The internet loves this accidental meme from the royal family
Maybe it’s the difference in lighting. Perhaps it’s the setting or the corgi figurines. It could also be the look on Queen Elizabeth’s face, juxtaposed with Boris Johnson’s disheveled hair.
But people are having a lot of reactions to the royal family’s Instagram post on Wednesday, which shows the queen in conversation with the prime minister during her weekly audience.
And while the message is important ― stay at home and restrict your contact with other people to curb the spread of COVID-19 ― the picture just looks like the perfect meme:
A post shared by The Royal Family (@theroyalfamily) on Mar 25, 2020 at 12:30pm PDT
“THANK YOU FOR THIS VERY CLEAR MEME,” Instagram user notenoughangers commented on the post, which was already gaining a lot of likes.
“Same. I thought it was a meme at first and then saw the source,” another user added, while a third chimed in with “I can already see the memes.”
We’re sure Prince George satirist Gary Janetti is on it.
Others on Twitter agreed on the possibilities:
A MEME WAS BORN https://t.co/j4Yxsh8Qc0
— drama lama (@pondgitsune) March 25, 2020
prime meme material https://t.co/ikKbIHbMmP
— Sarah 'Chief Witch' Creighton 🍂🎃 (@Saraita101) March 25, 2020
Meme potential for this photo is off the charts. https://t.co/giUAaG169o
— Noxy @ Hypixel Studios (@Noxywoxy) March 25, 2020
Time for a meme/caption competition I think https://t.co/XLNnfBEhRx
— Good Friday Agreement (@BelfastAgmt) March 25, 2020
the gift of a blank meme template https://t.co/GsDxElVmDa
— polly thomas (@pollyth0mas) March 25, 2020
Here's a meme. https://t.co/CkVcarTbvo
— George Mount (@gjmount) March 25, 2020
If that isn't a Caption Competition photo, then I don't know what is, ma'am.
— Bob Peters (@BobPetUK) March 25, 2020
Beyond the formatting of the pictures, some people were shocked by the use of landlines.
“Haven’t seen Phones with cords in a long time!! Cool!!” one person said, while others chimed in with “Wow those phones are still in use.”
Loving HM's old school phone... https://t.co/rm4AJAfiSp
— Victoria Arbiter (@victoriaarbiter) March 25, 2020
Wow, those phones still exist? 😂☎️ https://t.co/yI03c2GO0d
— Wishful thinking (@LadyKaliAnn) March 25, 2020
And, of course, many commenters simply wrote, “God Save the Queen.”
There is a lot of concern for the 93-year-old queen and her health amidst the global pandemic, especially now that Clarence House has confirmed that Prince Charles tested positive for COVID-19.
A spokesperson for the prince said that he is currently experiencing “mild symptoms” and is still working from Birkhall in Scotland. Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, is also in Scotland but is self-isolating separately from her husband while he recovers.
Although Charles and the queen recently made an appearance together at Commonwealth Day services alongside the rest of the royal family, Buckingham Palace said Wednesday that “the Queen remains in good health.”
“The Queen last saw The Prince of Wales briefly on the morning of 12 March and is following all the appropriate advice with regard to her welfare,” a spokesperson added.
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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
