Did the U.K.'s King Charles III die on or before June 24, 2024 as a post on Facebook claimed? No, that's not true: As of this writing on June 26, 2024, the king of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and head of the Commonwealth, was alive. There have been no official announcements or credible reports regarding his death. The king was seen in public performing his official duties on June 25, 2024. News such as the king's death would be widely covered by major news outlets and officially confirmed by Buckingham Palace.
The implied claim appeared in a post (archived here) on Facebook on June 24, 2024. The post's caption said:
ROYAL TRAGEDY 😭💔 Heartbreak for King Charles. With heavy hearts, we announce the passing. Check the first comment ⤵️⤵️
This is what the post looked like on Facebook at the time of writing:
(Source: Facebook screenshot taken on Wed Jun 26 14:07:31 2024 UTC)
The post directs readers to "Check the first comment." Clicking on the link in the first comment takes you to an article (archived here) with a headline that echoes the Facebook post. The article opens:
Sadly, the king's personal friend Captain Ian Farquhar passed away at the age of 78.
Ian has long been a close friend of Queen Camilla and King Charles. He was the Queen Mother's rider, which added even more prestige to his already impressive name.
Ian proudly served in the Queen's Own Hussars and was a well-known hunter and horseman.
This tragedy breaks The King, who is already dealing with his own cancer diagnosis. Just last week, Lord Jacob Rothschild, who was 87 years old, departed from this life.
The website reported old news as if it had just happened. Rothschild died in February 2024 and Farquhar died a month later in March 2024.
While the article and Facebook post don't say that Charles, who was diagnosed with cancer in February 2024, died, it left many readers with that impression, as witnessed in the comments section of the social media post:
(Source: Facebook screenshot taken on Wed Jun 26 15:43:10 2024 UTC)
Google search
Lead Stories searched using keywords on Google News, visible here (archived here), and found no credible reporting as of June 25, 2024, to corroborate the claim that Charles III had died.
BBC video (archived here) from June 25, 2024, showed Charles and Japanese Emperor Naruhito riding in an open carriage together in London. Reuters also reported the state visit.
Read more
Other fact check agencies reviewed similar claims in March 2024, including Newsweek, USA Today, FactCheckHub, The France 24 Observers, Misbar, Logically Facts, Time and The Guardian.
Additional Lead Stories fact checks of claims involving King Charles III can be read here.
