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

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.

