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,
and plays a pivotal role
in the UK's alliance with many countries.
So her passing will bring
about a lot of change.
Not just for the United Kingdom
but potentially the world.
Her private secretary, The
Right Honorable Edward Young,
will immediately pass a message on
to the acting prime minister at the time.
That message will likely
read "London Bridge is down."
The prime minister will then set
Operation London Bridge into action.
Within minutes, the 15
governments outside of the UK
where the Queen is head of state
will be informed over a secure line.
And that will be followed
by the other 36 Commonwealth
nations and leaders around the world.
The gates of Buckingham
Palace will then dawn
a black-edged notice of the news.
At the same time, a newsflash
will alert media around the world.
Every media outlet is
prepared for the news.
Every radio station has a
network of lights that will flash
to indicate a national
catastrophe such as this.
All BBC shows will stop and proceed
to run a feed dedicated to the news.
Newsreaders will change into
the black suits and clothing
that is on hand at all
times in the news studio,
and the traditional red BBC
News branding will turn black.
Newspapers, TV channels,
and radio stations
have days of coverage ready to go.
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.
The funeral is estimated
to take place 10 to 12 days
after the Queen's passing.
But one thing is certain:
The day of the funeral
will be an official bank holiday
for the whole of the United Kingdom.
The stock exchange will
close for a second time
in under two weeks, and many
businesses will follow suit.
At 11 a.m. sharp, the bells
of Big Ben will chime,
the country will fall silent,
and the coffin will be brought
inside Westminster Abbey,
where 2,000 specially invited guests
will bow their heads in prayer.
After the service, the
coffin will be taken
to Windsor Castle and then
finally to St. George's Chapel,
where Queen Elizabeth II
will likely be laid to rest
next to her father, King George VI.
Likely within a year after the funeral,
an official coronation for
King Charles will take place
on yet another bank holiday.
All in all, accounting for
the multiple bank holidays,
funeral expenses, and
coronation celebrations,
the Queen's passing is estimated
to cost the UK economy billions of pounds.
In addition, hundreds
of changes will happen
across the UK in the months to come.
New British currency will be printed
with the King's portrait,
and the Queen's currency will
slowly be removed from use.
The same will happen for stamps,
passports, and police
and military uniforms.
And the national anthem will be changed to
"God Save the King."
Not to mention, how the
world and Commonwealth
will react to the new King
could alter the British
royal family forever.
For example, there is
growing support in Australia
for the country to become a republic.
And the Queen's death could
heighten that support.
This could lead other
countries to follow suit,
which would almost certainly
weaken the British monarchy.
This scenario will one day be upon us.
Operation London Bridge will be triggered,
and arguably the biggest funeral
of our lifetime will be
witnessed around the world.
This will be the end of an era.
