Fact Check: 10 Reasons We Believed Queen Elizabeth Was Dead

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Tuesday afternoon Hollywood Unlocked posted an “Exclusive” that Queen Elizabeth II had passed away.

Not surprisingly, breaking what could have been the most newsworthy story of the decade caused a tidal wave of reactions on social media, with many questioning how site founder Jason Lee had somehow managed to scoop everyone – including major British outlets – on such a massive bombshell. 

On behalf of our small but mighty team, we want to first say that we heard your concerns and acknowledge the sensitivity around this topic. We not only understand the global reach of the British monarchy, but also recognize that above all else The Queen is a mother, grandmother, and beloved public figure who deserves to be approached with respect. 

Given the confusion our original post has caused, Lee and everyone else at this publication would like to take a moment to thoughtfully lay out exactly why HU believed the 95-year-old royal had passed away and felt empowered to report it. 

  • Tuesday, February 22nd Hollywood Unlocked CEO, Jason Lee was contacted directly from a source who was in attendance at the wedding of British Vogue editor-in-chief Edward Enninful. The source claimed they witnessed a call in which news of the Queen’s death had been confirmed to a high-profile attendee. They went on to outline the dismay that news created at the star-studded event.  
  • While many have scoffed at the idea that the Queen or anyone associated with her would ever attend Enninful’s wedding, not only is he fashion royalty in the UK, a quick Google image search easily pulls up pictures of him sharing intimate moments with members of the royal family such as the Queen’s eldest son Prince Charles, 73, her 74-year-old daughter-in-law Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall and other members of their inner circle.

    LONDON, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 21: Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, Fearne Cotton and Edward Enninful during the Prince’s Trust Awards Trophy Ceremony at St James Palace on October 21, 2021 in London, England. The Prince’s Trust Awards recognize young people who have succeeded against the odds, improved their chances in life and had a positive impact on their local community. (Photo by Tim P. Whitby – Pool/Getty Images)

    RNTC0G The Duchess of Cornwall (left) with British Vogue Editor Edward Enninful on the front row during a visit to London Fashion Week at the BFC Show Space, London. Alamy Eddie Mulholland/Daily Telegraph
  • The Queen was last publicly sighted Wednesday, Feb 16th when she hosted visitors at Windsor Castle. At the time, analysts speculated that video taken of her greeting incoming defense services secretary Maj. Gen. Eldon Millar and his predecessor, Rear Adm. James Macleod was shared in an attempt to assure the public that she was in good health. 
  • However, four days later on Sunday, Feb 20th, Buckingham Palace conceded that the Queen had tested positive for COVID-19. It was subsequently announced that due to her diagnosis that she would cease taking in-person meetings.
  • Given her COVID diagnosis, and the credibility of our original source, Lee then spoke to another source familiar with the British military. This person confirmed directly to Lee that the palace had been locked down and all the top generals had been summoned to Windsor Castle “for an undisclosed reason” just four hours before Hollywood Unlocked broke the news. 
  • It is also worth noting that earlier this month Queen Elizabeth II announced Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, will be known as “Queen Consort” once Prince Charles takes over the throne. This illustrates that her mortality was an ongoing discussion that could not be ignored as she celebrates an unprecedented 70 years on the throne.
  • Breaking the news that Britain’s longest-reigning monarch has passed is no simple matter and as we previously reported, there is an extensive game plan in place for that occurrence that has been dubbed Operation London Bridge. The accounts we received on Tuesday were aligned with the approach of that protocol and appeared to further substantiate claims that Her Majesty’s health had taken a turn for the worse.
  • Given the current ​​Ukraine-Russia crisis, we understand that the world is in a space of political unrest right now and have seen the reports that UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson spoke to Her Majesty on Wednesday, February 23rd, a full day after our report. 
  • Hollywood Unlocked reached out to Buckingham Palace for an official statement on this matter but has received no response to date. Instead, on Thursday, February 24th the BBC reported that a palace spokesperson released a statement announcing that The Queen had postponed two virtual appearances that were scheduled for that afternoon, adding, “No other engagements are scheduled for this week.”
  • Although several publications have dismissively characterized Hollywood Unlocked as just a “tabloid” site, as a matter of record, up until this point all of our sources have delivered us accurate accounts that have later been substantiated by larger publications.  So breaking stories before anyone else is not uncommon or atypical for us. 

All news outlets get it wrong sometimes despite their best efforts and we will always take full accountability when that happens.

But we can’t stress enough that we’d never intentionally cause unnecessary pain or grief to the monarchy (or the public at large) simply for “clickbait” and hope we’ve outlined all the compelling information that led to our original post. 

We take pride in the work we do and the relationships we’ve built behind the scenes that enable us to break stories directly to our audience – even at times when powerful media machines are working hard to distort the truth. 

“Although I’ve never been wrong when breaking a story because this involves The Queen this is one time I would want to be,” Lee clarified Thursday afternoon. “And based on Wednesday’s report from the Palace, I can say my sources got this wrong and I sincerely apologize to The Queen and the Royal Family.”

– The Hollywood Unlocked Team

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