Buckingham Palace Addresses Viral Reports of King Charles' Death

Britain's Prince Charles, Prince of Wales proceeds through the Royal Gallery during the State Opening of Parliament at the Houses of Parliament, in London, on May 10, 2022.

After Russian media reported that King Charles passed away over the weekend, Buckingham Palace was forced to speak out—this at a time when the royals have been doing everything they can to avoid making statements, especially in light of #KateGate.

According to the New York Post, Russian publications shared a statement that was credited to Buckingham Palace, which included the seal of the British monarch’s London home.

Dated today, March 18, the false statement read, “The following announcement is made by royal communications. The King passed away unexpectedly yesterday afternoon.”

The palace has reportedly issued a statement to the state-run TASS news agency, dismissing the rumors: “We are happy to confirm that The King is continuing with official and private business.”

Parade has reached out to Buckingham Palace for comment.

Over the weekend, Twitter and TikTok users began to report that the BBC was "on standby" to receive and broadcast an official announcement from the royals, with many even falling for a fake TikTok account claiming to be run by the news organization.

One of the tweets circulating suggested that government buildings in the UK were flying their flags at half-mast, leading many to believe the rumors that the monarch died. However, others debunked the circulating video, claiming that it was from Sept. 2022 and urging users not to fall for "false claims."

Conspiracy theories and speculation about the King's health have only ramped up ever since the palace revealed that the 75-year-old monarch was diagnosed with cancer shortly after being treated for an enlarged prostate.

Next, Concern for Kate Middleton Continues to Mount After Latest Sighting