By Aysu Bicer
LONDON (AA) - The British embassies in Ukraine and Russia denounced rumors alleging the death of King Charles following a wave of media reports spread by Russian media outlets.
The hoax initially surfaced on the Telegram messenger app, where a photoshopped image bearing the Buckingham Palace insignia announced the untimely demise of Charles, 75, who has been Britain’s monarch for only about 18 months.
Emulating the style of previous official announcements, the fabricated letter said Charles had passed away unexpectedly the previous afternoon, along with by Monday's date.
Prominent state media channels in Russia, such as Readovka and Baza, further disseminated the misinformation to millions of followers, though with disclaimers that the news was unverified.
Russian state news agency Tass later claimed to have contacted Buckingham Palace directly and gotten assurances that Charles remains alive and carrying out his duties.
But despite the subsequent retractions by major Russian outlets, the falsehood had already gotten significant traction. It crossed borders, with a leading television station in Ukraine and numerous influential channels reposting the story.
As the erroneous information continued to circulate unabated for several hours, the British embassies in both Ukraine and Russia intervened, issuing a categorical denial of the fabricated claims.
"We would like to inform you that the news about the death of King Charles III is fake," they said on X.
In February, Buckingham Palace announced that Charles had been diagnosed with an unspecified form of cancer, and would pause his public appearances while continuing to fulfill closed-door duties.