The British Government has prepared a plan in case Queen Elizabeth II dies (96) -the monarch who has remained on the throne of the United Kingdom the longest-, called Operation London Bridge, which involves the communication of the death to different authorities and the media. It also contemplates the 10 days after death.
Recall that Queen Elizabeth has been suffering, according to Buckingham Palace, “episodic mobility problems” since the end of last year. Her doctors have shown concern about the monarch’s condition. For the same reason, close relatives travel to Balmoral Castle, Scotland, to be with her.
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According to Politico, in the hours after the death of the monarch, there will be a “cascade of calls” within the framework of Operation London Bridge. The Queen’s private secretary, Edward Young, will report the fact to the prime minister (prime minister in this case, Liz Truss). The message he will convey to you will be: “the London bridge is down”.
Subsequently, the death will be reported to the 15 governments outside the United Kingdom where the Queen is head of state. That announcement will also be made to all 36 Commonwealth nations.
Ministers and senior officials will also receive an email from the cabinet secretary. The draft reads: “Dear colleagues, it is with sadness that I am writing to inform you of the death of Her Majesty the Queen.”
Upon receipt of this email, the Whitehall flags will be lowered to half-mast.
Digital area
In turn, the operation also involves the digital area. “The royal family’s website will change to a black page with a brief statement confirming the Queen’s death. The UK Government’s website, GOV.UK, will display a black sign at the top,” Politico notes.
“All departmental social media pages of the Government will also display a black poster and change their profile pictures to their departmental shield. Non-urgent content should not be published. Retweets are explicitly prohibited unless authorized by the central government’s head of communications.”
Declarations
The royal family will announce plans for the Queen’s funeral. It is expected to be performed 10 days after his death. Meanwhile, the prime minister will be the first member of the government to make a statement.
The Ministry of Defence will be responsible for conducting firearm salutes at all greeting stations. A national minute of silence will also be announced.
Subsequently, the prime minister will meet with the new king. At 6:00 p.m., King Charles will make a broadcast to the nation.
10 days later
The plan also calls for the 10 days following Queen Elizabeth’s death. On the day immediately following the death – called D + 1 – King Charles will be proclaimed as sovereign.
In D+2, the Queen’s coffin will return to Buckingham Palace. In the D+3, King Charles will embark on a tour of the United Kingdom.
Already in the D + 10 the funeral of Queen Elizabeth will be held. At noon, there will be two minutes of silence across the country. The processions will take place in London and Windsor.
Video via Twitter: @BIEspana
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