Radio Caroline, a UK-based radio station, shocked listeners after wrongly announcing that King Charles III had died during a live broadcast. The news spread quickly, but it was later confirmed to be completely false.
The mistake happened on May 19 when the station suddenly stopped its normal programming. The host told listeners that the station was going off air “as a mark of respect following the passing of His Majesty King Charles III.” The announcement also claimed that the news was confirmed by media reports.
After that, the station played God Save the King and then went silent for about 15 minutes. This made many listeners believe that the King had actually passed away.
Soon after, Radio Caroline realised there was a major error, as station manager Peter Moore later explained in an apology that a computer glitch wrongly triggered a special emergency broadcast system. This system, however, is normally used for official announcements in case of a monarch’s death.
🚨🇬🇧 NEW: The moment Radio Caroline accidentally announced the death of King Charles live on air
King Charles has not passed away pic.twitter.com/RpBzoCmcFa
— Politics Global (@PolitlcsGlobal) May 20, 2026
He said that when the station went silent, the team understood something was wrong and quickly restored the broadcast. They then issued a correction and a public apology on air.
Moore also said sorry to King Charles and listeners, adding that the mistake may have caused unnecessary worry and confusion.
Many listeners reacted online, saying that they were relieved after finding out that the news was false.
It is confirmed that King Charles is alive and continuing his royal duties as he was recently seen visiting Northern Ireland with Queen Camilla after attending the Royal Chelsea Flower Show.
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