A British radio station’s bizarre false announcement that King Charles III had died has taken an even stranger turn, with regulators revealing that the mistake began when a staff member deliberately played prerecorded royal-death files “out of curiosity.”
Radio Caroline shocked listeners on May 19 when its normal programming was interrupted by solemn announcements saying the King had died. “God Save the King” followed before the station fell silent for around 16 minutes.
At the time, station manager Peter Moore blamed a “computer error” that had accidentally activated Radio Caroline’s “Death of a Monarch” procedure. A new Ofcom ruling found that a staff member carrying out maintenance on the studio computer had accessed the prerecorded files and played them without realizing the audio would go out live.
After discovering what had happened, the staffer stopped the files, “panicked and left the premises.” Ofcom ultimately ruled that Radio Caroline breached two sections of the Broadcasting Code over the false announcement and the time it took to properly correct it.
The Staff Member Played the Files ‘Out of Curiosity’
The incident happened during The Barry Marsh Show while another staff member was performing maintenance on Radio Caroline’s studio computer. According to Ofcom’s findings, the staff member discovered sound files that had been prerecorded for use following the death of the monarch.
Radio Caroline told the regulator that the files were accompanied by “a set of strict instructions to presenters and managers” explaining what needed to happen before they could be used.
The person responsible was not Barry Marsh, who was presenting the show remotely. The Independent initially identified the presenter as the person who left before correcting its report to make clear that it was another staff member.
Listeners Heard That King Charles Had Died, Then the Anthem Played
The prerecorded material was intended for one of the most consequential events a British broadcaster could be required to cover. One announcement told listeners that Radio Caroline had suspended its normal programming “as a mark of respect following the passing of His Majesty King Charles III.”
Another said the King had died and that the station would play continuous suitable music until further notice. When Marsh returned to the air, he told listeners he had just been informed that incorrect information had been played earlier. “I didn’t hear this myself, but it is incorrect, it’s a technical issue, and of course we apologise,” he said.
Ofcom Says the Proper Correction Took About 30 Minutes
Ofcom received two complaints about the broadcast. Rule 5.1 requires news, in whatever form, to be reported with due accuracy and presented with due impartiality. Rule 5.2 requires significant mistakes in news to be acknowledged and corrected on air quickly.
Ofcom described the false report of the King’s death as a “very significant inaccuracy about an issue of particular public importance.” The regulator said Radio Caroline did not broadcast an adequate apology and clarification until approximately 30 minutes after the inaccurate announcements first went out.
Ofcom acknowledged that the station was monitoring its output and that an engineer knew there was a problem. However, it took time to determine what had happened and restore the scheduled programming. The response was further complicated because Marsh was presenting the program remotely.
Radio Caroline Initially Blamed a ‘Computer Error’
The Ofcom findings provide considerably more detail than Radio Caroline disclosed immediately after the incident. On May 20, station manager Peter Moore issued a public statement attributing the false announcement to a technical problem.
“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 (19 May), mistakenly announcing that HM the King had passed away,” Moore wrote.
“Radio Caroline then fell silent as would be required, which alerted us to restore programming and issue an on-air apology.” “We apologise to HM the King and to our listeners for any distress caused,” he added. The Guardian and other outlets reported that explanation at the time.
King Charles Was in Belfast the Day Radio Caroline Announced His Death
A lively welcome to Belfast! 🎶🪕
Kicking off their annual visit to Northern Ireland, The King and Queen joined a showcase of music and culture at Thompson Dock in Belfast.
Founded in 1951, The Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann is widely regarded as the world’s largest annual festival… pic.twitter.com/rhZH503adV
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) May 19, 2026
While Radio Caroline was mistakenly announcing his death, Charles was carrying out public engagements in Northern Ireland with Queen Camilla. The Royal Family’s official record confirms that the couple arrived in Belfast on May 19 for a three-day visit.
At Thompson Dock in the Titanic Quarter, Charles and Camilla met performers, organizers and volunteers preparing for Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann and watched a showcase of music and cultural performances.
They also visited Titanic Distillers in the restored Edwardian pumphouse, where they learned about the whiskey-making process and sampled whiskey.
Later that day, Charles visited W5 LIFE, an initiative focused on digital skills, while the King and Queen ended the day by receiving Northern Ireland’s first minister and deputy first minister at Hillsborough Castle. Charles continued with engagements in Northern Ireland the following day.
The Staff Member Was Reprimanded After the Blunder
Radio Caroline told Ofcom that it took the incident seriously and acted to prevent the same mistake from happening again. The staff member responsible for playing the recordings was reprimanded and apologized, according to the station.
Radio Caroline also removed the royal-death files from the desktop of the studio computer so they could not be accessed in the same way.
Presenters and support staff were reminded of the procedures governing the material and the steps required before any such announcement could be broadcast.