Buckingham Palace is very upset about the information leak and insists that it is too early to create excitement: the 95-year-old queen is in great health and has no plans to die.
A confidential plan called “Operation London Bridge” outlining the protocol for Queen Elizabeth II's death, which was updated during the COVID-19 pandemic, has been exposed online. informs Politiko.
Originally drafted in the 1960s but never publicly disclosed in such depth, this plan, also known as “Spring Tide”, outlining the process for Prince Charles's ascension to the throne, has been leaked online, much to the displeasure of Buckingham Palace.
Death Day (D-Day)
According to leaked reports, the Prime Minister will be the first person outside Buckingham Palace informed of the Queen’s passing. This will be followed by notifying other government officials, Privy Council members, and top military figures, who are planning nationwide fireworks a few hours later.
They will all be informed with the message: “We have just been informed of the death of Her Majesty the Queen. Diligence is required.” Although it's rumored, it's uncertain if Buckingham Palace will use the code “London Bridge has collapsed” as initially planned.
Ministers and civil servants will receive an email from the Cabinet Secretary delivering the sad news.
The royal family will then officially announce the news through the media. The funeral will be held 10 days later at Westminster Abbey, with the monarch being buried alongside her husband Philip at Windsor Castle.
Her body will remain at Westminster Abbey for three days, open 23 hours a day for public visitation.
Government documents highlight the concern over quickly lowering all flags to half-mast to avoid stoking public outrage.
The Department for Transport has also cautioned about the anticipated high attendance in London, with public transportation filled with mourners traveling to the capital and accommodations fully booked.
The updated “Operation London Bridge” includes provisions for social media. The royal family’s website will be replaced with a black page confirming Her Majesty’s passing. GOV.UK websites will feature a black banner, and profile photos will change to the department's coat of arms. The document restricts non-urgent content and retweets unless authorized by the central government's head of communications. All government social media posts and ministerial tweets must be approved by political strategists, and no public statements are permitted until the prime minister speaks first.
After the Queen’s death, Parliament will be summoned and the assemblies of Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland will be closed.
The Ministry of Defense arranges fireworks at all salute points. There will be a moment of quiet across the country. Then, the prime minister will meet with the new king, and at 6:00 pm, King Charles will speak to the nation on TV.
Meanwhile, there will be a commemorative ceremony at St Paul’s Cathedral in central London, which the Prime Minister and a small number of senior ministers will attend.
Day one after the death of the queen (D-Day+1)
Based on the operation plan, the day after the monarch's death at 10 am, the Accession Council, composed of high-ranking statesmen, will gather at St. James’s Palace to declare King Charles as the new ruler. The declaration will then be announced at St. James’s Palace and at the Royal Exchange in the City of London, officially confirming Charles as king.
Next, Parliament will gather to agree on a message of sympathy. All other parliamentary activities will be paused for 10 days. At 15:30, the Prime Minister and the Cabinet will meet with the new king, and government members are not allowed to bring their spouses to the meeting.
Prince Charles will ascend to the throne after the passing of Queen Elizabeth II
Photo: Getty Images
Day two (D-Day+2)
If the Queen passes away at Sandringham, her Norfolk residence, her body will be transported by royal train to St Pancras station in London, where the prime minister and Cabinet members will greet the coffin.
St Pancras station in London
If she dies at Balmoral in Scotland, Operation Unicorn will be activated, which means her body will be conveyed to London by royal train if possible. Otherwise, Operation Overstudy will be initiated, and the coffin will be transported by plane. The Prime Minister and ministers will attend a gathering to mark the arrival of the coffin.
Day Three (D-Day+2)
In the morning, King Charles will receive condolences at Westminster Hall. In the afternoon, he will begin a tour of the United Kingdom, starting with a visit to the Scottish Parliament and a service at St Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh.
Day Four (D-Day+3)
King Charles will arrive in Northern Ireland, where he will receive condolences at Hillsborough Castle and attend a service at St Anne’s Cathedral in Belfast. On the same day, there will be a rehearsal of Operation Lion – the procession of the coffin from Buckingham Palace to the Palace of Westminster.
Day Five (D-Day+4)
The procession from Buckingham Palace to the Palace of Westminster will follow a ceremonial route through London. After the delivery of the coffin, a service will be held at Westminster Hall.
Day six (D-Day+5)
The Queen’s body will lie in state at the Palace of Westminster for three days under Operation Feather. Her coffin will be placed on a raised platform in the middle of Westminster Hall, which will be open to the public 23 hours a day. VIPs will be given tickets for a more private farewell.
On the sixth day after the monarch's passing, a rehearsal of the state funeral procession will occur.
The Queen’s coffin will be in Westminster Abbey for three days.
Photo: Getty Images
Day seven – ninth (D-Day + 6 – D-Day + 9)
On the seventh day, the new king of Great Britain will travel to Wales, where he will accept condolences in the local parliament, and then attend a service at Liandaff Cathedral in Cardiff.
According to Politiko, citing the data received, all government departments will be entrusted with a huge job of preparing for the funeral. Despite the fact that, judging by the documents, the Cabinet of Ministers considers itself capable of carrying out everything successfully, the amount of what needs to be done remains colossal.
The biggest difficulties await the ministries of foreign affairs, internal affairs and transport.
Thus, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was instructed to organize the arrival of heads of state and high-ranking officials from abroad. An additional problem may be the influx of tourists who want to come to the funeral, despite the pandemic.
The Interior Ministry is responsible for security measures, while the State Secretariat for National Security and intelligence services will be on high alert in the event of a heightened terrorist threat.
The Department for Transport has expressed concern that the number of people who want to travel to London could cause serious problems for the transport network and lead to overcrowding in the capital.
Funeral of King George VI, father of Queen Elizabeth, 1952
Photo: Getty Images
The Prime Minister and the Queen agreed that the day of the state funeral would be a “Day of National Mourning”, which also caused scheduling problems. In fact, this day will be a day off, although it will not be called one. If the funeral falls on a weekend or an already existing public holiday, no additional day off will be provided, and if on a weekday, the Cabinet of Ministers will not force employers to give employees a day off.
Day ten (D-Day+9)
The Queen’s state funeral will be held at Westminster Abbey. At noon, there will be a two-minute silence throughout the country.
At the very end, a solemn service will take place in St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle, and Elizabeth II will be buried in the King George VI Memorial Chapel at the castle.
When the coronation of Prince Charles will take place is unknown. But his mother was crowned four months after the death of George VI. There has been speculation that Charles could become King George VII, using his middle name as a tribute to his grandfather, but recently Clarence House said “no decision has yet been made”.
