Video of a naked man escaping out a window from what appears to be Buckingham Palace went viral this weekend, but has since been proven to be a hoax.

Naked Man Escapes Buckingham Palace In Viral Video

The video, posted to YouTube on Feb. 27, looks to be a tourist video, taken by a group of Swedish tourists visiting London’s famous landmark. In the video, seemingly by accident, the person recording notices a naked man lowering himself out a second-story window via a chain of long, white sheets. The man lowers himself a few feet before falling, his descent hidden from view by other parts of the building.

According to Buckingham Palace enthusiasts, the window the man is escaping from is the window of Prince Edward’s Suite.

The video, titled “Crazy Buckingham Palace naked man video!!!,” was uploaded by Anders Dahlberg, and is the only video uploaded from that account. People investigated the name, and found an Anders Dahlberg registered on LinkedIn with experience in “online marketing,” suggesting the video could have been fabricated with the intention of going viral.

Debunking Naked Man Buckingham Palace Video

Other online investigators found proof that the video was, in fact, a hoax. For starters, the Metropolitan Police in charge of Buckingham Palace security denied any such occurrence, saying in a statement, “We are not aware of any such incident.” Jon Rosling, a freelance writer, wrote a detailed analysis of the video, pointing out many inconsistencies between the alleged Buckingham Palace seen in the video and the real Buckingham Palace.

Rosling updated his analysis on Monday, March 2, saying that he has received confirmation that the video was filmed at Moor Park Golf Club, an estate that is frequently used in various films and television shows as a double for Buckingham Palace.

Despite little evidence to prove the video’s authenticity, it remains surrounded by conspiracy theories, not the least of which is that the naked man is somehow involved in a ring of child trafficking and sexual abuse inside the British royalty.

Article by Olivia Truffaut-Wong

Olivia Truffaut-Wong was born and raised in Berkeley, California, where she developed her love of all things entertainment. After moving to New York City to earn her degree in Film Studies, she stayed on the East Coast to follow her passion and become an entertainment writer. She lives on a diet of television, movies and food.