Radio Station Apologises After Mistakenly Announcing King Charles’ Death

May 2026 | By Azad News HD

A former British pirate radio station has issued an apology after it mistakenly broadcast news announcing the death of King Charles III due to a technical error at its studio in Essex.

The announcement, made by Radio Caroline on Tuesday afternoon, was triggered by a computer malfunction that activated a pre-set emergency protocol used for national broadcasting incidents.

According to the station, the error led to the activation of the so-called “death of a monarch” procedure, which UK broadcasters keep in readiness for official royal announcements.

Station manager Peter Moore said the broadcast went silent as part of the protocol, which later helped staff identify the mistake and restore normal programming.

He added that the station quickly issued an on-air apology and acknowledged the disruption caused to listeners.

Radio Caroline also expressed regret to King Charles III and Queen Camilla, stating that it did not intend to cause any distress through the false announcement.

The incident occurred while the royal couple were in Northern Ireland attending a cultural event featuring a local Irish folk performance.

Founded in 1964, Radio Caroline originally became known as a pirate radio station broadcasting from ships off the English coast in defiance of the BBC monopoly.

Although legislation in 1967 forced many pirate stations to shut down, Radio Caroline continued in various forms before ending offshore broadcasts in 1990.

Conclusion

The mistaken announcement highlights how technical errors in modern broadcasting systems can still trigger sensitive protocols and cause unexpected public confusion.

Disclaimer

This article is independently rewritten for news and informational purposes by Azad News HD.