Secret plan for when Queen dies: ‘London Bridge is down’

Operation London Bridge is the code name for the secret operation that has been meticulously crafted for the day the Queen dies. (There has been a plan for what will happen when the Queen dies since the 1960s.)

It covers everything from what will happen to your body, to how Australia will be involved.

In 2017, The Guardian published a detailed story explaining in detail what will happen when the UK and the world face the loss of an almost universally adored figure.

London Bridge is down

The first thing that will happen once the Queen is declared dead is that her private secretary will contact the Prime Minister. The news will be transmitted over secure lines with the coded message “London Bridge is down”.

The rest of the world will find out in two ways.

One, a news flash will be broadcast through the Press Association to alert the world’s media.

When the news is released, TV hosts will don black ties and outfits and pre-prepared obituaries will be posted. Expect continued news coverage around the world. The pilots will announce their death to the passengers of any aircraft flying at the time.

Second, a black-clad footman will emerge from Buckingham Palace and place a black-edged notice on the doors.

Leverton & Sons are in charge of the actual funeral home and have a “first call casket” on hand for actual emergencies, The Guardian reported. If the queen dies in one of her houses outside of London (Balmoral or Holyrood Palace in Scotland or Sandringham in Norfolk), her body will be transported back to London on the royal train.

Both the upper and lower houses of parliament will be seated as soon as possible, flags will be lowered across the country and the Commonwealth, British workers will be sent home early and Charles will likely make a live address to the nation that evening.

Any member of the royal family who is traveling or out of the country will return home as soon as possible. It is for this reason that they should always travel in a black outfit.

Before the funeral

The Dukes of Norfolk have been in charge of royal funerals since 1672 and as such the 18th Duke of Norfolk, Earl Marshal, will be in charge. (They have permanent offices at St James’s Palace for that purpose.)

During the 10-day mourning period, the queen’s coffin will remain in state at Westminster Abbey for the public to pay their respects for 23 hours a day, after which a full state funeral will be given, led by the Archbishop of Canterbury.

In the lead-up, the 10 pallbearers will practice carrying their coffin, as members of the royal family are buried in lead-lined coffins.

The day of the funeral

The day of the Queen’s funeral is likely to become a national holiday and the London Stock Exchange (and most British banks) will close, costing the economy billions of pounds.

On the morning of the funeral, Big Ben’s hammer will be covered in leather to muffle its famous tones and there will be a 41-gun salute from Hyde Park.

Once the service begins, on the other side of the London Underground, the advertisements will stop and the buses will stop on the side of the road.

Later, the body of the Queen will be taken to Windsor Castle, where she will be buried along with 10 other former monarchs.

King Carlos

The day after the Queen’s death, the Ascension Council will meet at St James’s Palace and Charles will be proclaimed King at 11 a.m. (The Australian High Commissioner in the UK will observe the Ascension Council). That night, Parliament will meet to pledge allegiance to the new sovereign.

In the days between that time and the funeral, King Charles will visit Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales.

The Duchess of Cornwall will officially become Queen Camilla. However, earlier this year, Clarence House confirmed that she will be known as the Princess Consort.

The New Prince of Wales

It is likely that Prince William inherits the title of Prince of Wales, although this will not happen automatically after the death of the queen.

At a later stage, he will be invested in a lavish ceremony, as Charles was in 1969.

The huge price

Both His Majesty’s funeral and Charles’s coronation will be national holidays. The lost productivity on both days has been estimated to cost the UK between A $ 2.1 billion and A $ 10.8 billion.

The role of head of the Commonwealth is not hereditary. However, in 2018, at a Commonwealth Heads of Government “retreat” held at Windsor Castle, it was decided that Charles would be the next chief.