Radio station apologises after mistakenly declaring King Charles III dead

A British radio station has apologised after mistakenly announcing the death of King Charles III following what it described as a “computer error” that triggered the UK’s official monarch death protocol during a live broadcast.

Radio Caroline briefly declared the King dead on Tuesday afternoon, prompting a momentary silence on air before staff realised the mistake and resumed programming with an apology to listeners, according to Guardian.

The Essex-based station said the false announcement was caused by an accidental activation of its emergency procedure system, which is designed for use in the event of the death of a monarch.

Station manager Peter Moore confirmed the error in a Facebook statement, saying, “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.

"Radio Caroline then fell silent as would be required, which alerted us to restore programming and issue an on-air apology. Caroline has been pleased to broadcast Her Majesty the Queen’s, and now the King’s, Christmas message, and we hope to do so for many years to come. We apologise to HM the King and to our listeners for any distress caused.”

Playback of the affected segment, which aired between 1:58 pm and 5 pm, was later removed from the station’s website.

The false report surfaced while King Charles III and Queen Camilla were on an official visit to Northern Ireland, where they attended cultural events in Belfast, including a folk music performance and a stop at the Titanic Quarter.

The incident spread quickly on social media, with users reacting in shock before the error was clarified. It also drew attention to the fact that UK broadcasters maintain pre-prepared protocols for the death of a reigning monarch, including special broadcasts and coordinated silence procedures.

Radio Caroline, established in 1964, is one of Britain’s best-known former pirate radio stations. It originally broadcast from ships at sea to bypass regulations before becoming a licensed broadcaster and remains popular with classic radio audiences in the UK.