What Happens When Queen Elizabeth II Dies? Inside “Operation London Bridge”
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Thursday marked the end of nearly a century of Queen Elizabeth II’s life and rule as a monarch, and the United Kingdom is very much mourning her passing. They may be heartened to know the late royal had a detailed plan in place for what happens after the Queen dies, though, and it’s been in the works for years. On top of meticulous funeral blueprints, there is a system in place for exactly what is going to happen during these nine days after Queen Elizabeth’s death—from how the country will go into mourning to what is expected of Prince King Charles—all of which is referred to as Operation London Bridge (or “Operation Unicorn” since the Queen died in Scotland).
These plans would typically be a strictly guarded secret, but between The Guardian’s Sam Knight doing a huge amount of original reporting on the matter and Politico obtaining official documents drawn up by the cabinet office in 2021, we have a pretty good idea of what to expect in the 10 days between Queen Elizabeth II’s death and her funeral.
The Day the Queen Dies (aka D-Day)
The protocol is well known at this point: Her Majesty’s private secretary will convey the news to the prime minister (aka Liz Truss) via the code words “London Bridge is down.” Honestly, though, this phrase is so well known now that it has doubtless been changed.
Politico reports that there is a call script and ministers will be told—upon receiving the news—that “discretion is required.” They’ll also get an email from the cabinet secretary that reads, “Dear colleagues, It is with sadness that I write to inform you of the death of Her Majesty the Queen.” Flags will then be lowered to half mast, preferably within 10 minutes.
From there, the news will go to other governments where the Queen is head of state and to commonwealth countries. Then the press association will be briefed, although in all likelihood, the internet will know well ahead of time because of a little thing called Twitter. We all remember how fast Hollywood Unlocked’s incorrect report that the Queen had died took over in early 2022.
Amid all this, The Guardian reports that a “footman in mourning clothes” will pin a notice to the gates of Buckingham Palace, while Politico reports that on top of the royal family’s website changing to a black screen with the same notice, retweets from government social accounts (which will show a black banner) will be banned.
At this point, the prime minister will make a statement, there will be a gun salute, and the nation will hold one minute of silence.
Charles Will Immediately Be King
King Charles’s coronation will happen months (even up to a year) after the Queen dies, but he’ll be a king the second she passes. According to The Guardian, Charles’s siblings will “kiss his hands,” and Politico reports he’ll give an address to the nation at 6 p.m. There will also be an immediate service of remembrance (planned to appear “spontaneous”) at St. Paul’s Cathedral, which will be attended by the prime minister.
The Next Day
Charles will be officially proclaimed a king (although, again, he’s technically king the moment his mother passes) at 10 a.m. the next day by the “accession council,” and then he’ll meet with the prime minister and other important government officials, at which point he’ll presumably be briefed on things that only his mother was previously privy to.
Two Days Later
The Queen’s body will return to Buckingham Palace’s throne room as flags remain at half mast and bells tolls (the Daily Mail reports that the bells will be muffled, and Britain’s leatherworkers are already being “mobilized” to make bell muffles). If Her Majesty passes away outside of London, her coffin will be taken by royal train to the city and will be met by the prime minister.
Three Days Later
Charles will go on a brief tour of the United Kingdom.
Four Days Later
While Charles is on tour, funeral rehearsals for the Queen will begin. Per The Guardian, Her Majesty’s funeral will be arranged by the Duke of Norfolk and will involve a huge amount of planning—even though logistics have been in place since the 1960s. In fact, The Guardian reports that there are meetings “two or three times a year” on the matter, although some things will be left for Charles to decide.
Five Days Later
The Queen’s coffin will move from Buckingham Palace to Westminster in a one-hour procession, which will be followed by a service in Westminster Hall. The Guardian reports that the Queen will “lie in state” for another four days and hundreds of thousands of people could visit her coffin.
Six Days Later
A funeral rehearsal will take place.
Seven to Eight Days Later
The government will continue preparing for the funeral, which Politico reports is full of “potential challenges,” like dealing with an influx of tourists, security, the arrivals of heads of state, overcrowding, and the worry that London could literally become “full.”
Nine Days Later
The Queen’s actual funeral will take place at Westminster Abbey nine days after her death, and The Guardian reports that basically everything will be closed—including the stock market—due to a “day of national mourning.”
Big Ben will strike, and the country will have another moment of silence. The Queen’s coffin will then be transported by hearse to Windsor Castle, where she will be greeted by the royal household. At this point, the Queen will be laid to rest in the “royal vault” in King George VI Memorial Chapel.
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