The video shows the Islamic call to prayer at Lancaster House, not Buckingham Palace

A video is being shared on social media with false claims that it shows the Islamic call to prayer at Buckingham Palace. However, the film was actually shot at Lancaster House, a government building, and is more than a year old.

In the footage, a man is seen standing at a podium reciting the call to prayer, the adhan, in a large building, and a crowd gathers to watch him.

It was shared on social media with captions such as “We are watching the total collapse of a once great empire.” The Islamic call to prayer at Buckingham Palace is just the latest example of its defeat,” and “Muslim call to prayer at Buckingham Palace? WTH.”

But the footage actually shows a scene at Lancaster House, which is close to Buckingham Palace but not within the palace complex or grounds.

Lancaster House is a former royal residence but is now managed by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and has served as a venue for high-profile international diplomatic events, according to its website. A virtual tour shows that the video was filmed in the building's Great Hall.

The footage is from the Great British Iftar (Iftar is the dinner at which Muslims break their fast during Ramadan), hosted at the venue in March 2023 by Minister for Business and Trade Kemi Badenoch, who announced a working group on the matter Islamic finance at the event. A similar dinner was also reportedly held at 10 Downing Street this year.

The video was shared on Instagram in March 2023 by singer Mikhaael Mala, who wrote: “At the invitation of the Ministry of Trade, I was given the opportunity to pray the Adhan of Maghrib at Lancaster House, a royal house next to Buckingham Palace. Ambassadors from all Muslim nations were present [sic].” Other recordings of the Adhan were shared online at the time.

Videos claiming to have been filmed in a different location or time are a common form of misinformation online. It's important to check whether something actually shows what it says before sharing – our guide to spotting misleading videos can help you with this.

Image courtesy of Gryffindor