Was the Queen bid farewell with chants of 'Om'?

Hyderabad: Amid the deluge of video and photographs falsely attributed to Queen Elizabeth II after her death on 8 September 2022, a video of school children singing a Sanskrit shloka is doing the rounds with the claim that they bid farewell to the Queen with chants of Om.

"Wow! This is superb! Especially when we were slaves to the queen for 98 years and now she is been bid farewell with our OM! So proud to be an Indian....," wrote a Facebook user who shared the video.

Several other users have shared the video with similar claims. (Click here, here, and here to see the posts)

Fact Check

NewsMeter started the investigation by looking for clues in the video. We found watermarks of the website Wild Film India throughout the video. We also noticed the logo of Commonwealth Games 2010 and Delhi 2010 written on a white banner behind the children.

Taking these as cues, we ran a keyword search and found a video with the same footage published on 25 May 2019 on the verified YouTube channel of Wild Films India. The video was titled "British students perform Sanskrit shlokas at the Queen's Baton Relay 2010." The description of the video read, "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."

It further added, "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 also found a longer video of the Queen's Baton Relay 2010 with the same visual as the viral video posted on the Facebook page of XIX Commonwealth Games 2010 Delhi on 25 November 2009.

"The Queens Baton Relay 2010 Delhi was launched on 29 October 2009 at Buckingham Palace, London, when the baton containing Her Majesty's message was entrusted to Abhinav Bindra, the first of many thousands of Batonbearers. Uniting the Commonwealth, the Queens Baton Relay 2010 Delhi is a rousing celebration that showcases India to the world. The relaying of the baton to all 71 nations of the Commonwealth provides a unique opportunity for the entire Commonwealth to share in the excitement of the Games," read the caption.

It is evident from these that the video is from the Queen's Baton Relay for the 2010 Commonwealth Games. Hence, the claim is false.