CBS News was forced to issue a correction after erroneously identifying King Charles III as King Charles II in a social media post.
The post concerned the monarch's cooperation with police investigating Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's connections to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Replying to the original post, which has since been deleted, CBS News wrote: "Editor's Note: A previous version of this post erroneously referred to King Charles II.
"It has been corrected and the original post deleted."
American channel CBS News forced to issue correction after mistaking King Charles for deceased monarch
|X: CBS NEWS / GETTY
The blunder conflated the reigning sovereign with a distant ancestor who died more than three centuries ago in 1685.
Users on X swiftly seized upon the gaffe, which was flagged with a community note on the platform.
The confusion between the current king and the 17th-century Stuart monarch sparked a torrent of ridicule across social media.
Commentators queued up to lampoon the American broadcaster's historical mix-up.
CBS News put out a correction after its mistake
|X: CBS NEWS
UK commentator Rupert Myers observed that "the BBC's official US broadcast partner is now doing journalism by ouija board (Charles II died in 1685)."
Others posed sardonic questions about whether CBS had conducted a séance to reach the long-deceased monarch.
One user quipped: "Charles II? The king who brought back partying?" – a nod to the popular Horrible Histories sketch from 2010 that portrayed the Stuart king rapping about his hedonistic reputation.
Another joked that Louis XIV, the French "Sun King," was "reportedly also supportive" of the investigation.
Portrait of Charles II of England (1630-1685), circa 1676
|GETTY
The mistaken post remained visible on the platform for more than 20 hours before CBS News finally issued a correction and removed the original.
The prolonged delay allowed ample opportunity for the ridicule to spread widely.
One social media user wrote: "Didn't expect our late king, Charles II, to have an opinion on the Epstein scandal – but fair play to him for getting in touch and to CBS News for securing the interview."
The error comes amid heightened scrutiny of CBS News following its acquisition by billionaire heir David Ellison and the subsequent appointment of Bari Weiss as editor-in-chief last year.
The CBS Broadcast Center in Manhattan - pictured on December 23, 2025
|GETTY
Former late-night host David Letterman voiced his displeasure last month, declaring: "CBS News is a wreck, it's just gone!"
He claimed the organisation had "been trampled on, p***ed on, and eviscerated by these idiots that have taken it over."
Ms Weiss, who founded the Free Press but lacks experience running a major news organisation, has also drawn fire from pro-Trump commentators, including Megyn Kelly and Tucker Carlson.