people are falling for a fake christmas market outside buckingham palace - why?

People are flocking to visit the first ever Christmas Market directly outside the front door of the iconic building – but it’s not real (Picture: Getty/Instagram)

You may find tourists looking a tad confused if you go for a wander outside Buckingham Palace.

People eager to get into the festive spirit appear to have been duped by an AI advert promoting a Christmas market outside the royal residence.

Images show snow-covered stalls lined up in neat rows,selling hot chocolate and mulled wine to a steady stream of visitors,inspiring that cozy Christmas feeling in even the biggest of Grinches.

But when visitors arrive,they find nothing. A few puddles and some pigeons stand where the stalls were supposed to be.

Londoner James BJ,36,who went to visit the market on Sunday, told Metro: ‘It was a complete waste of time. It was dark,cold and nothing was there.’

Why are people falling for it,and who started the rumour in the first place?

Images show snow-covered stalls lined up in neat rows,selling hot chocolate and mulled wine to a steady stream of people

One of the AI images which was circulated online showing the market outside Buckingham Palace

Why do so many people believe the market is real?

James is far from the only person to have fallen for the ads.

He said: ‘I asked a couple of people also milling around if they were there for the market,and they said said yes but no one knew what was going on.

‘There were around 30 of us,just walking back and forth until we gave up and went home.’

Just a scroll on social media will show people planning their journey beneath the posts oblivious to the fact it was completely fake.

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