Radio Caroline mistakenly announced the death of King Charles III on Tuesday afternoon, May 19, 2026, forcing the broadcaster to issue an immediate apology for the false transmission. The blunder occurred when an automated system in the Essex-based station accidentally went live, cutting off regular programming to broadcast a somber emergency message.
The transmission stated: “This is Radio Caroline. We have suspended our normal programs until further notice as a mark of formal respect following the passing of His Majesty King Charles III. His Majesty King Charles III has passed away. As a mark of respect we will now be playing suitable continuous music until further notice. The news media has confirmed that his Majesty King Charles III has passed away.”
Following the announcement, the station broadcast the national anthem and then fell completely silent. While the abrupt dead air was the next intended step of the technical sequence, it immediately alerted studio staff that a major error had occurred.
The announcement was entirely false, triggered by a computer malfunction at the station’s main studio in Essex. The glitch had accidentally activated the “Death of a Monarch” procedure—a pre-prepared protocol that all United Kingdom broadcasters maintain in readiness but hope not to use.
Station manager Peter Moore quickly clarified the mistake in an official statement posted to Facebook, confirming that regular programming was promptly restored alongside an on-air apology. Moore expressed deep regret to King Charles III and the station’s listeners for any distress caused by the mishap. He noted that Radio Caroline, which originally launched in 1964 as a pirate radio station operating from ships off the English coast, has long been pleased to broadcast royal Christmas messages and hopes to do so for many years to come.
