BBC apologises for mistakenly announcing death of King Charles III

A British radio station, Radio Caroline, has issued a public apology after mistakenly broadcasting a false announcement claiming that King Charles III had died.

The embarrassing error reportedly occurred on Tuesday afternoon at the station’s Essex studio after a pre-prepared emergency system meant for the eventual death of a monarch was accidentally triggered, according to a report by The Guardian.

In a statement shared on Facebook, station manager Peter Moore explained that the broadcaster’s “Death of a Monarch” procedure had been activated by a computer malfunction.

“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 (19 May), mistakenly announcing that HM the King had passed away,” Moore stated.

The station said the sudden silence that followed the announcement quickly alerted staff to the mistake, prompting them to restore normal programming and issue an immediate on-air apology.