Radio Station Sparks Panic After Accidentally Announcing King Charles' Death on Air

King Charles IIIis very much alive. But a recent radio station broadcast in the UK seemed to say otherwise. After accidentally announcing the death of the monarch, Radio Caroline station manager Peter Moore publicly apologized for the serious blunder.

Reportedly, a computer glitch accidentally triggered the station's "Death of a Monarch" protocol. As the name implies, the automated procedure is a ready-made statement issued in the event that the King were to pass. While Charles is still with us, the station's computer system inadvertently pushed the notification, telling listeners, per The Telegraph, "This is Radio Caroline. We have suspended our normal programs until further notice as a mark of respect following the passing of His Majesty King Charles III. This is Radio Caroline, His Majesty King Charles III has passed away. As a mark of respect, we will play continuous, suitable music until further notice."

According to reports, the station played "God Save the King" for nearly 15 minutes following the very premature announcement.

Moore issued an apology and an explanation from the station on social media, writing 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 (19 May), mistakenly announcing that HM the King had passed away."

The statement went on to add, "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 apologize to HM the King and to our listeners for any distress caused."

Oops doesn't really cover it. In the realm of workplace blunders, this is possibly one of the worst. Some Brits expressed panic after hearing the news. Comments such as, "I heard this while working in the garage. I dashed indoors shouting to the missus, ‘He's dead! Charles is bloody dead!' She looked puzzled and said, ‘Well he was just at the flower show yesterday'" poured in.

But it looks like some listeners are taking it in stride and even feel empathy towards the station. One commenter replied to the apology announcement post, writing, "It was a shock, but after telling my wife and neighbours I realised it was a mistake," while another said, "None of us go through life without making the odd mistake."

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This story was originally published May 21, 2026 at 6:08 AM.