While there are no indicators that the monarch is dying, the British government has a plan in place for when Queen Elizabeth II, 95, passes away called "Operation London Bridge."
According to documents acquired by Politico, the Cabinet Office for Operation has prepared a 10-day strategy that will go into effect the day after the queen dies and will include everything from how the news will be made to the preparation of her burial. The day she dies will be known as "D-Day." Every day after that, that name will be given, along with a number indicating how many days have elapsed since her death.
Queen's secret death plans leaked
The strategy starts with Queen Elizabeth's personal aide beginning a "call cascade" informing the prime minister and other high-ranking officials that the queen has died. The prime minister will be the first official from the government to make a public remark.
The royal household will give a "formal announcement" to the public informing them of her death. After the Queen dies, the flags at Whitehall will be lowered to half-mast.
Last night, a leak investigation was launched to determine how full information of what will happen in the 10 days following Queen Elizabeth's death ended up on a news website. Buckingham Palace was believed to be very frustrated at what was widely viewed as an extremely indiscreet and tactless confidentiality breach in Whitehall, especially so soon after the Duke of Edinburgh's death in April.
Official preparations for the Queen's death and burial have been in place for a long time and are regularly revised and rehearsed, but they have mainly been kept under wraps. Officials from the royal family declined to comment on the leak, stating that it was a problem for the government to handle.
However, one individual familiar with the issue stated that having private information of this type released in their entirety is quite concerning. The royal household is said to be quite upset with the situation. Last night, civil employees were attempting to determine which version of the plan had been leaked, Daily Mail reported.
Plan includes Prince Charles' accession
The longer version, which contains far more sensitive information, is less commonly distributed, and the Cabinet Office is likely to start a formal investigation if it is discovered to be in the public domain. The papers' security may be examined.
A black holding page will be used on the Royal Family website, and a black banner will be used on government social media accounts. The Prime Minister will meet with the new monarch, and Prince Charles will broadcast to the country at 6 p.m.
Prince Charles will travel the four UK nations before his burial at Westminster Abbey, as part of Operation Spring Tide, the strategy for his accession. According to the papers, the Department for Transport had expressed worries about the strain on London's infrastructure as throngs gathered to pay their respects.
The 95-year-old monarch will be buried 10 days after her death, making her the longest-serving monarch in British history. The late sovereign's coffin would lie in state at the Houses of Parliament for three days, according to the plans, with officials anticipating hundreds of thousands of people to descend on London, creating traffic, policing, and even food shortages.
The large crowds and traffic disruption expected in the days leading up to her funeral have prompted a major security operation. Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to visit London, which fears that the city may become overcrowded, as per Republic World.
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