Viral Photograph

“One last story tonight, and it’s more of a long term curiosity. A photograph has gone viral, and has left a lot of people wondering just what exactly they are looking at.”

An image pops up on the screen, of a beautiful woman in her early forties with a very regal bearing. If it weren’t for the fact that she’s dressed in a light trench coat and slacks, one might even say she looks like a queen. There appears to be a boy of approximately age 14 with her, walking one step behind her. He looks very much like her – he could probably be her son. From the rest of the image, it is clear that they are walking through the Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris, France.

“People are comparing this to a picture of Alexandra Feodorovna Romanov, the last Tsarina of Russia and her son Alexei Nikolaevich, the Tsarevich. Though, I suppose if this were really him, it would make him the last Tsar of Russia. It’s gone viral as a curiosity, nothing more. If Alexandra were alive today, she’d be 146 years old, and Alexei would be 114. Clearly a case of mistaken identity, but the likenesses are uncanny.” She picks up her hardcopy and taps it on the counter. “We found an old image of the Tsarina and Tsarevich to compare them to.”

Her face is replaced by a side-by-side comparison of the modern security camera footage next to an old, grainy, black-and-white photgraph of the last Tsar of Russia and his family. The likenesses are indeed uncanny, but it’s hard to make out exact details, given the quality of the older photo. Over the image, the news anchor’s voice can be heard once more. “I think this is one of those photos like that one of Nicholas Cage that proves he fought in the Civil War, and is therefore a vampire.”

The image fades and the news anchor is seen once more. “I suppose if I were a casting director, I would want the two of them to be in a movie about the last Tsar and his family. And with that item of curiosity out of the way, we here at the Channel 2 News Room wish you good evening and a great rest of your weekend!”

Month: June