King Charles III was mistakenly declared dead by a UK radio station Tuesday in a shocking on-air blunder that left listeners stunned before the station suddenly went silent.
Radio Caroline, which broadcasts across parts of England, accidentally triggered its “Death of a Monarch” protocol due to what station bosses later described as a “computer error.”
Regular programming abruptly stopped before presenters announced that normal broadcasts had been suspended following the “death” of the 77-year-old monarch.
“This is Radio Caroline. We have suspended our normal programs until further notice as a mark of respect following the passing of His Majesty King Charles III,” the broadcast said, according to The Telegraph. “This is Radio Caroline. His Majesty King Charles III has passed away. As a mark of respect, we will play continuous, suitable music until further notice.”
“God Save the King” then played over the airwaves before the station fell silent for roughly 15 minutes.
Station manager Peter Moore later apologized and blamed the mistake on a computer error.
“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 (May 19), mistakenly announcing that HM the King had passed away,” Moore wrote in a Facebook statement.
“Radio Caroline then fell silent as would be required, which alerted us to restore programming and issue an on-air apology.”
“We apologize to HM the King and to our listeners for any distress caused,” he added.
The on-air announcement sparked confusion among some listeners, who later took to social media to describe their reactions.
“I dashed indoors shouting to the missus ‘He’s dead! Charlie is dead!’ She looked puzzled,” one listener wrote after the mix-up.
“I heard this on my car stereo as I was just leaving work and for a moment i had to ask myself whether it was true or just a sick joke,” another listener said.
“It did give me a bit of a shock, but I accept these mistakes can happen and was glad to find out it wasn’t true,” a third added.
The station did not say exactly how long the false report remained on air before staff realized what had happened.
Archived playback from Tuesday afternoon also appeared to be unavailable on the station’s website by Wednesday.
British broadcasters are required to keep detailed procedures ready for the death of a reigning monarch, including pre-prepared announcements and programming changes.
The awkward mix-up came while Charles and Queen Camilla were carrying out public engagements in Northern Ireland.
The royal couple spent part of the day in Belfast’s Titanic Quarter, where they watched folk dancers, met local performers and sampled Irish whiskey during the visit.
Charles and Camilla had also recently returned from a four-day state visit to the US, where they met President Trump at the White House.
While in New York City, Charles and Camilla paid their respects at the 9/11 Memorial, visited Harlem Grown for an event with local kids focused on urban farming and capped off the trip with a business reception at Rockefeller Center.
The king has faced repeated online death rumors since revealing in February 2024 that he had been diagnosed with cancer following a procedure for an enlarged prostate.
Buckingham Palace was previously forced to shut down a false report in March 2024 after Russian media outlets circulated claims that Charles had died.
“We are happy to confirm that The King is continuing with official and private business,” the palace said in a statement issued to Russian state-run news agency TASS at the time.
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