London Bridge is Down is the code name of the plan set for the days after the passing of Queen Elizabeth II. Since 1952, the royal throne has been under the command reign of Queen Elizabeth II. Considering the length of the Queen’s reign, she is the longest-running monarch in the history of Britain. Since the Queen has a pivotal role in the alliance of the UK and other countries, her passing will bring a lot of change. This change will not be restricted to the United Kingdom but also potentially affect the world.
Operation London Bridge is Down
As the Queen passed away, the Right Honorable Edward Young, private secretary of the Queen passes a message to the Prime Minister. The message will likely be read as “London Bridge is down.”. Once the message is recieved by the PM, the operation will be set into action.
15 Governments outside of the UK where the Queen is the head of state, are informed within the first few minutes, over a secure line. Followed by the 36 commonwealth nations and the leaders around the World. After that, a black-edged notice of the news dawned on the gates of Buckingham Palace. A news flash alerts the media all over the World about the news.
The media outlets are prepared for this news, and so are the radio stations. Each radio station has a network of lights, flashing to indicate a national catastrophe. Every running show of the British Broadcasting Corporation is halted and a dedicated news feed will run about the news.
The traditional red branding of BBC is turned to black. All the newsreaders change their clothing to black, which is readily available on hand. Coverage of the news will be followed in TV channels, newspapers, and radio stations in the coming days.
Who Will Be The King?
Charles, the eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II immediately becomes the king, on the same day as the death of the Queen. The day will be marked as closed for the stock exchange, businesses, and shops all across the UK, as a sign of respect. The very next day of the Queen’s death, Charles will make the first speech as King, on a Livestream. In Hyde Park, London, the sound of a 41-gun salute will swear the allegiance of the government towards the King.
After that the King will set off for a tour of the UK, visiting the government leaders in the capital of each country, Edinburgh, Belfast, and Cardiff, before he returns to London. During the time period, the already made documentaries in the Queen’s honor will be played across the media. Moreover, no comedy show will be played on BBC, as a sign of respect until after the funeral of the Queen.
The Funeral of the Queen Elizabeth II
A military procession from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall will be carried with the Queen’s coffin after 4 days of her death. Here she will lie in state for the next four days where the King and the family along with dignitaries are to pay their respects. After that, the doors will be opened to the general public queued up outside.
The bells of Big Ben will chime at 11:00 a.m. sharp and silence prevails in the country. The coffin will be brought inside Westminster Abbey, and 2,000 invited guests will bow their heads in prayer. After the service, Windsor Castle will be the place the coffin is taken to, followed by St. George’s Chapel, where Elizabeth II will likely to be laid rest. She will be laid to rest right next to her father King George VI.
Coronation of King Charles
Within a year after the funeral, an official coronation will place on a bank holiday for King Charles. Accounting for the multiple bank holidays, funeral expenses and the celebrations of coronation, the passing of the Queen is likely to have cost billions of pounds to the economy of the UK.
In addition to this, countless changes will be observed across the UK in the coming months. The new British currency will be printed with the portrait of the King. While the currency with the Queen’s portrait will slowly be removed from use. Similar changes will be observed in the stamps, passports, and uniforms of the police and military.
The National Anthem will be changed to ‘God Save The King’
Operation London Bridge is Down is triggered and will arguably be the biggest funeral of our lifetime, to be witnessed around the world.
Who’s who in the House of Windsor: Queen Elizabeth II’s Line of Succession
