Radio Caroline, which broadcasts in parts of England, mistakenly declared that King Charles III had died after a computer error activated its “Death of a Monarch” emergency protocol. The station abruptly halted normal programming and informed listeners that broadcasts were being suspended as a mark of respect for the monarch’s supposed passing. The announcement, which included a repeated on-air statement of the King’s death, was followed by the playing of “God Save the King” before the station unexpectedly fell silent for around 15 minutes. Station management later confirmed that the incident was caused by a technical malfunction and issued an apology, stating that the protocol had been accidentally triggered and emphasizing that the King was alive and well.
The mistake caused immediate confusion among listeners, some of whom believed the news before verifying it elsewhere, leading to a wave of reactions on social media ranging from shock to disbelief. The station later restored normal broadcasting and apologized directly to both the public and the royal household, describing the event as an unintended system error that had activated sensitive emergency procedures designed for a monarch’s actual death.
In a separate but similarly embarrassing incident in Parliament, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer mistakenly stated during Prime Minister’s Questions that the government had secured a trade deal with North Korea while listing international agreements. He quickly corrected himself, clarifying that he had meant South Korea and describing the error as a slip of the tongue. The moment, which occurred during exchanges with opposition leaders, added to a day of political missteps that drew widespread attention and online commentary, reinforcing the perception of an unusually chaotic day in UK public life.
