British radio station Radio Caroline issued a public apology after a technical malfunction on Tuesday afternoon, May 19, caused the broadcaster to accidentally trigger its national protocol and falsely announce the death of King Charles III from its main studio in Essex.
The incident occurred while the 77-year-old monarch, who is undergoing treatment for an undisclosed form of cancer, was conducting an official three-day tour of Northern Ireland and Ireland alongside Queen Camilla.
>>> Computer Error Triggers False King Charles Death Report on UK Radio
The false broadcast briefly interrupted regular programming, played "God Save the King," and left the station silent for approximately 15 minutes before operators restored the system and issued an on-air retraction.
Buckingham Palace has not made any public comment regarding the broadcast error. However, the station removed the playback for Tuesday's afternoon broadcast between 1:58 p.
m. and 5:00 p.
m. from its website by Wednesday, as reported by The Guardian.
Station Manager Explains Error
Station manager Peter Moore explained the cause of the transmission error through an official social media statement, clarifying that the national emergency procedure had been initiated unintentionally by the studio's automated systems.
"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," wrote Peter Moore, Station Manager of Radio Caroline.
The broadcaster immediately lost its audio signal following the transmission of the emergency notice, prompting the engineering team to intervene and correct the programming line-up.
"Radio Caroline then fell silent as would be required, which alerted us to restore programming and issue an on-air apology," wrote Peter Moore.
The independent station, which began in 1964 as an offshore pirate radio broadcaster operating from ships, noted its historical relationship with the royal family's annual holiday broadcasts.
"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," wrote Peter Moore.
The management team expressed regret over the false alarm that spread across online networks before listeners realized the announcement was incorrect.
"We apologise to HM the king and to our listeners for any distress caused," wrote Peter Moore.
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During the broadcast incident, King Charles III and Queen Camilla were visiting Belfast's Titanic Quarter, where they participated in community outreach and cultural events, including playing a traditional Irish drum called a bodhran at Thompson Dock.
King's Trust ambassador Jamie Fagan remarked on the monarch's interaction with local hip-hop students during the tour.
"He wants us to teach him how to do hip-hop," said Jamie Fagan, King's Trust Ambassador.
The royal visit continued into Wednesday in Newcastle, Northern Ireland, where a flying seagull soiled the King's suit jacket during a public walkabout.
The monarch, who had previously joked about toilet paper while visiting a food pantry by calling it "Very important," maintained his humor during the outdoor incident.
"It's well it didn't land on my head," said King Charles III, Monarch of the United Kingdom.
Local onlookers viewed the avian incident favorably as the royal couple prepared for future international engagements.
"Being hit by a sea gull, it's supposed to be good luck," said Irene Marting, Newcastle Resident.
Separately, the British Broadcasting Corporation also issued an apology on Tuesday for an unrelated scheduling error on Radio 2 that caused an incorrect repeat broadcast of Elaine Paige On Sunday.
"Unfortunately, due to a scheduling error, the incorrect second hour of the show was broadcast yesterday," said a BBC Spokesperson.
The network confirmed that corrective actions were taken immediately after the broadcast problem was identified.
"We apologise to listeners and are currently looking into how this occurred," said a BBC Spokesperson.
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The correct program was subsequently uploaded to the BBC Sounds digital platform, while Irish President Catherine Connolly confirmed that King Charles III has accepted an official invitation to visit Ireland next year.
