Radio station apologizes after accidentally announcing death of King Charles

King Charles III speaks during a reception in the garden of Government House in Hamilton, Bermuda, on May 1. (Ian Vogler/Getty Images via CNN Newsource)

A U.K. radio station has apologized to King Charles III and its listeners after accidentally and incorrectly announcing the death of the monarch.

“Due to a computer error at our main studio the Death of a Monarch procedure, which all U.K. 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 station manager for Radio Caroline, Peter Moore, said in a statement shared on social media Wednesday.

“Radio Caroline then fell silent as would be required, which alerted us to restore programming and issue an on-air apology,” he continued.

“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,” Moore added.

“We apologise to HM the King and to our listeners for any distress caused,” the statement concluded.

Established in 1964, Radio Caroline broadcasts in multiple countries, including Belgium and the Netherlands, and is available online worldwide.

On the day of the erroneous announcement, King Charles and Queen Camilla were in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

The 77-year-old and his wife joined a cultural celebration at Thompson Dock, the dry ground where the Titanic stood before its maiden voyage, Buckingham Palace said in a statement Tuesday.

There, they met performers and organizers preparing for the globally recognized traditional Irish music festival Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann, taking place in August.

The royals also visited Titanic distillers and learned about whiskey making, before the King visited a local charity providing and promoting wider access to skills for digital careers, according to the palace.

The King and Queen later met with the first minister and deputy first minister of Northern Ireland at Hillsborough Castle, a royal residence near Belfast.

King Charles, who revealed in February 2024 that he had been diagnosed with cancer, shared in a video message in December that his cancer treatment would be reduced this year, as he had been responding well to treatment.

In the past month, he has visited New York and Washington, D.C., where he addressed Congress, to mark the 250th anniversary of US independence. The King also addressed the U.K. Parliament last week.