‘How Dare They’: Channel 4 to Air Deepfake Christmas Message From ‘The Queen’

Queen Deepfake
Channel 4, Twitter
Kurt Zindulka

A satirical deepfake message from the ‘Queen’ will be aired on Christmas by the British broadcaster Channel 4, prompting outrage and condemnation.

The deepfake video, which was voiced by actress Debra Stephenson, is ostensibly aimed at highlighting the spread of misinformation on social media.

The artificial message from ‘Her Majesty’ takes aim at the British Royal Family, targeting Prince Andrew over his alleged connections to deceased paedophile Jeffrey Epstein and the departure of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle from their royal duties.

“One thing that has sustained many of us is our families, which is why I was so saddened by the departure of Harry and Meghan,” the fake monarch said.

“There are few things more hurtful than someone telling you they prefer the company of Canadians. But at least I still have my beloved Andrew close by, it seems unlikely he’ll be heading to North America anytime soon,” the message continued.

The fictitious queen also poked at Prime Minister Boris Johnson over his handling of the coronavirus crisis, saying: “2020 has also been a year of heroes, such as our brave NHS workers, many of whom were forced to take incredible risks – like treating Boris Johnson – knowing at any time, as a result, they too could become pregnant.”

In response to the message from the fake monarch, Brexit leader Nigel Farage wrote: “How dare they”.

Others expressed their outrage at the British broadcaster artificial portrayal of The Queen on social media, with one user writing: “I would rather go to the kitchen and hold my hands down on the hot plate for 10 minutes than watch this ‘woke’ rubbish. Not many things in this country remain sacrosanct, but Her Majesty most certainly still does and always will!”

Another wrote: “Disgusting. The Queen has been steadfast in her duty and still going strong. God save The Queen.”

Channel 4, a publicly-owned but commercially-funded UK public service broadcaster, defended their decision to mock Her Majesty, claiming that it will shed light on fake news.

The director of programmes at Channel 4, Ian Katz said: “Deepfake technology is the frightening new frontier in the battle between misinformation and truth.”

“This year’s Alternative Christmas Address – seemingly delivered by one of the most familiar and trusted figures in the nation – is a powerful reminder that we can no longer trust our own eyes,” he added.

The deepfake message from Channel 4 will be broadcast on Christmas day at 3:25 pm, following the actual Royal Christmas Message, which will be aired at 3 pm.

Follow Kurt Zindulka on Twitter at @KurtZindulka

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