Many people have fallen for a fake AI post of a Christmas market at Buckingham Palace
It’s a marketing dream. Just picture it, a fairytale Christmas market on the sweeping terrace of Buckingham Palace, glowing little tents selling all manner of twee trinkets, herds of Norwegian spruce trees clustered together, all at once illuminated by lines of twinkling fairy lights hanging from a mysterious source up above… Oh yes, it’s like a Channel 5 Christmas matinee.
One can imagine the rosy faces of the little shoppers buzzing with excitement, gazing their earnest eyes up at Buckingham Palace, where a passing royal might beam a smile or issue a formal wave of the hand. Perhaps, the Princess of Wales is standing behind a window, rolling up a blind every 15 minutes with a handful of fake snow to blow a kiss at awestruck admirers, while her kiddiewinks use a hand hoover to scoop up the remnants. Bless them all.
Up in heaven, the late Queen will look down benevolently through the clouds as the palace is reduced to a posh jumble sale, smiling with satisfaction at the good work done by her descendants.
Nope. Delightful as it all sounds, none of this is happening. An AI post has appeared on social media, conjuring up a Christmas market outside the palace, which appears to have demolished various gates, fences and ancillary buildings to accommodate the festive fun. Not to mention the dangling rows of fairy lights, which as one influencer shrewdly commented upon, appear to literally hang from the sky.
The fake AI post from an account called ‘London traveler’ reads: “Get ready for a royal Christmas experience. For the first time ever, Buckingham Palace is hosting a Christmas market from December 1st to 24th, bringing festive cheer to one of London’s most iconic landmarks.”
Apparently, lots of users have indeed been fooled. But luckily, some Tiktokers and other, more genuine London-themed accounts, have lined up to denounce the fake ad.
Influencer ‘Love and London’ said on Facebook: “If an account you follow has posted this, you should unfollow them because it is a lie. When I first saw this, I was like, ‘That photo doesn’t make any sense because there’s a fence that surrounds that part of Buckingham Palace’.
“Also, where are these lights being hung from? The heavens? This photo is AI and there’s no way the Royal Family would let us plebeians into this part of the royal palace.
“Now there is going to be a Christmas shop pop-up in the Royal Mews, right around the corner from Buckingham Palace. But this fake news has been so widespread they’ve had to put on their website that there is no Christmas market at Buckingham Palace.”
Elsewhere, Tik Tok star Kate Ovens wrote: “So if you’ve seen the Buckingham Palace Christmas market, just to let you know, it’s not real… It’s an AI-generated photo
Ms Ovens then took viewers on a 15-second guided tour of the small Christmas pop-up shop at Royal Mews, with its flower stall and gift stall outside, which she described as “a big waste of time”.
She added: “It’s just a gift shop selling Christmassy royal things. Not a Christmas market.”
What actually is happening at The Royal Mews Christmas Shop
The first-of-its-kind Christmas pop-up shop has opened The Royal Mews while the stables are closed for the winter. The Royal Mews Christmas Shop, on Buckingham Palace Road, just around the corner from the entrance to Buckingham Palace.
It opened last Friday (November 14) and will run until January 5 selling ranges of festive official royal gifts, including food and drink from the Royal Collection Trust. You’ll also be able to get your hands on the Property of the Royal Kitchen range of kitchen accessories, inspired by the oldest working kitchen in the country, the Great Kitchen and Windsor Castle.
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