King Charles III is very much alive, contrary to claim on social media | Fact check
The claim: King Charles III died on March 18
A March 18 Facebook post (direct link, archive link) shows a picture of King Charles III.
“SOURCE REPORTS KING CHARLES II HAS DIED AFTER SUCCUMBING TO PROSTRATE CANCER AT THE AGE OF 75 (sic),” reads part of the post's caption. “Flag at Buckingham Palace appears to be lowered to half staff.”
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Our rating: False
Charles is not dead. The monarch has made public appearances since the post claiming he died was shared. Buckingham Palace and the British Embassy said the claim was false.
King Charles photographed leaving Windsor Castle
Charles, who has been undergoing treatment for cancer since February, is alive. He was spotted being driven from Windsor Castle to Clarence House, a royal residence in London, on the morning of March 19.
Later that same day, Charles was photographed as he greeted Korean War veterans inside Buckingham Palace, the Independent reported.
These appearances come a day after the Facebook post claimed the monarch had died.
The rumor of the king's death began with a Russian media outlet and spread on the messaging app Telegram, according to The Guardian. The Russian outlet shared what appeared to be a statement from Buckingham Palace announcing the king's death.
The British Embassy in Ukraine also debunked the rumor in a brief March 18 X post, writing that "news about the death of King Charles III is fake."
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The false Charles claim circulated as other social media users wrongly tried to link photos of a half-staff Union Jack flag to health issues with the Princess of Wales. As Paste BN noted in a fact check, the flag images are from 2022.
Paste BN reached out to the user who shared the post for comment but did not immediately receive a response.
Our fact-check sources:
- The Independent, March 19, Royal news - live: William discusses Kate Middleton’s absence after pair pictured smiling at Windsor farm shop
- The Guardian, March 18, False King Charles death story spread by Russian media outlets
- @UKinUkraine, March 18, X post
- TASS, March 18, Buckingham Palace says Charles III continues to carry out his duties
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