A United Kingdom radio station, Radio Caroline, has issued an apology after mistakenly announcing the death of King Charles III on air due to a computer error.
The incident occurred on Tuesday afternoon, May 19, at Radio Caroline's main studio in Essex, when a technical fault triggered an emergency broadcast procedure typically reserved for the death of a monarch. The system automatically activated a pre-prepared script used by UK stations in such rare situations.
According to reports, the station interrupted normal programming and repeatedly declared that King Charles had passed away. The message also stated that regular programmes were being suspended as a mark of respect. The station then played the national anthem, following the standard protocol for such an event.
The broadcast included statements such as: "This is Radio Caroline. We have suspended our normal programmes until further notice as a mark of formal respect following the passing of His Majesty King Charles III." Another announcement said: "His Majesty King Charles III has passed away. As a mark of respect, we will now be playing suitable continuous music until further notice."
However, the announcement was not true.
Station Manager Explains Error
Station manager Peter Moore explained on social media that the "death of a monarch procedure" had been mistakenly triggered, leading to the false on-air statement about the King's death. He added that once the broadcast went silent, staff quickly realised something was wrong and restored normal programming. An apology was later aired to correct the mistake.
Moore said: "Due to a computer error at our main studio, the Death of a Monarch procedure… was accidentally activated… mistakenly announcing that HM the King had passed away." He also stated that the station regrets any distress caused to both the monarch and listeners.
Radio Caroline, a historic station that began in 1964 as a pirate broadcaster at sea, said it has always taken part in official royal broadcasts such as Christmas messages and hopes to continue doing so in future.
The error occurred while King Charles and Queen Camilla were on an official visit to Northern Ireland, where they attended cultural events and met members of the public.
Background on Radio Caroline
Radio Caroline is one of the UK's most famous radio stations, originally launched as a pirate station broadcasting from ships. It has a long history of playing popular music and has been involved in various controversies over the years. The station now operates legally and continues to broadcast to a loyal audience.
The false announcement has sparked discussions about the reliability of automated broadcast systems and the protocols for handling sensitive news. The station has assured listeners that measures are being taken to prevent such errors in the future.
