Video Of Young Queen Elizabeth Doing A Nazi Salute Leaked Online

A new leaked video featured a young Queen Elizabeth II executing a Nazi salute. The footage was released by The Sun newspaper, spurring outrage in Britain.

CNN reports a short clip in black-and-white of the young queen and her sister, Princess Margaret, playing with their mother and uncle, Edward VIII, was shown by The Sun. The private family film was shot in 1933 when Elizabeth was still a young child and Adolf Hitler had just risen to power in Germany. The Sun did not mention who recorded the 17-second footage and who provided them with a copy of the original film.

"It is disappointing that film, shot eight decades ago and apparently from (Her Majesty's) personal family archive, has been obtained and exploited in this manner," said a Buckingham Palace spokesman.

The Sun newspaper also published a still photo from the video, then added the headline “Their royal heilnesses.” The Sun wrote that although there is no clear indication whether Queen Elizabeth II or Queen Mother were Nazi sympathisers at any time, there were well-known ties between Edward and Hitler. Edward visited Hitler in 1937 after he abdicated the British throne. Elizabeth’s father, King George VI, became the King of England in his stead.

One source said Elizabeth was only a young child during the time and was fully innocent and unaware of what her gestures truly meant. In 1933, Hitler was appointed chancellor of a coalition government. Many outside Germany have not perceived Nazism as a threat during the time, the CNN report stated.

The Guardian cites the video puts more emphasis on Edward’s prejudices and his beliefs in fascism, instead of putting the Queen in bad light. The publication further stated the released footage does not hurt Elizabeth or Margaret in any way but can actually be relieving to know that "the little girl in the kilt was eventually given the chance to put things right."

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