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The Queen isn't dead: BBC apologises after rogue tweet sends everyone in a spin The Queen isn't dead: BBC apologises after rogue tweet sends everyone in a spin
(about 1 hour later)
The BBC has apologised after a rogue tweet sent by a reporter during an “obituary rehearsal” led international news organisations to wrongly report that Queen Elizabeth was being treated in hospital. The BBC was forced to deliver an embarrassing apology to Buckingham Palace after a rogue tweet sent by a reporter wrongly announced the death of the Queen, prompting a global news alert.
The BBC said the tweet, which originally came from the Twitter account of a BBC Urdu reporter, Ahmen Khawaja, had been sent in error. Buckingham Palace issued a statement confirming that the Queen was in good health after a series of tweets from the account of BBC Urdu reporter, Ahmen Khawaja, one of which read: “Queen Elizabrth (sic) has died.”
The tweet read: “BREAKING: #Queen Elizabeth is being treated at King Edward 7th Hospital in #London. Statement due shortly.” Khawaja’s account also issued a “breaking news” tweet which claimed that “#Queen Elizabeth is being treated at King Edward 7th Hospital in #London. Statement due shortly.”
She later deleted the original tweet describing it as a “false alarm”. In a further tweet sent minutes later, Khawaja suggested that her phone had been “left unattended at home.” She wrote: “Silly prank, Apologies for upsetting anyone!” The rogue tweets were sent while the corporation was staging a “category one obituary rehearsal” rehearsal for reporting the death of the Sovereign.
The BBC said it had been carrying out a “category one obituary rehearsal’ when the reporter mistakenly sent the tweet. But by then the damage was done. Khawaja, who now faces disciplinary proceedings at the BBC, deleted her original tweet describing it as a “false alarm”.
The CNN Newssource Twitter feed report the Queen’s hospitalisation and was forced to send out a message recalling its previous tweet. “Affiliates, please disregard our previous tweet about Queen Elizabeth. It was sent in error,” it read. In a further tweet sent minutes later, Khawaja suggested that her phone had been “left unattended at home.” She wrote: “Silly prank, Apologies for upsetting anyone!”
CNN deleted its tweet claiming the Queen had been admitted to hospital But the damage was done. The CNN Newssource Twitter feed, which reported the Queen’s hospitalisation, was forced to send out a message: “Affiliates, please disregard our previous tweet about Queen Elizabeth. It was sent in error.”
The erroneous report was also picked up the German newspaper Bild and the editor of India’s Hindustan Times.The erroneous report was also picked up the German newspaper Bild and the editor of India’s Hindustan Times.
CNN deleted its tweet claiming the Queen had been admitted to hospital However, confusion reigned in the style of the BBC spoof series W1A, when Buckingham Palace took the unusual step of confirming that the Queen had made a private medical visit following speculation on social media about the state of the monarch’s health. She had indeed been to the hospital named in the BBC reporter’s tweet. During a day of W1A-style confusion at the BBC, it emerged that, entirely coincidentally, the Queen had made a private medical visit to the King Edward VII Hospital in London for a routine check-up.  The Palace confirmed that the Queen remained in good health in order to quell social media speculation.
A Buckingham Palace spokesman said: “I can confirm that the Queen this morning attended her annual medical check-up at the King Edward VII’s Hospital in London. This was a routine, pre-scheduled appointment, the Queen has now left hospital.” The BBC said it had been carrying out a “category one obituary rehearsal” when the reporter mistakenly sent the tweet. The BBC’s “category one” of public figures is reserved for the Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Charles and the Duke of Cambridge.
The BBC sought to close down the affair by apologising for the original tweet which it said was part of an exercise and had been posted in error. Khawaja would have been aware of the rehearsal, which involved presenters and tested technical preparations for a death announcement, although she was not believed to have been at the BBC when the tweets were sent.
The BBC said in a statement: “During a technical rehearsal for an obituary, tweets were mistakenly sent from the account of a BBC journalist saying that a member of the Royal Family had been taken ill. The tweets were swiftly deleted and we apologise for any offence.”The BBC said in a statement: “During a technical rehearsal for an obituary, tweets were mistakenly sent from the account of a BBC journalist saying that a member of the Royal Family had been taken ill. The tweets were swiftly deleted and we apologise for any offence.”
A Buckingham Palace spokesman said: “I can confirm that the Queen this morning attended her annual medical check-up at the King Edward VII’s Hospital in London. This was a routine, pre-scheduled appointment, the Queen has now left hospital.” However the error will concern BBC bosses since preparations for the death of the monarch are a matter of the highest sensitivity. Presenters regularly run “drills” for the announcement and procedures for breaking the news on social media are regularly updated to ensure the kind of error which occurred during the rehearsal is not repeated. The error will concern BBC bosses since preparations for the death of the monarch are a matter of the highest sensitivity. (Getty) Khawaja would be “investigated under BBC disciplinary procedures,” a source said. The BBC had made contact with the Palace to express its regret over the incident.
Jonathan Munro, head of BBC newsgathering, had confirmed details of the rehearsal in an email to staff.  The exercise was a “low-key rehearsal for the way in which television might cover a category one obituary”.
Munro wrote: “It’s essential that we can rehearse these sensitive scenarios privately. BBC tours have been suspended, and the blinds from public areas including reception and the media café will remain dropped. I’d also ask for your help in refraining from any external conversations and all social media activity about this exercise. Your continued discretion will be greatly appreciated.”
The error will concern BBC bosses since preparations for the death of the monarch are a matter of the highest sensitivity. Presenters regularly run “drills” for the announcement and procedures for making any announcement on social media are regularly updated to the rehearsal error is not repeated.
All BBC channels will stop their programming when the monarch passes and show the BBC1 feed for the announcement. Comedy programmes will not be aired until after the State Funeral.All BBC channels will stop their programming when the monarch passes and show the BBC1 feed for the announcement. Comedy programmes will not be aired until after the State Funeral.
The last BBC scandal involving the Palace prompted BBC One controller Peter Fincham to resign in 2007 after an investigation into footage he had screened that misrepresented the Queen.