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Queen Elizabeth II

Buckingham Palace asks for fake image of The Queen wearing a Donald Trump hat to be removed from bus

Buckingham Palace has requested that an edited image of Her Majesty wearing a “Make America Great Again” hat and a QAnon brooch be removed from the side of a bus dubbed the “Trump Train.” QAnon is an American far-right conspiracy theory based on unfounded claims that there is a “deep state” apparatus run by political elites, business leaders, and Hollywood celebrities who are actively working against the former President. The FBI has referred to the conspiracy as a “domestic terrorism threat.”

According to Buzzfeed, a palace spokesperson said they were aware of the fact that The Queen’s image was being used, saying “representations asking for [the photo’s] removal have been made.”

The bus was seen at a rally held by Rep. Matt Gaetz and Marjorie Taylor Greene in Florida last week and is owned by a Trump supporter named Buddy Hall. According to a GoFundMe page, the bus was created as an “unofficial” campaign tour bus to support the 2020 re-election of President Trump. Despite not being officially associated with the former president, a photo on the bus’s Facebook page shows Donald Trump Jr. and his girlfriend, Kimberly Guilfoyle posing in front of the bus with Hall last July.

Earlier in May, Hall wrote on Facebook the bus’s current display would be removed in two weeks. “taking TRAITOR PENCE OFF replacing with DESANTIS, Candace Owens, Don Junior, Laura Trump, General Flynn, Rand Paul and many others.” Hall has not responded to repeated comment requests on whether or not The Queen’s image would be removed as well. According to the Facebook page, the photoshopped image of The Queen has been on the bus for more than a year.

Embed from Getty Images

The original image of The Queen was taken by Getty Images photographer Christopher Furlong on 1 April 2011, in Anglesey, Wales. Her Majesty met with the former president when he made a state visit to the United Kingdom in summer 2018.

About author

My name is Sydney Zatz and I am a University of Iowa graduate. I graduated with a degree in journalism and sports studies, and a minor in sport and recreation management. A highlight of my college career was getting the chance to study abroad in London and experiencing royal history firsthand. I have a passion for royals, royal history, and journalism, which led me to want to write for Royal Central.