Was There Really A Photo Of The Queen On A McDonald's Kiosk?

Last week's passing of Queen Elizabeth II on September 8, 2022, sparked an avalanche of well wishes and remembrance for the long-reigning monarch. With the second longest reign in history, Queen Elizabeth II sat on the throne for over 70 of her 96 years, per NPR. The only British monarch many people alive have seen, her passing was met with many tributes from well-wishers, including "The Great British Bake Off" stars. Paul Hollywood left a touching tribute, and Noel Fielding shared a personal portrait of the queen he created on his Instagram

Regional food behemoths like GBBO are not the only ones to extend condolences. Food giants from across the pond have expressed their sadness at the loss of the queen. However, a puzzling supposed tribute from the largest fast-food chain in the world, McDonald's (via Investopedia), had some shaking their heads. On Twitter, a tweet of Her Majesty under the McDonald's logo at an ordering kiosk had many questioning the photo's legitimacy.

The relationship between Queen Elizabeth II and McDonald's

After the tweet took off, Reuters found that the image had been altered. The original photo of the digital kiosk shows a green home ordering screen, not a picture of the queen with text saying "Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 1926-2022." Further disproving the tribute, the photo of the kiosk first appeared in an article for a food and travel blog known as The Rare Welsh Bit in 2017, long before her passing. Fact-checkers at Reuters also spoke with a McDonald's U.K. spokesperson who denied the photo's authenticity. Although the kiosk tribute ended up being a fake, McDonald's U.K. did write a tweet in homage to the late queen (via Twitter).

Surprisingly, the connection between the golden arches and Queen Elizabeth II goes way back. Although the queen's favorite foods were classically British, per Reader's Digest, that did not mean she wouldn't occasionally enjoy a good burger and fries. The wearer of many crowns, the monarch was a fast-food store owner among the ruler of a nation. Queen Elizabeth owned her own McDonald's in Oxfordshire.