Video of President Putin ‘ignoring’ King Charles doesn’t tell the whole story

27 June 2024
What was claimed

A video shows the Russian president Vladimir Putin ignoring King Charles at an event.

Our verdict

The video has been edited to remove part of the original clip where President Putin appears to realise his mistake and shake the then-Prince Charles’ hand.

A video of Vladimir Putin appears to show the Russian president ignoring King Charles at an event. 

The clip, which has been widely shared on Facebook and X (formerly Twitter), shows President Putin walking into what appears to be an auditorium and shaking hands with French president Emmanuel Macron, while ignoring or failing to notice King Charles beside him. 

But this short clip, which has been edited to emphasise the moment President Macron appears shocked at President Putin apparently ignoring the King, doesn’t tell the full story. 

In the full clip, taken at a meeting of the World Holocaust Forum, President Putin goes back to shake King Charles’ hand after appearing to miss the fact he was sitting beside President Macron. 

The clip also dates back to January 2020, before King Charles’ coronation, meaning at the time he was still Prince Charles. 

It’s common to see videos like this taken out of context, distorting their meaning, and we have fact checked them many times before.

Misinformation can spread very quickly online, especially in the midst of significant news stories, so it’s important to check that what you’re sharing is legitimate. Our guide to verifying misleading videos can help you do this.

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