The Great Queen

Queen Elizabeth II, who died aged 96 at her Balmoral residence, was one of the greatest monarchs of all time. She knew how to manage with delicacy the rapid changes of the time and always behaved with presence, elegance and grace. As the longest reigning monarch, the news of her passing was devastating to many around the world.

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Official farewells

As Britain mourns the death of this remarkable monarch, a range of activities are planned for the days following her death and her formal farewell. What will happen during and following this dreaded day?

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Operation London Bridge

Called “Operation London Bridge”, some details of the plan were leaked in 2017, as reported by The Guardian, outlining the main events that will occur if the Queen dies. The report suggested there would be many different plans in place depending on where the monarch is at the time. Of course, since Elizabeth died at home, the situation remains simpler.

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The current pandemic

The plans drawn up by the Cabinet Office depended on the stage of the coronavirus pandemic. The plan, which hasn’t changed much over the years, still says COVID will be part of the discussions when the monarch dies.

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Chaos will invade London

Plans reveal that an extensive security operation will be put in place to control the large crowds expected to pour into the capital. Transport chaos is expected and all forces of the British State will be called upon to deal with the unrest.

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Cascading calls

According to the plan, Operation London Bridge begins with a cascade of calls, during which the Prime Minister, Cabinet Secretary and a number of ministers and senior officials will be briefed by the Queen’s Private Secretary .

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announcement to the public

It was only following senior officials were informed that the news was released to the public. So it took some time before the news of Elizabeth’s death reached the whole world. It was the royal house itself that gave the “official notification”.

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Terminology is important

In these documents, officials receive instructions on how best to deliver the news. A call script to break the news to ministers, as reported by POLITICO, asks them to say: “We have just been informed of the death of Her Majesty The Queen.” Ministers will be told that “discretion is required”.
As POLITICO reports, “Ministers and senior officials will also receive an email from the Cabinet Secretary, a draft of which reads: ‘Dear Colleagues, It is with sadness that I write to inform you of the passing of Her Majesty the Queen”.

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The flag at half mast

There were concerns that if the flag was not lowered within ten minutes of the shocking news being announced, public opinion would be outraged. In fact, the previous concern was that there is no official flag officer, but it seems Downing Street has since rectified this and Britain is ready to lower the flag quickly when the news arrives.

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In the mood of time

A big part of the London Bridge operation is regarding social media, which is of course hugely important today and needs to be handled with care. According to POLITICO, here’s what’s planned for social media: “The Royal Family’s website will turn into a black holding page with a short statement confirming the Queen’s passing.” [comme ce fut le cas pour le défunt prince Philip].

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No comment

No British Minister will comment until the (current) Prime Minister has publicly addressed the people. There will then be gun salutes, organized by the Ministry of Defence, and a minute of silence to be observed at the national level.

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D-Day

The day of Queen Elizabeth’s death will be called “D-Day” (D-Day), and all following days, until the funeral, will take place according to the sequence “D-Day + 1, D-Day + 2, etc. At the end of D-Day, the new king, Charles, will make a statement to the public.

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‘D-Day + 1’: new king

The government will meet just one day following the death to proclaim Charles new sovereign. Hundreds of people will attend and all have received instructions on how to dress: dark colors and no decorations. The proclamation will then be read at St James’ Palace and King Charles will officially be the new monarch.

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no parliament

Parliament will be suspended for 10 days following the Queen’s death. Before that, however, they will agree on a message of condolences and pay their respects in the House of Commons.

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‘D-Day + 2’

The second day following her death is when she is expected to return to Buckingham Palace. The coffin will be transferred from Balmoral by royal train. The train will be met by the Prime Minister and other officials at St Pancras for the coffin to be taken back to Buckingham Palace.

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Preparation for the funeral

The new King Charles will embark on a tour of the UK, starting with the Scottish Parliament and a service at St. Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh. He will then travel to Northern Ireland and Wales, before returning to London for the funeral, ten days following the death of the Queen.

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five days later

A procession will depart from Buckingham Palace for the Palace of Westminster and follow a ceremonial route through London. When the coffin arrives, a service will be pronounced and a tribute will be paid in Westminster Hall.

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A burning chapel is planned

As POLITICO reports, “The Queen will rest in a stately chapel at the Palace of Westminster for three days, in an operation codenamed FEATHER. Her coffin will rest on a raised box, called a catafalque, in the middle of the Westminster Hall, which will be open to the public 23 hours a day. Tickets will be issued for VIPs so they can have a time slot.” It looks like this part of the plan is where the chaos and COVID restrictions will be the most problematic.

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A national day of mourning

A public holiday will be granted for the “National Day of Mourning” which will be announced by the Prime Minister. However, if the funeral falls on a weekend or an existing holiday, an additional day will not be granted. The public holiday, although proclaimed in different terms, will not mean that employers are obliged to grant this day off to their staff. It is said that this will be between the employer and the employee.

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‘D-Day + 10’

The state funeral will of course be held at Westminster Abbey and following the service, at noon, there will be two minutes of silence nationwide. Afterwards, processions will take place in London and Windsor, before ending these tragic weeks with a service in St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle, where the monarch will be laid in her final resting place, the King George VI Memorial Chapel.

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20/20 SLIDES