Why The Internet Thought Queen Elizabeth Once Threw Food At Kids

Just a few days ago, a video surfaced on Facebook. “This is the Queen herself throwing food to African kids like chicken and then you all have the audacity to post and type Rest in [Peace],” the caption read. A lady in with a large hat can be seen tossing something for children to grab. But according to Reuters, the video depicts French women throwing coins in Indochina. Made by the famed French filmmakers Lumière brothers, it has a title that means “Annamese children picking up cash in front of the Ladies’ Pagoda” in English. It was filmed about a quarter-century before the queen was born.

Though the food-throwing claim was debunked, there are other reasons people might not be fans of the queen. For some people, she represents the painful history of British colonialism (via Time), which included the subjugation of numerous African nations. While the queen didn’t colonize countries, during her first eight years as a monarch, Kenyans rebelled for their freedom from Britain. The conflict resulted in at least 10,000 deaths, according to France 24. “The Queen leaves a mixed legacy of the brutal suppression of Kenyans in their own country and mutually beneficial relations,” The Daily Nation, a Kenyan newspaper, wrote. In the end, while the queen was not shown throwing food at Africans, it might not have mattered much for EngagedCitizen. Their Twitter comments may well have been referencing much more.