The Golden Piano Behind Queen Elizabeth II Did Not Belong to Saddam Hussein
The Claim
Queen Elizabeth II's piano was stolen from the former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein during the Gulf War.
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After Queen Elizabeth II died, people on social media started sharing pictures of her with a golden piano in the background. The users claimed that the piano belonged to Saddam Hussein and was stolen during the Gulf War.
Misbar’s Analysis
Misbar investigated the circulating claim and discovered it to be fake.
According to the Royal Collection, which runs the Royal Family's art collection, Queen Victoria, who ruled the United Kingdom between 1819 and 1901, bought the piano on April 30, 1856.
Furthermore, Raghad Hussein, Saddam Hussein’s daughter, refuted the claim on her official Twitter account on January 3, 2019.
The Queen’s Photo in Front of the Piano
The Queen's photo in front of the golden piano was taken during the Queen’s Christmas Day speech in 2018.
Queen Elizabeth II's speech went viral and was criticized at the time for urging "generosity and self-sacrifice," while being captured in front of an ornate gold piano.
The History of the Piano
The piano was created by S&P Erard, a Paris-based piano maker. It was designed to be a showpiece for The State Rooms at Buckingham Palace.
The piano is made of mahogany, satinwood, and pine, with brass and gilt bronze mounts, gilded and varnished.
It is decorated with elaborate oil scenes on the lids and sides and finished off with a varnish.
Prior to being included in a Victoria and Albert exhibition hosted in The Queen's Gallery in 2010, it received extensive restorations, including cleaning and repairs.
Viral Fake Claims About the Piano
Although the claim was refuted by Saddam Hussein’s daughter, the piano has been the subject of bogus claims since 2019 until the Queen died peacefully on September 8, 2022.
Queen Elizabeth’s funeral will be held on September 19, 2022, at Westminster Abbey after 10 days of national mourning.
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