Images on social media of African leaders taking bus rides to the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II in September 2022 gave rise to false claims. One claim alleged coaches were reserved only for African dignitaries while other leaders like US President Joe Biden were afforded their own motorcade. This is false. AFP Fact Check debunks other misleading claims of selective treatment during the funeral service.

A Nigerian Facebook page with more than 20,000 followers shared a picture of Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa behind the wheel of a bus on September 19, 2022 -- the day of the queen’s grand state funeral in London’s Westminster Abbey.

The post claimed that Mnangagwa had ferried African leaders to the ceremony.

“US president’s official car, ‘The Beast’ was flown to London for US President Joe Biden’s use while African Presidents were driven by a bus by Zimbabwean President, Emmerson Mnangagwa, to attend Queen Elizabeth II’s burial in London (sic),” the post reads.

The post also published other images, including of Biden and his wife Jill, the US president’s armoured vehicle, and African leaders on a bus being shuttled to the funeral service.

A second Facebook post published on September 15, 2022, shared what appeared to be an official letter from Buckingham Palace purportedly rejecting Mnangagwa’s request to King Charles III to attend the queen’s funeral.

“His Majesty King Charles III has asked me to inform you that President Mnangagwa’s request cannot be granted...

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