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Reading: Que C’est Embarrassant! French Radio Station Apologises After Accidentally Posting Obituary For Very-Much-Alive Queen Elizabeth
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B&T > Media > Que C’est Embarrassant! French Radio Station Apologises After Accidentally Posting Obituary For Very-Much-Alive Queen Elizabeth
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Que C’est Embarrassant! French Radio Station Apologises After Accidentally Posting Obituary For Very-Much-Alive Queen Elizabeth

Staff Writers
Published on: 17th November 2020 at 10:53 AM
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French radio station RFI radio has issued a sheepish apology after posting an obituary for a very-much-alive Queen Elizabeth.

The radio station posted the obituary to their website stating the Queen had died aged 94, distressing Her Majesty’s French fans.

The bungle occurred after the obituary had been prepared as a draft in the event of the Queen’s death, which is a common media practice.

It wasn’t just the Queen who received an early obituary, with actors Clint Eastwood, Sophia Loren, and Brigitte Bardot mistakenly pronounced dead.

The obituaries were quickly pulled down once the mistake was realised, and the radio station issued an apology on Twitter before pulling it down.

The apology read: “A technical problem has resulted in the publication of numerous obituaries on our French site.

“We are working to rectify this serious bug, and we apologise to all concerned as well as those who follow us and put their trust in us.”

According to a Tweet from Italian journalist Jessica Phelan, some of the obituaries speculated the cause of death to be COVID-19.

She tweeted: “Solidarity with former colleagues @RFI, which just accidentally published stacks of draft obits for people who are very much not dead—inc Queen Elizabeth, Raul Castro, Brigitte Bardot & more—complete with dates they were last updated & alternative leads if they die of Covid-19.”

Solidarity with former colleagues @RFI, which just accidentally published stacks of draft obits for people who are very much not dead—inc Queen Elizabeth, Raul Castro, Brigitte Bardot & more—complete with dates they were last updated & alternative leads if they die of Covid-19 😬 pic.twitter.com/zUSqVU0X4Q

— Jessica Phelan (@JessicaLPhelan) November 16, 2020

In good news, however, the Queen is alive and well.

 

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Staff Writers represent B&T's team of award-winning reporters. Here, you'll find articles crafted with industry experience spanning over 50 years. Our team of specialists brings together a wealth of knowledge and a commitment to delivering insightful, topical, and breaking news. With a deep understanding of advertising and media, our Staff Writers are dedicated to providing industry-leading analysis and reporting, both shaping the conversation and setting the benchmark for excellence.

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