The claim

In a video clip of the coronation of King Charles III. you see a figure with a long black coat and a long staff scurrying across the corridor. Users recognize the Grim Reaper in it.

Our conclusion

However, this figure is a sexton - a church servant, as Westminster Abbey confirmed to the news magazine "Newsweek".

Was the Grim Reaper, Grim Reaper, Grim Reaper or Quiqui (Viennese dialect term for death) actually involved? – Morbid, creepy, a joke, or even a strange custom at coronations?

Grim Reaper at the coronation on May 6, 2023

A video excerpt is shared over and over again on all social media platforms. The comments: “Did anyone else notice the Grim Reaper in Westminster Abbey?”, “I couldn’t decide whether it was Death or maybe Darth Vader!” or “The Grim Reaper was already there too. If I were Charles, I'd be sweating right now..."

In the video you can see a figure wrapped in a long black coat and carrying a long staff (a scythe?). The figure only makes a brief appearance, but numerous spectators at the coronation spotted her. By sharing the video, even more people will become aware of it.

___STEADY_PAYWALL___

So what does it mean when Death himself shows up at the coronation of a monarch who is already getting on in years? – Some users asked themselves this question. In general, there is great astonishment, but also disbelief.

Who is this “Grim Reaper”?

The US news magazine “Newsweek” , which asked directly from Westminster Abbey, received a rather boring explanation: The figure is simply a sexton, a church usher, a member of the abbey community who attends church services helps.

In Westminster Abbey there are also sextons who lead tours. on Westminster Abbey's website show her wearing a similar robe to that seen in the video of the coronation.

Conclusion

Rating: FALSE

No, it wasn't the Grim Reaper himself who presided over the coronation of King Charles III. visited.

The figure in the black coat is a church servant, as Newsweek learned after contacting Westminster Abbey.

Source:

t-online , Newsweek , PolitiFact

Also read our other fact checks:
Giant turns out to be a fake: False historical photo supposedly shows the last giant
Fact check: Does the pagoda flower only bloom every 400 years in Tibet?
Weather and climate: decoding the differences and understanding the interactions between the two natural phenomena

Note: This content reflects the current state of affairs at the time of publication
.
The reproduction of individual images, screenshots, embeds or video sequences serves to discuss the topic.