Are We Ready for The Queen to Die?
What Happens to Prince Charles, William, and a Country in Grief
What Happens to Prince Charles, William, and a Country in Grief
This morning Buckingham Palace made a rare statement from The Queen’s doctors, they are concerned for Her Majesty’s health and immediate family members have been notified.
This seems quite serious. The palace would not make an announcement like this unless the end was near. Also telling, the two heirs are on their way to her side. Clarence House announced that The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall are with her now, and Prince William is also on his way.
Though no one believed this day would come, we do have an idea of what will happen should The Queen pass.
In 2017 and 2021, The Guardian and Politico published leaked accounts of Operation London Bridge and Operation Spring Tide, the plans for the death of one monarch and the creation of another.
Both outlets justified their decision to publish, saying people had a right to know what to expect when The Queen dies and a new Reign is born, after all, she is the only monarch most Brits have ever known.
As The Guardian’s Sam Knight wrote:
“The next great rupture in Britain’s national life has, in fact, been planned to the minute. It involves matters of major public importance, will be paid for by us, and is definitely going to happen.”
There is no doubt that the death of Queen Elizabeth II will have a seismic impact on the nation, and world, leaving a family, and country, in grief.
Here’s what we know from the leaked reports, the main events to expect in those sombre days, as well as information that was accidentally leaked on something called, “Operation Unicorn.”
London Bridge is Down
First, if The Queen becomes ill, or doctors feel she is nearing death, it’s most likely that Buckingham Palace will start to slowly prepare the country and release more news about her condition. That seems to be what they’re doing now, as they’ve previously refused to give a “running commentary” on her health.
According to The Guardian, “The Queen is suffering from great physical prostration” was an update from the palace two days before the death of Queen Victoria in 1901. And “The King’s life is moving peacefully towards its close,” was the final notice issued by George V’s doctor, Lord Dawson, before his death in 1936.
The day The Queen dies is known in the operational notes as D-Day. Depending on circumstances, the first official person to know, or be told, will likely be The Queen’s private secretary, who will have to contact 10 Downing Street and tell the Prime Minister. The coded announcement will reportedly be, simply, “London Bridge is Down.” The Foreign Office will send word to the countries where The Queen is also Head of State.
This is when news of The Queen’s death will almost certainly leak.
It will be VERY difficult to contain the news once these offices (and their staff) become involved. It will almost certainly start to leak online and on social media, though the palace may not officially confirm it until they are ready. With social media and phones in every pocket, it will be near impossible to contain.
When they are ready, the palace will announce (or confirm) the death of The Queen via a newsflash, that will go out to global media in an instant, simultaneously. Updates have been made to the plans to acknowledge the online reaction, with government and Royal accounts and websites set to look as one, and be united in official mourning.
In a more traditional move, fitting for this historic monarch, a footman will place a notice at the gates of Buckingham Palace.
The power grid will likely surge as people put on their TVs and kettles, and life will seem to come to a stop. There will be no other news of note for the immediate days following. For a generation to come, people will tell you where they were and what they were doing when they heard that Queen Elizabeth II had died.
If The Queen dies at Balmoral, a separate operation will start, codenamed, Operation Unicorn. Details of this were accidentally leaked several times in Scotland. The leaked reports suggest she’ll first lie at Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh. Her coffin would then travel to London by Royal Train, a journey that would be an emotional, moving sight. Thousands would be expected at crossings and platforms, to throw flowers and pay respects to their lost Queen. (It’s been reported that another engine will have to follow to clear the tracks)
Once back at Buckingham Palace, The Queen will lie, fittingly, in the Throne Room for the first few days.
When Will Prince Charles become King Charles III?
The death of a monarch shows the continuity of life in grand scale, as the law states, “The King Never Dies.” The very instant one monarch dies, a new monarch is born. At the moment of his mother’s death, The Prince of Wales, the longest heir in British history, will be told he is King.
As one advisor told The Guardian, “There are really two things happening, there is the demise of a sovereign and then there is the making of a king.”
Prince Charles is free to choose his own title but is expected to become King Charles III. The Prime Minister will be the first to make a national statement on the death of The Queen and will then go to meet the new King. At 6pm, the new King Charles III is expected to address the country.
The morning after The Queen’s death, the Accession Council will meet and officially proclaim King Charles III. King Charles will announce his consort as Queen Camilla.
On the third day after The Queen’s death, the new King is expected to begin a national tour, starting in Scotland, then Northern Ireland, then Wales.
The Queen’s Funeral
As King Charles III is receiving official condolences around the country, his mother’s coffin will be moved to Westminster Hall, where Her Majesty will lie in state until the funeral.
It’s expected there will be ten days between her death and her funeral, which will be a magnificent, global, affair. This is not a time to send the second string, the world’s leaders will want to descend and pay their respects in person. Mourners will gather at Westminster Abbey.
The day of the funeral will basically be a Bank Holiday, though called, “A Day of National Mourning.”
After the funeral there will be a procession to Windsor Castle, and The Queen will be buried beside her beloved parents and sister, and her late husband, Prince Philip, will be moved next to her.
What Happens to Prince William?
The moment The Queen dies, The Prince of Wales becomes King. Also at that moment, Prince William, as his direct heir, will become The Duke of Cornwall, and inherit The Duchy of Cornwall. That is automatic.
The new King Charles III decides when to make his son The Prince of Wales.
(I personally think The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will become The Prince and Princess of Wales sooner, rather than later)
How the Country, and World will Respond
It’s a testament to the admiration people have for The Queen, that most of us just think she will live and exist forever. Always with a smile and short wave, clearly visible in her bright colours and perfectly matched coats and hats.
But one day she will die, and at that time, it may feel as if the entire country is crowding to London to pay respects.
As Politico wrote, “In a striking assessment of the scenes that could unfold, one memo warns of a worst-case scenario in which London literally becomes “full” for the first time ever as potentially hundreds of thousands of people try to make their way there — with accommodation, roads, public transport, food, policing, healthcare and basic services stretched to breaking point.”
It says something, that the death of a woman who has lived longer than most people, will still bring such a reaction, and be considered “shocking.”
But shocking it will be. In the truest meaning of the word, it will be a shock to the national system.
Some younger people have asked me, “Will it be as big as Diana?” and I have always responded, “Bigger. There is no comparison, there is no way to tell you how monumental this will be, and the emptiness so many of us will suddenly feel.”
The truth is, The Queen has been fading away right in front of our eyes, thinner and frailer with every photograph. That familiar twinkle in her eye was still there, as was her smile, but the truth is undeniable.
The sun is setting on this great Elizabethan Era.
Will we be ready for it?