London Bridge Is Down

14.03.2022

Operation London Bridge. That’s the code name given to the plan in place for the days and weeks after Queen Elizabeth II’s passing. The Queen has been sitting on the royal throne since 1952. That’s the longest reign of any monarch in British history. And during that time, she has seen over a dozen UK prime ministers, nearly 20 Summer Olympics, and over half a dozen popes. The Queen is the cornerstone to the Commonwealth, the patron to almost 600 organizations and charities.

So, her passing will bring about a lot of change. Not just for the United Kingdom but potentially the world.

Multiple reports suggest the Queen’s death will lead to a 12-day period of national mourning in Britain. Large crowds visited the Queen Mother’s coffin in 2002, and it’s thought that the monarch’s body will lie in Westminster Hall until her funeral to allow people to pay their respects. Union Jack flags in the UK and around the world will also be flown at half-mast and condolence books will appear in international embassies.

On the same day as the death, the Queen’s eldest son, Charles, will immediately become king. And it’s reported that the stock exchange, businesses, and shops across the UK will likely close for the day out of respect. The day after the Queen’s death, on a livestream, Charles will make his first official speech as King. And the government will swear its allegiance to the sound of a 41-gun salute in Hyde Park, London. After that, King Charles, if this is the name he so chooses, will set off on a UK tour, visiting the leaders of government in the capitals of each country, Edinburgh, Belfast, and Cardiff, before returning to London. During this period, TV channels will play the many documentaries already made in the Queen’s honor. And the BBC will refrain from playing comedy shows as a sign of respect until after the funeral.

Four days after her death, the Queen’s coffin will be led on a military procession from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall. Here she will lie in state over the next four days and after which King Charles, family, and dignitaries will pay their respects. Then, the doors will open to likely hundreds of thousands of people queued up outside.