British radio station Radio Caroline accidentally announced death King Charles III and launched the protocol prepared in the event of the death of the monarch. The mistake quickly caused chaos among the audience, although the king himself continued his official visit to Northern Ireland.
The incident happened on Tuesday May 19. A prepared message about the death of the king was broadcast. After this, the station went silent for a while, following internal protocol in the event of the death of the monarch. It’s beautiful, of course: the king is alive, the country is working, and the radio has already solemnly entered mourning mode.
Later Radio Caroline apologized, explaining the incident as a computer or studio error. Station Manager Peter Moore stated that it was the sudden silence on the air that helped quickly understand that something had gone wrong, after which the regular program was restored.
According to British media reports, the recording of the problematic segment of the broadcast was removed from the station’s website. Buckingham Palace did not officially comment on the incident. Apparently, they decided that if they react to technical failures of the media every time, the monarchy will have to open a separate department to combat human absurdity.
The King was in Northern Ireland at the time
King Charles III with a gift – a jar of honey – from The Pantry Foodbank in Northern Ireland. Aaron Chown/Pool via REUTERS
At the time of the radio failure King Charles III And Queen Camilla were in Northern Ireland on an official visit. The next day the king attended charity and community events, including a food bank The Pantry Foodbank in the city Newcastle.
That is, the news about the death of the monarch was broadcast at a time when the monarch himself continued to perform a public program. Britain is of course a country with a strong protocol tradition, but here protocol clearly decided to take the stage before the main event.
Pirate radio and royal protocol
The situation was made especially ironic because of the history of the station itself. Radio Caroline was founded in 1964 and long remained a legendary pirate radio broadcast from ships in international waters to circumvent the monopoly BBC.
After the adoption of a special law in 1967 cooperation with such a station became illegal for British citizens, and the station itself continued to exist in a different format. Today Radio Caroline operates legally and is part of British radio culture. And it was this former symbol of radio rebellion who accidentally launched the monarchical mourning protocol. History loves to joke, but sometimes its English humor is too dry.
@nypost Operation Menai Bridge: The plan for #KingCharles ♬ original sound – New York Post | News
Charles III’s health and rumors
The incident coincides with increased attention to health Charles III. IN 2024 Buckingham Palace said the king had been diagnosed with cancer and was undergoing treatment and temporarily limiting his public duties. However, in recent months the monarch has continued to participate in official events.
The British press periodically writes that plans in the event of the king’s death are regularly updated. But such a process in itself is not evidence of deterioration. This is standard procedure for the palace. For the tabloids – an eternal source of headlines. For the radio station, as it turned out, there is also a technical trap.
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