Spread mainly through SNS and Russian media
Buckingham Palace confirms, "The King is performing official duties"
Fake news claiming that King Charles III of the United Kingdom had passed away spread through social networking services (SNS), causing embarrassment for British embassies abroad.
On the 18th (local time), claims that Charles III had died circulated on SNS platforms including Instagram and X (formerly Twitter). Some posts were designed to look like official announcements, featuring the Buckingham Palace logo and the date March 18, with messages such as "The King unexpectedly passed away yesterday afternoon." In particular, the document closely resembled the official image Buckingham Palace released when Queen Elizabeth passed away. It is presumed that the original distributor manipulated an official letter to spread the false information.
Although Buckingham Palace did not issue an official statement, British diplomatic missions abroad scrambled to contain the situation via SNS. The British Embassy in Ukraine posted on its X and Facebook accounts that "news about the death of Charles III is fake," along with an image. The British Embassy in Azerbaijan also posted the same message on its SNS accounts. The Russian news agency TASS caused a stir by reporting in its English edition that Buckingham Palace confirmed to TASS that the King continues to carry out official and personal duties.
A fabricated document announcing the death of King Charles III of the United Kingdom. [Image source=Captured from SNS]
Earlier, the British royal family announced on the 5th of last month that Charles III had been diagnosed with cancer while undergoing treatment for benign prostatic hyperplasia and had started treatment. Although Charles III had not been engaging in public appearances, he continued to perform official duties, and Buckingham Palace consistently released videos and photos showing him at work. Major British media outlets reported that Charles III intends to attend the Trooping the Colour ceremony, the official birthday event for the monarch, on June 15, and that aides are reviewing the manner of his attendance.
Recently, conspiracy theories have been circulating online regarding the health of Charles III and his eldest daughter-in-law, Catherine, Princess of Wales, who underwent abdominal surgery around the same time. A British media outlet reported on the 17th, citing witnesses, that the Princess of Wales was seen visiting a farm shop near their residence, Adelaide Cottage in Windsor, appearing bright and healthy alongside Prince William.
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