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A British radio station has issued a public apology after mistakenly broadcasting an announcement claiming King Charles III had died due to what it described as a computer error.
Radio Caroline, based in Essex, said the incident occurred on May 19 when its emergency "Death of a Monarch" procedure was accidentally activated at the station's main studio.
In a statement shared on Facebook, station manager Peter Moore explained how the mistake happened.
"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," Moore wrote.
According to reports, the false announcement aired shortly after the station played the song "What's Up" by 4 Non Blondes. An automated message then interrupted programming, stating: "We have suspended our normal program until further notice as a mark of respect for His Majesty King Charles III."
The message continued, "This is Radio Caroline. His Majesty King Charles III has passed away," before transitioning into the British national anthem, "God Save the King."
Moore said the station's programming then went silent, which alerted staff that the emergency protocol had been activated incorrectly.
"Radio Caroline then fell silent as would be required, which alerted us to restore programming and issue an on-air apology," he explained.
The station later apologised directly to the monarch and listeners. "We apologise to HM the King and to our listeners for any distress caused," the statement added.
At the time of the mistaken broadcast, King Charles and Queen Camilla were visiting Northern Ireland as part of a three-day trip. The King appeared in public throughout the day, attending cultural events in Belfast, observing a robotics demonstration and later joining celebrations connected to Irish music and heritage.
Buckingham Palace did not publicly comment on the incident.
The mistake quickly attracted attention online, with many listeners initially shocked before realising the announcement had been made in error. Reports also noted that playback for several hours of the station's broadcast later became unavailable on Radio Caroline's website.
