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Queen Elizabeth II has died at the age of 96. She ruled the United Kingdom for 70 years, making it Britain’s longest-reigning. With the island nation and people around the world in the process of passing their iconic leaders, Operation London Bridge, the plan outlining Britain’s next steps in the coming days, is underway. This plan has been in the works for years, and numerous reports have compiled details of what is likely to unfold with the Queen’s and Crown’s funeral arrangements.
But the site of the Queen’s death on Thursday added a wrinkle to Operation London Bridge, launching a contingency plan known as Operation Unicorn.
What is the London Bridge operation?
Details of the London Bridge operation were first leaked in The Guardian in May 2017Describes what will happen during the ten-day period following the death and funeral at Westminster Abbey followed by burial at St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle.
Here are some highlights of what’s to come under Operation London Bridge, based on information from the London Foreign Press Association.
- At the moment of the king’s death, her eldest son and heir, Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, immediately became the forty-second British monarch since William the Conqueror in 1066.
- The new king will receive a condolence request from Parliament in Westminster Hall, and then depart on a tour of the kingdom to meet his people.
- The coffin procession will take place from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Palace, followed by a service in Westminster Hall.
- The Queen rests in Westminster Hall.
- The Queen’s state funeral will be at Westminster Abbey. Today will be declared a national day of mourning and two minutes of silence will be observed across the country.
A proper newsletter for a king:Subscribe to Keep Calm and Carry On, a newsletter that answers all your questions about the royal family after the death of Queen Elizabeth.
What is Operation Unicorn?
As the Queen died at her home in Balmoral in Scotland, she started an emergency plan called Operation Unicorn. Under this plan, the Queen’s body would remain in Scotland for several days, according to the Press Association, before likely being flown to London.
Thereafter, the rest of the plans will continue under Operation London Bridge. The Queen will lie in the throne room of Buckingham Palace overlooking the northwest corner of the quadrangle inner court.
The state funeral will be held at Westminster Abbey, where the Queen is resting in state. There will be a referral service at St George’s Chapel, followed by a burial in King George VI’s royal vault. Memorial Chapel, where the Queen will join her parents and sister, and meet her beloved late husband.
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