UK Radio Station Apologises After False Announcement Of King Charles III’s Death

A UK radio station has apologised after mistakenly broadcasting a false announcement claiming that King Charles III had died, blaming the incident on a computer error that accidentally triggered its emergency royal death protocol.

United Kingdom radio station Radio Caroline said the error occurred on Tuesday when its “Death of a Monarch” procedure was unintentionally activated during studio operations.

The mistaken announcement was aired briefly before the station suddenly went off air, prompting staff to realise something had gone wrong and quickly restore regular programming.

In a statement shared online, station manager Peter Moore explained that the emergency protocol is maintained by broadcasters across the UK for use only in the event of the monarch’s death.

“Due to a computer error at our main studio, the Death of a Monarch procedure, which all UK stations hold in readiness while hoping not to require, was accidentally activated on Tuesday afternoon, mistakenly announcing that HM the King had passed away,” he said.

Moore added that the unexpected silence following the announcement alerted the station to the problem.

“Radio Caroline then fell silent as would be required, which alerted us to restore programming and issue an on-air apology,” he stated.

The station apologised to King Charles III and listeners who may have been distressed by the false report.

The incident happened while King Charles and Queen Camilla were carrying out official engagements in Belfast, where they attended cultural events and met political leaders during their visit to Northern Ireland.