LONDON: The British Embassy in Ukraine and Buckingham Palace were compelled to dispel wrong claims regarding the demise of King Charles III after Russian media erroneously reported his death. According to The Guardian, the unfounded rumor gained traction online after being disseminated on a Telegram channel associated with Vedomosti, a prominent Russian newspaper.
The report, accompanied by a photograph of King Charles in ceremonial military attire, suggested that “British King Charles III has died.” Speedily gaining momentum on Russian social media platforms, the misinformation sowed confusion and alarm before being promptly refuted.
Initially, Russian internet channels, including Readovka, a pro-Kremlin Telegram channel, circulated a document purportedly from royal communications stating that the king had passed away unexpectedly on March 18, 2024.
News About King Charles III’s Death is Fake
Following a wave of misleading reports from Russian media outlets, the British Embassy in Ukraine issued a statement, affirming the king’s continued vitality. In both English and Ukrainian, the embassy declared, “News about King Charles III’s death is fake.”
Meanwhile, Buckingham Palace rebuffed the false claims in a statement provided to the Russian state-run TASS news agency, confirming that the king is engaged in both official and personal activities.
Although several Russian mainstream news sources and prominent pro-Kremlin Telegram channels erroneously propagated the notion of King Charles’ demise, subsequent corrections were issued to rectify the misinformation.
The circulation of the erroneous report coincides with a period during which the 75-year-old British King has been undergoing cancer treatment. Additionally, speculation surrounding the health of Kate Middleton, the wife of Prince William, has intensified since her abdominal surgery in January.
The controversy was further fueled by the Palace’s release of edited photographs of Kate Middleton, which prompted skepticism from various news agencies regarding the authenticity of the images. Following the scrutiny, the Palace withdrew the images. Kate Middleton, who has not been seen in public since her surgery, has been the subject of widespread speculation about her well-being on social media platforms in recent weeks.
