The news broke in the Russian media on Monday afternoon. King Charles III was dead. He was not, but no one really had time to check the details. The saga of the royal family finally had its latest twist: a viral Russian disinformation angle.
The rumour went into overdrive when it was shared on a Telegram channel used by Vedomosti, once Russia’s most respected business newspaper. There was a photo of Charles in ceremonial military uniform and the curt caption: “British King Charles III has died.” It made it through Russian internet channels, including Readovka, a pro-Kremlin Telegram channel with more than 2.35 million subscribers.
There was no BBC announcement or public statement from Buckingham Palace. But Readovka did have a document, provenance unknown, that it posted next to a photograph of the king. “The following announcement is made by royal communications,” it said. “The king passed away unexpectedly yesterday afternoon.” It was dated 18 March 2024. That was all.
The file, whose creator is unknown, was closely modelled on the palace’s announcement of the late queen’s death that said: “The queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon.” Another version making the rounds was an abdication letter, admittedly naming Charles’s successor as “King Bob, the yellow Minion”.
The news had made its way to Ukraine at this point, where it was reposted by a leading television station. It had also travelled as far as Tajikistan, where Asia-Plus, its biggest independent media outlet, had done a write-up.
Ultimately, the newsflash came from the Russian state news agency Tass: “King Charles III continues to perform his official duties and attend private engagements.”