On Monday 18 march 2024 afternoon, there was quite a commotion in the news when Russian media reported that King Charles III had passed away. A photo along with a fake announcement made its way onto a Telegram channel, causing a bit of a stir. Even though neither Buckingham Palace nor the BBC had officially confirmed the news. It quickly spread through Russian internet channels, eventually reaching Ukraine and Tajikistan.
However, soon after, doubts started to creep in about the authenticity of the news. Gazeta.Ru initially tweeted about the king’s death but later edited the tweet, suspecting that the information might be fake. Some even speculated that Buckingham Palace’s website could have been hacked.
As the news circulated, memes started popping up, including one with the king’s head photoshopped onto another image. The spokesperson for the Russian foreign ministry even made a comment on the situation.
Eventually, the Russian state news agency Tass confirmed that King Charles III was, in fact, alive and well, carrying on with his duties as usual. The 75-year-old king appeared in public twice to debunk the false reports from Russian media. He was spotted leaving Windsor Castle and hosting Korean War veterans at Buckingham Palace.
Speaking of the Korean War, around 60,000 British soldiers served in it, sadly resulting in 1,100 casualties. Additionally, 227,000 South Korean troops lost their lives during the conflict.
Princess Anne and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, stepped in to host a reception for the veterans on behalf of King Charles, who couldn’t attend due to ongoing cancer treatment that he had publicly disclosed back in February.
After the false death rumors, the British government stepped in to clarify the king’s status. However, this also sparked speculation about the health and marriage of Kate Middleton, especially fueled by a video of her leaving a farm shop with Prince William.
British officials were quick to refute the rumors of King Charles III’s death that were circulating thanks to Russian media. It’s true that the King is undergoing treatment for cancer, with news of his surgery back in January. Princess Kate Middleton has also had surgery, which has drawn global interest in the royal family’s health.
All these rumors and speculations have led to various conspiracy theories, ranging from William’s alleged affair to Kate being in an “induced coma.” Many people are skeptical due to the royal family’s silence on these matters. An edited image of Kate on Mother’s Day only added to the confusion, with fans questioning the palace’s updates.
Despite the official statements, there’s still a lot of doubt lingering about the King’s well-being. A recent update did show him receiving a visitor at Buckingham Palace, but internet users remain unconvinced, drawing parallels to the situations involving Boris Johnson and Zelensky.
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