Radio Caroline, a historic British pirate radio station, mistakenly announced the death of King Charles III on Tuesday, May 19, 2026, after a computer error triggered the station’s "Death of a Monarch" procedure [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]. The error occurred while King Charles and Queen Camilla were attending a performance by an Irish folk group in Belfast’s Titanic Quarter during their visit to Northern Ireland [1, 2, 3, 5, 6].
Station manager Peter Moore explained that the procedure, held in readiness by UK stations but never intended to be activated without cause, was accidentally activated at Radio Caroline’s main studio. He said, "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, mistakenly announcing that HM the king had passed away" [1].
Following the false announcement, Radio Caroline fell silent briefly, as required by the protocol, before restoring normal programming and issuing an on-air apology [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]. Moore added, "Radio Caroline then fell silent as would be required, which alerted us to restore programming and issue an on-air apology" and expressed regret by saying, "We apologise to HM the king and to our listeners for any distress caused" [1].
Playback of Radio Caroline’s May 19 broadcast from 1:58 p.m. to 5 p.m. was unavailable on the station’s website on May 20 and May 21, according to reports [1, 2, 3, 6].
Radio Caroline, established in 1964, is known for its pirate broadcasts from ships off the English coast and inspired the 2009 comedy film The Boat That Rocked [1, 2, 3, 5, 6]. Moore also noted the station’s history with royal broadcasts, saying, "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" [1].
