British officials Monday refuted the rumors surrounding the alleged death of King Charles III, heavily reported by multiple media outlets earlier in the day. As many Russian media outlets announced the death of the UK King, the British Embassy in Ukraine issued a response saying that the "news about the death of King Charles III is phoney."
"We would like to inform you that the news about the death of King Charles III is fake," the short statement prompted on the embassy's official 'X' (formerly Twitter) handle in the evening.
To be specific, King Charles is being treated for cancer, Buckingham Palace had announced in February. The news followed days after the 75-year-old monarch underwent a surgery for an "enlarged prostate" in January end. Notably, another royal family member Catherine or Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales, also underwent an abdominal surgery in January, but has not made a public appearance since. This triggered global attention around her health and the events happening at the royal residence.
The rumors surrounding the King's death appear to be an extension of the ongoing PR crisis. Fans and critics have come up with multiple conspiracy theories about the royal family, ranging from Prince of Wales - William's alleged affair to Kate being under "induced coma" among others.
The royal family's silence on the matter, coupled with the circulation of press articles, has had such an effect that despite the official word from UK officials, many internet users appear to be unconvinced that the UK King is indeed alive.
The lack of trust among the people appears to have stemmed from the March 10 event—the UK Mother's Day celebration—when the palace shared an image of Kate with her three children, which later turned out to be edited. This was confirmed by multiple agencies, including the Associated Press. With the incident, Kate fans are worried if Buckingham Palace's updates on Kate's post-recovery situation can be trusted at all.
The good news is that she is recovering well. With regards to King Charles, we will have to wait and see how quickly he recovers from his treatment.
Take care!
Prof. Carl Boniface
Vocabulary builder:
Phoney (adj) = fake, not genuine; fraudulent. "I thought your accent was a bit phony"