The false statement was published by Baza and Mash, two popular Russian Telegram channels, before being picked up by Russian media outlets including Gazeta.Ru, a news website based in Moscow.
Sputnik, the Russian news wire, 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.”
Social media posts that circulated the stories were accompanied by images purporting to show that the Union flag at Buckingham Palace was flying at half-mast.
The Russian news stories were later updated when the rumours were denied. It was unclear where the fake statement had originated, with some claiming that Vladimir Putin’s propaganda machine was responsible.
It came hot on the heels of a social media frenzy whipped up by false rumours that the BBC was awaiting a significant royal announcement.
Such was the level of engagement that #royalannouncement was trending on X on Monday for the third consecutive day, while Forbes, the US publication, reported claims that the BBC was “on alert” for an unspecified major announcement from the Royal family.
The conspiracy theories have been fuelled by the Princess of Wales’s three-month absence from the public eye as she recovers from abdominal surgery.
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