Who was the Grim Reaper at Westminster Abbey? Viral video explained as footage triggers wild reactions

A video has gone viral on social media as it claims that the Grim Reaper was spotted at King Charles III's coronation in London on Saturday, May 6, 2023. A shadowy figure wearing hooded robes was seen in the congregation of Westminster Abbey during the coronation. Several social media users described the figure as the "Grim Reaper" or the "Death Ripper."

The late Queen Elizabeth's son, King Charles III was crowned the Monarch of the United Kingdom and 14 other Commonwealth realms. His coronation took place at the abbey alongside his wife, Queen Camilla. On Saturday morning, the new King was given the British throne in front of several world leaders and members of royal families around the globe

While people did say a lot about the coronation itself, the thing that caught their eye was the cloaked figure moving swiftly behind the Rood Screen of the abbey. The clip, which was uploaded to TikTok by a user named stxawbs, was captioned:

"NAH IT CANT JUST BE ME THAT SAW IT HELP FULL ON SIMS DEATH PERSON OMG."

The video, which has since been dubbed the "Grim Reaper video," was widely shared and got over 3 million views just four hours after it was posted. It received more than 420,000 likes and over 7000 comments too.

While some made jokes about it being the Grim Reaper, others wondered who the shadowy figure was. However, when Newsweek contacted Westminster Abbey for a comment on the dark figure, the latter said that it was a member of the abbey community, known as the verger.

---

The Grim Reaper at the coronation was a verger

The verger, who resembled a Grim Reaper, is described as a member of the abbey community. They assist with religious services but are not members of the clergy.

According to Family Friendly London, a website that provides details on what to do in London, vergers are attendants who look after the clergy members and the guests at the church. The website says they make sure that things run smoothly at Westminster Abbey. This often means that the vergers have a much better understanding of the church and what happens in it than even the oldest members.

That being said, when people saw the verger making an appearance during the coronation ceremony, they couldn't help but claim that it was the Grim Reaper. Multiple users shared screenshots of the live footage, showing what appears to be a hooded, cloaked figure that was carrying something similar to a scythe.

---

Netizens had wild reactions to the Grim Reaper's presence

As mentioned earlier when netizens saw the verger at the coronation, they couldn't help but wonder if it was the "Death Ripper." While some wondered if it was a "secret occult ritual," others questioned if it was an old British tradition while crowning the king.

People had some hilarious reactions to the video and some even believed that the "Grim Reaper" they saw was Princess Diana in disguise. Some said that Diana "lives on."

Another viral footage of the ceremony was a clip from the live broadcast that showed Harry's view of the event being blocked by his aunt, Princess Anne's feathered hat. Netizens said that this was no different from when Meghan Markle's face was blocked from view during Queen Elizabeth II's state funeral in September 2022. At the time Markle's face was blocked due to a large candle in the way.

---

Westminster Abbey was closed to the public for a couple of weeks before the big coronation day to prepare the place. The interiors were overhauled in preparation for the coronation and they even had additional staff and helpers on the day of the coronation to ensure that everything went smoothly.

Several high-profile guests showed up at the abbey for the ceremony. This included President Macron of France and First Lady Jill Biden who represented the United States at the coronation.

Prince Harry also traveled from California, his home since 2020, to watch King Charles III take the throne. He was not accompanied by his wife Meghan Markle, or the couple's two children Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.

It is worth noting that the coronation service and procession to and from Buckingham Palace were one of the largest ceremonial events held in Britain. The last service was when Queen Elizabeth II was crowned in 1953.

After the coronation ceremony, the royals returned to Buckingham Palace for a balcony appearance. However, the London rains during the appearance led to the military's aerial flypast being reduced.