Did Queen Elizabeth II request Cristiano Ronaldo’s first autographed Manchester United jerseys? It is claimed that the Queen has ordered 80 Manchester United jerseys and requested to have the first signed Ronaldo jersey to be reserved for her. But is the story credible? Here is the truth.
Claimed By:
On Sept. 1, 2021, shortly after Man United revealed new photographs of Cristiano Ronaldo in the team’s jerseys, Sport Innovation Society tweeted that Queen Elizabeth II had asked for the soccer star’s first signed jersey together with her order for a consignment of 80 Man U jerseys.
“The Cristiano effect. Queen Elizabeth orders 80 jerseys for the Royal Court, and has personally requested Manchester United to reserve the first jersey signed by the player”, tweeted Sports Innovation Society.
It further claimed that the request for an autograph by the Queen is the first in history.
“With this request, #CR7 becomes the only human being the Queen Elizabeth ask for an autograph”, read the now deleted tweet.
The claim was picked up by several outlets.
“Queen Elizabeth has personally requested Manchester United to reserve the first jersey signed by Cristiano Ronaldo. With this request, Cristiano Ronaldo is the only human being Queen Elizabeth has asked for an autograph” wrote BenchWarmers on their official Facebook page.
Verdict: FALSE
SIS has since deleted the tweet and issued an apology.
“We could not confirm the veracity of the note from The Queen” tweeted the publisher.
We could not confirm the veracity of the note from the Queen and CR7 so we decided to delete the tweet. Apologies
— Sport Innovation Society (@sis) September 1, 2021
However, Snopes and Republic World in respective Fact Check reports of the story, note that the clarification and apology by Sport Innovation Society has not been stopped the rumour in its tracks. Snopes declares the story false, and report that Queen Elizabeth II has not been known to be a Manchester United fan.
The publishers make note of the 2018 report by goal.com where it said that the Queen is “a closet West Ham fan” and that she has “a soft spot for Arsenal” but has never expressed any particular support for Manchester United.
“The current head of state in the UK, Queen Elizabeth II has been speculated to support a number of sides over the years. It’s now thought the Queen may be a West Ham United fan.
“It’s thought the reigning monarch has kept tight-lipped about her team to remain neutral but it’s since been reported that she could have admired the club as far back as the 60s.
“However, it’s also thought the Queen may have a soft spot for Arsenal after meeting with Arsene Wenger at an event at Buckingham Palace in 2007. It’s rumoured she was particularly impressed with Cesc Fabregas after chatting to him.” wrote Goal.Com
