Fake news!

Russians claim King Charles III is dead

A fake death notice was spread via Russian websites and social media accounts.(Bild: AFP, twitter.com)

Russian media have come up with some strange propaganda to distract attention from the election farce surrounding Vladimir Putin. On Monday, for example, the news was spread that the British King Charles III had died suddenly. 

Several Russian media outlets and Russian social media channels published a fake announcement from Buckingham Palace stating that King Charles had died suddenly. 

Flag videos from the year 2022
Videos were circulated showing the flag above the royal palace at half-mast - which traditionally signals the passing of a member of the royal family. However, it quickly emerged that the footage was from 2022, when Charles' mother Queen Elizabeth had passed away. 

British media also reacted very quickly and it became clear that not only was the King well, but that false information had been deliberately blown up on the World Wide Web. Probably to distract from the Russian election farce with which Kremlin boss Putin cemented his power. 

The video shows King Charles on Monday afternoon:

Charles well at army celebration
However, it took a few hours for everyone to realize that this was fake news, during which the catchphrase "King Charles" surprisingly became the number one Twitter trend. In the meantime, however, the palace has even published a video showing the British monarch in good health at an army event.