No, King Charles III hasn’t died and Buckingham Palace didn’t raise the white flag

King Charles III announced his cancer diagnosis in February and has continued since then in his role as the United Kingdom’s ceremonial head of state. But a viral Facebook post claims his reign has come to an end.

“Breaking news: “The era of King Charles has ended” – Buckingham Palace raises the white flag, William’s heartbreaking announcement leaves the UK in mourning,” a Nov. 6 Facebook post claimed. The post features an image of the monarch in hospital wearing an oxygen mask and an image of his younger son, Prince Harry, crying. The post also features an image of Prince Edward, Charles’ youngest sibling. The post implied that the king had died and thrown the U.K. into a state of mourning.

The Facebook post was flagged as part of Meta’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Meta, which owns Facebook, Threads and Instagram.)

But King Charles, who turns 76 on Nov. 14, has not died and remains the U.K.’s monarch. The images of Charles in hospital and Harry crying are artificially generated. 

We found no announcement on the royal family’s website or social media accounts announcing the end of the new Carolean era. We searched for news reports and found no evidence that the king died. 

Screenshot of false claim that Prince Charles III has died

In recent days, King Charles has made several public appearances, including hosting a reception Nov. 7 for 2024 British Olympic and Paralympic medalists. He also welcomed the kings of Jordan and Bahrain on official visits to the U.K. on Nov. 7 and Nov. 11, respectively.

The white flag mentioned in the claim is a sign of surrender during war and not flown by Buckingham Palace. The monarch’s official residence flies the Royal Standard flag only when the king is at the palace. The Union Jack, the U.K.’s official flag, flies over the palace when the king is absent.

We rated as false a similar post that Prince William, Prince of Wales and heir to the throne, had said his marriage to Kate Middleton, who also announced a cancer diagnosis, was over. The claim used artificially generated images of Princes William and Harry.

We rate the claim that “the era of King Charles has ended” Pants on Fire!

By

Kwasi Gyamfi Asiedu

Staff writer

November 13, 2024

Truth-o-meter Ruling

Pants on Fire!

IF YOUR TIME IS SHORT

• King Charles III’s reign has not ended despite a viral Facebook post suggesting he died.

• Charles announced a cancer diagnosis in February but he has continued to make several recent public appearances.

• Buckingham Palace flies two flags: the Royal Standard, which is the royal family’s emblem, and the Union Jack, the United Kingdom’s official flag.

Statement

“Breaking News: ‘The Era of King Charles Has Ended’ – Buckingham Palace Raises the White Flag.”

Context

a post

Speaker/Target

Speaker: Facebook posts

Statement Date

November 6, 2024