A British radio station has apologized after mistakenly announcing the death of King Charles III when a computer error accidentally triggered its emergency “Death of a Monarch” broadcast procedure.
Listeners briefly heard an announcement claiming the King had died before the station suddenly went silent, prompting confusion and forcing staff to restore programming and issue an immediate correction.
Radio Caroline station manager Peter Moore said the procedure was accidentally activated at the broadcaster’s main studio on Tuesday afternoon.
“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,” Moore said in a statement.
The station later apologized directly to the King and listeners, saying it regretted any distress caused by the false announcement.
The mistake spread quickly online because British broadcasters maintain detailed operational plans for the death of a reigning monarch. Networks including the BBC keep pre-prepared announcements, scheduled programming changes and emergency continuity procedures ready for immediate use.
Instead of reassuring listeners, the system briefly convinced some that the monarch had died.
Attention around the incident intensified because King Charles III continues to undergo cancer treatment after revealing his diagnosis in early 2024 while still maintaining a busy schedule of public duties.
On the same day as the false announcement, the King and Queen Camilla were visiting Belfast for cultural engagements linked to the upcoming Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann festival.
The royal couple visited Thompson Dock, where the RMS Titanic was built, before meeting performers, distillery workers and local political leaders. Buckingham Palace later confirmed the King also met Northern Ireland’s first minister and deputy first minister at Hillsborough Castle.
False royal death reports have circulated online before, but this case involved an actual broadcaster accidentally triggering an official emergency procedure designed for national use.