The British Embassy in Russia was compelled to dispel rumors of King Charles III’s death following false reports carried by several Russian media outlets and circulated on social media platforms. An alleged death announcement, purportedly from Buckingham Palace, was shared widely throughout Russia, prompting the embassy to clarify on its Telegram channel that the King is very much alive.
“Reports about the death of King Charles III of Great Britain are fake,” said the Embassy’s announcement.
The false story appeared shortly after the UK, among other nations, criticized the re-election of Russian President Vladimir Putin. While the origin of the false death announcement hasn’t been definitively traced back to any official Russian source, it comes in the wake of significantly strained UK-Russia relations.
Prominent Russian media platforms RIA Novosti, Readkovka, and Mash, known for their pro-Putin stance, were among the outlets that disseminated the hoax. Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova reportedly joined in with unfounded commentary on the situation. “London looks pathetic,” she said.
The false report was also published in Ukraine, prompting the British Embassy there to release a similar statement to quell potential confusion. Russian state news agencies quoted statements from Buckingham Palace confirming that King Charles is alive and continues to fulfill his official duties, correcting the rumor.
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