Video shows Islamic prayer call in Lancaster House, not Buckingham Palace

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

In the footage, a man standing at a podium is performing the call to prayer, known as the Adhan, in a grand building and a crowd is gathered to watch. 

It has been shared on social media with captions including “We’re watching the complete collapse of a once great empire. The Islamic call to prayer inside of Buckingham Palace is just the latest example of its defeat”, and “Muslim call to prayer inside Buckingham Palace? WTH”. 

But the footage actually shows a scene in Lancaster House, which is situated near Buckingham Palace but is 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 been used to host high-profile international diplomatic events, according to its website. A virtual tour shows the video was filmed in the building’s Grand Hall. 

The footage comes from the “Great British Iftar” (iftar being the evening meal where Muslims break their fast during Ramadan) hosted at the venue in March 2023 by the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, Kemi Badenoch, who announced a working group on Islamic finance at the event. A similar dinner was also reported to have taken place that year at 10 Downing Street. 

The video was shared on Instagram in March 2023 by singer Mikhaael Mala, who wrote: “I was given the opportunity to call the Adhan of Maghrib at Lancaster House, A Royal house situated adjacent to Buckingham Palace on the invitation of the ministry of trade, ambassadors of all Muslim nations were present [sic].” Other footage of the Adhan was shared online at the time. 

Videos which are claimed to have been filmed in a different place or at a different time are a common form of misinformation online. It’s important to consider whether something shows what it claims to before sharing it—our guide to spotting misleading videos can help you to do this. 

Image courtesy of Gryffindor