She really scared the media. Her mother of the same name has turned 101 years old, but British media have already started to look at what happens when the 95-year-old queen dies. As usual, a script is ready for this. In Elizabeth’s case, it’s called Operation London Bridge. The late Queen is scheduled to be transferred to Buckingham Palace on the second day after her death and from the sixth day lay in state for three days in Westminster Hall, part of the Houses of Parliament.
The screenplay for her husband, Prince Philip, who died in April, was called Operation Forth Bridge. The name referred to a bridge to a new life and to the famous nineteenth-century railway bridge west of Edinburgh over the River Forth. He was also Duke of Edinburgh. Discreet exercises were also held with the scripts for the death of ‘royals’. Elizabeth II’s mother reached such an advanced age that the script for her death, Operation Tay Bridge, had been rehearsed more than twenty times before she passed away in 2002.
The script focuses on ten days from the Queen’s death to the funeral. The Royal House itself brings the news with a message to the public. But the prime minister, concerned officials and leading media outlets have been getting coded announcements before. Parliament is on hold and everyone is expected to be quiet about political issues for ten days. The script contains many details on, for example, how to handle the flow of hundreds of thousands expected in the capital when Elizabeth is laid up in Westminster Hall for three days.
Heir to the throne Charles addresses the population at 6 p.m. on the day of the announcement of the death. He will be officially proclaimed the new king by a series of dignitaries at 10:00 a.m. the following day, according to schedule. Charles receives the Prime Minister and his cabinet in the afternoon and then travels through the country for his mother’s funeral.
Source: ANP
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