A United Kingdom radio station, Radio Caroline, has issued an official apology to King Charles III and its global audience after a technical glitch led to the false announcement of the monarch’s passing.
The station manager, Peter Moore, explained in a statement that a computer error at their main studio accidentally triggered the “Death of a Monarch” protocol on Tuesday afternoon.
“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 stated.
He added that after the automated announcement, the station went completely silent as required by the emergency protocol, allowing technicians to notice the error, cut the feed, restore normal programming, and broadcast an immediate apology.
At the time of the false broadcast, the 77-year-old monarch and Queen Camilla were actually in Belfast, Northern Ireland, participating in a series of scheduled public engagements and cultural celebrations.
LEADERSHIP reports that King Charles, who was diagnosed with cancer in February 2024, recently announced an improvement in his health and has since resumed international and domestic duties, including a recent address to the United States Congress.
