King Charles ‘not dead’ despite Russian reports following fake Palace statement

The British embassy has been forced to put an end to a wild rumour about King Charles that has been running rampant in Russian media.

King ‘not dead’ despite Russian reports

The King is alive and well, despite Russian reports stating otherwise.

British diplomats have been forced to correct the Russian press, which in the last 24 hours have run with a faux Palace statement dated March 18, declaring the monarch’s death.

However, King Charles III is still alive.

The fake message from the Palace on Monday, featuring the official seal, stated: “The following announcement is made by royal communications.”

“The King passed away unexpectedly yesterday afternoon,” it declared.

Several Russian news sites and their social media accounts reported the news earlier on Monday, with some attributing the King’s death to cancer complications.

The fake statement from Buckingham Palace also did the rounds on social media.

Russian newswire Sputnik even reported: “King Charles III of Great Britain has died at the age of 75, according to media reports.”

“There is no information about this on the royal family website or in the British media.”

UK diplomats say King Charles III is not dead despite Russian media reporting otherwise. Picture: Getty Images

Diplomats from the British embassy in Moscow furiously shot down the false reports on X.

“Reports of the death of King Charles III of Great Britain are fake!” the embassy’s account wrote.

The British Embassy in Kyiv also dispelled the fake statement shortly after midnight on Tuesday.

“We would like to inform you that the news about the death of King Charles III is fake,” the statement shared to X read.

It’s unclear at this stage where the fake Palace statement originated.

The news comes amid a tumultuous time for the Royals, with King Charles III revealing a cancer diagnosis a little over a month ago.

In recent weeks, the internet has also been awash with rumours surrounding Princess Kate Middleton.

The Princess of Wales was admitted to the hospital on January 16 for abdominal surgery, with royal watchers given a vague date of Easter as to when she’ll return to public life.

🇬🇧 We would like to inform you that the news about the death of King Charles III is fake. pic.twitter.com/Ilg2GZn0mo

— UK in Ukraine 🇬🇧🇺🇦 (@UKinUkraine) March 18, 2024

‼️Сообщения о смерти Короля Великобритании Карла III – фейк! pic.twitter.com/e9dHgXInV6

— UKinRussia🇬🇧🇷🇺 (@ukinrussia) March 18, 2024

Kensington Palace shared a photo of Kate and her children on March 10, which the Palace says was taken by her husband Prince William earlier in the week at the residence.

By Sunday evening, multiple major news agencies, including AFP and Reuters, pulled the image from circulation due to apparent manipulation, issuing a “kill notice” issued to publishers.

Princess Kate issued an apology the following day for sharing the edited image.

“Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing. I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion the family photograph we shared yesterday caused,” she wrote in a statement.

Originally published as King Charles ‘not dead’ despite Russian reports following fake Palace statement