UK Radio Station Accidentally Announces King Charles' Death
Radio Caroline triggered its emergency "Death of a Monarch" protocol by mistake on Tuesday, while King Charles was very much alive and touring Northern Ireland.
A British radio station has issued a red-faced apology after accidentally broadcasting the death of King Charles III, while the monarch was very much alive and on a public tour of Northern Ireland. Radio Caroline, based in Maldon, Essex, interrupted its regular schedule shortly after 2 p.m. on Tuesday, triggering its pre-loaded emergency obituary protocol and broadcasting a formal death announcement before falling silent for 15 minutes.
What listeners heard
"This is Radio Caroline. His Majesty King Charles III has passed away. As a mark of respect we will now be playing suitable continuous music until further notice. The news media has confirmed that his Majesty King Charles III has passed away."
The station then played the national anthem and went silent.
Station manager Peter Moore attributed the error to a technical malfunction that accidentally triggered the "death of a monarch procedure, which all UK stations hold in readiness while hoping not to require." The sudden silence, he noted, was what alerted staff that something had gone wrong, prompting them to restore programming and issue an on-air apology.
The station apologised to "HM the King and to our listeners for any distress caused," adding that it hoped to broadcast the King's Christmas message "for many years to come."
Meanwhile, in Belfast...
King Charles was touring Northern Ireland with the Queen at the time of the broadcast. On Wednesday, the day after the blunder, a seagull struck the King's suit jacket during an engagement. "It's well it didn't land on my head," the King quipped. "Being hit by a seagull is supposed to be good luck."
The mishap spread quickly on social media, with clips of the broadcast circulating widely and prompting a mixture of concern, confusion, and dark humour. One listener recounted rushing inside to tell his wife, only to be met with: "Well, he was just at the flower show yesterday."