Queen Elizabeth II passed away on Sept. 8 at the age of 96, ending her 70-year reign. Her son, King Charles III, was officially proclaimed the country’s monarch on Sept. 10.
Social media users are claiming the king has begun using his newfound power to weigh in on U.S. politics.
“King Charles III signs a proclamation stating that Donald Trump won the 2020 Presidential election and is the rightful President by Law,” a Sept. 11 Instagram post reads. “Warns Biden and Kamala to vacate the premises within 48 hours or a state of war will exist between America and England.”
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The post features a picture of the king signing a document and garnered more than 200 likes within a day. A now-deleted Facebook post amassed more than 400 likes within a day. Similar viral iterations have been shared on Instagram and Twitter.
There is no evidence to suggest the king signed such a proclamation. During his accession ceremony, he signed an oath solidifying the security of the Church of Scotland.
USA TODAY reached out to the user who shared the post for comment.
The photo featured in the post shows Charles signing a document during his accession ceremony at St. James’s Palace, where he was formally proclaimed as monarch of the U.K. The document is an oath vowing to uphold the security of the Church of Scotland, according to the royal family’s website.
The ceremony was filmed for the first time in history. At no point during the event did the king make any proclamation regarding former President Donald Trump or the 2020 presidential election.
It is also the responsibility of the Prime Minister, not the monarch, to declare war.
“In the event of a declaration of war or the commitment of British forces to military action, constitutional convention requires that authorisation is given by the Prime Minister, on behalf of the Crown,” says a 2018 briefing paper published by the House of Commons. “Decisions on military action are taken within the Cabinet with advice from, among others, the National Security Council and the Chief of the Defence Staff.”
Though it is not a legal requirement that Parliament be consulted before declaring war, it has been common practice in the past, according to the briefing paper.
Fact check: Queen Elizabeth II died in Scotland, contrary to false claims citing US locations
USA TODAY has previously debunked the claim that the 2020 presidential election was rigged. Election audits, lawsuits and recounts prove the election results were legitimate.
Based on our research, we rate FALSE the claim that the king signed a proclamation saying Trump won the 2020 presidential election. There’s no evidence the king signed such a proclamation. During his accession ceremony, Charles signed an oath solidifying the security of the Church of Scotland.
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