before joining Newschecker’s English team, she was working with Latestly.
Claim
Queen Elizabeth II bid farewell with chants of Om and Sanskrit Shlokas
Links to such posts can be found here, here, here and here.
Fact
On analysing the viral video, we spotted a watermark of Wild Films India on the screen. Additionally, Delhi 2010 along with the logo of Commonwealth Games 2010 can be seen on the white background behind the students on stage.
Taking a clue, we conducted a search for keywords “Wild Film India Delhi CWG 2010 Shlokas” on YouTube which led us to a video uploaded on the official channel of Wild Film India, on May 25, 2019, -more than 3 years before the Queen died on September 8, 2022- titled ‘British students perform Sanskrit shlokas at the Queen’s Baton Relay 2010.’
Five seconds into the YouTube video, we spot the same footage that is now viral as the clip showing students bidding farewell to the Queen with chants of Om and shlokas, confirming that the video is old and unrelated to the Queen’s death. The description of the video reads, “The Queen’s Baton Relay, an epic journey that began with Cardiff Commonwealth Games in 1958 has since been the curtain raiser to every Commonwealth Games. One of the Games’ greatest traditions, the relay represents the unity of the Commonwealth. The journey celebrates this quadrennial event of sports and culture and delivers the message of Commonwealth’s camaraderie wherever it goes. It binds all the 71 nations and territories of the Commonwealth with the solitary message of ‘peace and harmony through sports’.”
Adding, “The Queen’s Baton Relay 2010 Delhi will set out on its journey on 29 October 2009 from the Buckingham Palace carrying Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s message. Queen’s Baton Relay 2010 Delhi is going to be one of the longest Baton Relays ever. In its International Sector, the baton will pass through all nations and territories of the Commonwealth for 240 days and for the next 100 days it will traverse through the length and breadth of India.”
We found that Wild Films India has also uploaded a slightly shorter version of the same video earlier on May 22, 2019. The description of the same reads, “The St James School Choir recites a spiritual poem called the shlokas at Buckingham Palace during the CWG Queen Baton 2010. “
The official Facebook page of XIX Commonwealth Games 2010 had also shared a video featuring some visuals from the Queen’s Baton Relay 2010. Posted on November 25, 2009, the 5:50 minute-long video carried some snippets from the viral clip.
We could thus conclude that the viral posts claiming to show “students bidding farewell to Queen Elizabeth II with chantings of Om” are false. The video is over a decade old and shows visuals from the launch of Queen’s Baton Relay 2010 ahead of the Commonwealth Games Delhi’ 2010.
Result: False
Sources
YouTube Video Wild Film India, Dated May 25, 2019
Self Analysis
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Authors
Vasudha noticed the growing problem of mis/disinformation online after studying New Media at ACJ in Chennai and became interested in separating facts from fiction. She is interested in learning how global issues affect individuals on a micro level. Before joining Newschecker’s English team, she was working with Latestly.
