In mid-May 2024, a video allegedly showing Frederik X supporting demonstrators during a pro-Palestinian rally in Copenhagen went viral on the Internet. We checked whether the video is really of the Danish monarch.
Since May 11, a half-minute video began to be widely distributed on the Internet, which in the Telegram channel of the TV presenter Vladimir Solovyov (232,000 views at the time of writing this analysis) was signed as follows: “King Frederik X of Denmark with the Palestinian flag welcomes the demonstration of solidarity with the Gaza Strip and Palestine taking place in Copenhagen.” Later the same channel turned on news in the selection of the main ones for the day (338,000 views). IslamNews clarified, that the footage shows how, at the height of the action, the monarch went out onto the balcony of his residence with his child. Author of the Telegram channel "Freshness“(48,000 views) first also wrote about the ruler of Denmark, and then updated the post: “Subscribers report that the Middle Eastern media mistook his cousin for King Frederick.”
A video mentioning the Danish monarch and Copenhagen was also posted by Telegram channels “Informant"(46,000 views), "Buyan - What in the world is there?» (43,000) and blog Fikret Shabanova, calling myself "President of the analytical center Consultations on international policy and economy». The same video with similar captions appeared on TikTok And social networks X, where one of the Russian speakers posts received 66,000 views, and some tweets in other languages (English, Spanish, French, Turkish, Arabic And Urdu) collected many times more. Izvestia also wrote about Frederick X holding a Palestinian flag (“VKontakte" And "Classmates"") and the Russian-language version of the Turkish newspaper Yeni Şafak.
December 31, 2023 Queen Margrethe II of Denmark announced about his intention to abdicate the throne, and already on January 14, 2024 took place coronation of her eldest son, Crown Prince Frederik. However, the man from the viral video only vaguely resembles the reigning Danish monarch, and some similarity most likely arose only due to the poor quality of the recording being distributed. Moreover, the man with the Palestinian flag is clean-shaven, and Frederick X has a beard (in May 2024, judging by photo reports on website royal family, the monarch did not shave).
How installed BBC journalist Shayan Sardarizadeh, in fact, the video being distributed was not filmed in Copenhagen, where it is true located Amalienborg is the residence of the Danish royal family, and in the Swedish city of Malmö. This can be understood from the facade captured on the recording buildings with a balcony (located at Slottsgatan 30), as well as nearby buildings. Due to the poor quality of the video it is not easy to see, but on the neighboring house in Swedish written "Average school for girls in Malmö" is an educational institution functioned in the building until the mid-20th century.
May 9 in Malmo passed mass action of pro-Palestinian demonstrators who protested against Israeli participation in the "Eurovision", held in the same city. Protesters carrying Palestinian flags filled Stortorget Square and then marched through the town to a rally a few kilometers from the song competition site. Police estimate that between 10,000 and 12,000 people took part in the protest. Among those gathered was and Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg.
It was during that demonstration that the viral video was recorded, as confirmed by a user of the social network X with the username @elizabeth_w96, who participated in the action. The girl also shared with his better video, which was captured by a man mistaken on the Internet for Frederick X.
Fact checkers of the Les Observateurs project discovered shot of the same person on the same balcony that was published in a photo report on the website of the Turkish TV channel TRT Haber about the demonstration that took place in Malmö.
On social network X, a viral video mentioning the King of Denmark, among others, was shared by the popular English-language pro-Kremlin account Lord Bebo (post already deleted). @elizabeth_w96 was also noted in the replays, having written: “Sorry, but this is definitely not the King of Denmark, but some guy who was on the balcony with his child when our demonstration in Malmö passed by his apartment this week. Misinformation does not help our cause. By the way, it was very cute - the child was blowing soap bubbles.”
Recently, the Royal couple of Denmark, at the invitation of King Carl XVI Gustaf, actually visited Sweden, but the state visit took place on May 6–7 and the program of events was limited Stockholm. In a comment to fact checkers from the Spanish project Newtral, the office of the Danish royal family confirmedthat the person on video is not Frederic X.
Thus, the Danish monarch did not greet the participants in the demonstration of solidarity with Palestine in Copenhagen and did not wave the Palestinian flag. A viral video with a man whom social media users mistook for Frederick X was filmed in the Swedish city of Malmo.
Cover photo: “Verified” collage / social networks / video screenshot Det danske kongehus
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