KUALA LUMPUR: Fake news on the demise of British Monarch King Charles III surged after it went viral in Russian newspapers.
According to The Guardian, the rumor originated when a photo of Charles dressed in ceremonial military attire with the caption "British King Charles III has died" was shared in a Telegram channel used by Vedomosti, a Russian business newspaper.
The rumor then spread across the Russian internet, including on the popular Telegram channel Readovka, which boasts over two million subscribers.
The Guardian also reported that although there was no official announcement from the BBC or Buckingham Palace, Readovka claimed the news came from the palace, citing an unverified document."The following announcement is made by royal communications."
"The king passed away unexpectedly yesterday afternoon," the document erroneously stated, The Guardian reported. It was dated March 18, 2024.The document closely resembled the palace's announcement of the late queen's death, which read: "The queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon."
Another version of the rumor suggested that Charles had abdicated, naming his successor as "King Bob, the yellow Minion.
"The news then spread to Ukraine, where it was reposted by a leading television station and published by Asia-Plus, Tajikistan's media outlet.
However, at this point some news outlets expressed skepticism about the information.
According to The Guardian, the Russian website Gazeta.Ru initially tweeted: "King Charles III of Great Britain has died. This is reported by Buckingham Palace. The monarch was 75 years old. He was recently diagnosed with cancer."
However, the tweet was later edited to add: "At the same time, nothing has been reported by the official British media. Most likely, the information is fake.
"Meanwhile, a Russian media editor published an article stating, "I can't confirm whether it's true or not."
Later, he suggested that the Buckingham Palace website may have been "hacked."
Finally, putting an end to the rumors, the Russian state news agency Tass published: "King Charles III continues to perform his official duties and attend private engagements."