King Charles is dead: UK radio station apologizes for 'error'

A British radio station has apologized for accidentally announcing the death of King Charles, who is visiting Northern Ireland with his wife Queen Camilla.

The Radio Caroline, which is based in Essex, said it triggered its pre-prepared "Death of a Monarch" emergency protocol due to a studio computer error.

The radio station interrupted normal programming and broadcast an announcement that King Charles had died.

The station then played "God Save the King" and went off air (silent) for around 15–16 minutes.

"Due to a computer error at our main studio, the Death of a Monarch procedure... was accidentally activated... mistakenly announcing that HRH the King had passed away. We apologise to the King and to our listeners for any distress caused," said the radio station.

A day after his death was announced by the radio station, a seagull dropped a surprise from above, hitting the king’s suit jacket and splattering others around him, including members of the press.

“It’s well it didn’t land on my head,” the king quipped, according to Irene Marting, who witnessed the incident and met the composed king shortly afterward.

“Being hit by a seagull, it’s supposed to be good luck,” Marting said. “We’re so thrilled he’s come to Northern Ireland to see us and it’s really nice to see him in Newcastle.”

Charles was visiting the southeast coastal town on the second day of a three-day visit with Queen Camilla. The queen was spared the spectacle because she was making a separate visit to Royal Hillsborough, where she tried her hand at pouring a pint of Guinness at a pub.

According to Associated Press, "The king seemed to foreshadow his fate earlier in the day during a visit to a food pantry when he picked up a roll of toilet paper and said, “very important.”