A British radio station falsely announced that King Charles III had died after a staff member discovered a prerecorded royal death notice and played it 'out of curiosity'.
Radio Caroline interrupted its normal programming, broadcast the incorrect announcement and played God Save the King. The station then fell silent for 16 minutes, leaving listeners unsure whether the report was genuine.
An Ofcom investigation has now revealed that the staff member did not realise the recording would be transmitted live. After discovering what had happened, the individual reportedly panicked and left the station's premises.
Worker Found Recording During Maintenance
The incident happened on 19 May while the staff member was carrying out maintenance on a computer at Radio Caroline's main studio in Essex.
The individual discovered files prepared for the death of the monarch. British broadcasters commonly keep such material ready so they can respond immediately when an official announcement is made.
However, these files were reportedly connected to Radio Caroline's live broadcasting system.
When the staff member selected the recording, it interrupted What's Up? by 4 Non Blondes and informed listeners that news organisations had confirmed the King's death.
The announcement said the station would suspend its usual programmes as a mark of respect. A rendition of the national anthem followed before the broadcast went silent.
Correction Took Approximately 30 Minutes
The prolonged silence eventually alerted other Radio Caroline staff that something had gone wrong.
Programming returned after approximately 16 minutes, but the station did not correct the false report until around half an hour after it was first broadcast.
A presenter then informed listeners that some information played earlier had been incorrect and blamed the incident on a technical issue.
Ofcom said the inaccurate announcement concerned a matter of particular public importance. The regulator also criticised the length of time taken to issue a correction.
False reports involving a monarch can spread quickly across social media and may be treated as credible when they originate from a regulated broadcaster.
The station was found to have broadcast materially misleading information. Although the mistake was not intentional, broadcasters remain responsible for ensuring that sensitive prerecorded material cannot reach audiences without proper verification.
King Was Attending Public Engagements
King Charles was alive and carrying out official duties in Northern Ireland when the announcement aired.
He and Queen Camilla were beginning a three-day visit that included engagements in Belfast. Images of the King meeting members of the public later helped confirm that the radio report was false.
Some listeners said they immediately told relatives and neighbours before checking other news platforms and realising that no official death announcement had been made.
Radio Caroline initially described the incident publicly as a 'computer error'. The Ofcom findings provided a fuller account by revealing that a staff member had deliberately selected the recording without understanding that it would be broadcast.
Radio Caroline Removes Royal Death Files
The station said it treated the incident seriously and reprimanded the staff member responsible.
It also removed the prerecorded royal death announcements from the computer to prevent them from being activated again.
Radio Caroline apologised to King Charles and to listeners who may have experienced distress or confusion.
Founded in 1964, Radio Caroline became famous as a pirate station broadcasting from ships outside British territorial waters. It now operates as a licensed broadcaster.
The incident has raised questions about why a recording carrying one of Britain's most consequential announcements could apparently be transmitted without confirmation from a second person.
While curiosity triggered the mistake, the absence of an immediate safeguard allowed one click to tell listeners that the King was dead and leave the station silent for the next 16 minutes.
