A British radio station has apologised after mistakenly broadcasting that King Charles III had died due to what it described as a computer error, according to The Guardian.
The false announcement was aired on Tuesday afternoon by Radio Caroline, a historic broadcaster based in Essex.
An internal “Death of a Monarch” procedure was accidentally triggered at its main studio, leading to the incorrect announcement that the King had passed away.
The station later went off air briefly before normal programming resumed.
Station manager Peter Moore explained the incident in a Facebook post.
“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, mistakenly announcing that HM the King had passed away,” Moore wrote.
“Radio Caroline then fell silent as would be required, which alerted us to restore programming and issue an on-air apology.”
He added: “We apologise to HM the King and to our listeners for any distress caused.”
The incident happened while King Charles and Camilla were visiting Northern Ireland, where they attended events in Belfast’s Titanic Quarter.
Founded in 1964, Radio Caroline became famous as one of Britain’s best-known pirate radio stations, originally broadcasting from ships anchored off the English coast.
The station continued operating intermittently after anti-pirate broadcasting laws were introduced in 1967 and later became part of British radio history, inspiring films including The Boat That Rocked.
