Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II has reigned for more than 70 years. And whether you’re a royalist or not, the event of her death will see huge upheaval in the capital. The procedure after the Queen’s death has already been planned in the minutest detail, known as ‘Operation London Bridge’. Once ‘London Bridge is down’ it is ‘D-Day’. Here are some of the stranger things that happen over the following ten days.
The ‘new King’s proclamation’ takes place in Trafalgar Square and at the Royal Exchange
This is when the new monarch declares to the public that they are in charge. King Charles (or the official name he chooses for himself) won’t actually be in the streets of London to do it. The proclamation will be made at St James’s Palace on the morning of D-Day+1, in the presence of the Ascension Council and government officials. After that, tradition demands that the Garter King of Arms (the monarch’s advisor when it comes to official ceremonies) and the royal heralds repeat the same proclamation at The Royal Exchange and in Trafalgar Square.
London could ‘overflow’ with visitors
Between our 9 million inhabitants and millions of tourists visiting every year, London is one of the most populous cities in the world. But that could all balloon excessively when the Queen dies. The death of a figure as unique as the Queen is bound to cause worldwide mourning. According to Politico, who saw leaked documents from Operation London Bridge, there are massive security plans in place to keep the expected crowds in check. The government will have to coordinate a team composed of police, security, the army and transport heads, who will meet at the Department of Culture, Media and Sport to run their operations.
The government might have to hire staff to lower Downing Street flags
The government is actually genuinely concerned that they will seem disrespectful if they don’t lower the flags on Downing Street quick enough. It is believed that external help has been hired to help carry out this task when necessary, and the goal is to lower all the flags within ten minutes. So if you’re walking down Whitehall and see someone scurrying around the poles, you know what’s occurring.
There’s a special operation to move the Queen’s body to London if she dies at Balmoral
In an addendum to Operation London Bridge, Operation Unicorn would see the Queen’s body transported back to the capital by train (or, in the events of extraordinary circumstances, by plane). Upon arrival in London, her coffin would be met by Prime Minister Liz Truss and members of the cabinet.
The Queen’s coffin will be carried from Buckingham Palace to Westminster in a procession
Processions are part of most funerals, but most of them don’t include a vast number of military personnel and the closure of many of London’s famous roads. That’s the plan for the Queen. On D-Day+5, the fifth day after the queen’s death, her coffin will be carried in a procession from Buckingham Palace to the Palace of Westminster. Apparently, it is also not entirely out of the question for the Queen’s famous corgis to join. There’s a rehearsal the previous day (D-Day+4) to make sure it all goes smoothly.
Only ‘VIPs’ will be allowed to view the Queen’s open coffin
Once her body arrives at the Palace of Westminster, the Queen will lie in state for three days. Not all her faithful royal subjects will be able to visit, though. Tickets for specific time slots will only be available to a list of ‘VIPs’, so don’t try and turn up to say your farewells.
If the state funeral falls on a weekday, you might get a day off
It seems a little strange that you would get a holiday for such a sad occasion, but one thing is certain: this extra day off will not be known as a ‘bank holiday’, though it will effectively function like one. Essentially, it will be up to employers to decide whether to send employees home for the day.
If you’re flying in to London, your pilot will be the one to break the news
Now this is truly surreal. Picture this, you’ve just been on a relaxing holiday, you’re soaring through the sky, wondering what to have for dinner… And that’s when your plane’s captain comes on the intercom to announce that the Queen has died. It’s true, though: this is another part of Operation London Bridge’s infinitely detailed protocol: they have pictured every possible scenario and found a way to break the news.
Don’t go walking in Hyde Park: there will be a 41-gun salute
If there’s one thing the monarchy is good at, it’s keeping with tradition. And they’re not letting this one go by the looks of it. On D-Day+1, the same day Charles will be proclaimed King – there will be approximately seven minutes of artillery barrage in Hyde Park. Gun salutes have constituted royal tradition since the eighteenth century. When the Duke of Edinburgh died there was also a salute, with one round being fired every minute for 40 minutes. Even if the park is closed, it might be worth keeping a safe distance and not walking your pup nearby.
Big Ben’s bongs will be muffled
On the ninth day after Her Majesty’s death, the Great Bell of Big Ben will chime at 9am, but the sound that follows will be muffled by a thick layer of leather that will cover the hammer.
Pre-war buses are running between Putney and Peckham for one day.
Things to do and see in London this week.
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