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Queen Elizabeth II, Britain’s longest-reigning monarch died peacefully at Balmoral castle aged 96. A link to the almost-vanished generation that fought World War II, she was the only monarch most Britons have ever known, and her name defines an age: the modern Elizabethan Era.
With the death of the queen, her son Charles, automatically becomes monarch, even though the coronation might not take place for months. It is not known whether he will choose to call himself King Charles III or some other name.
The British government's "Operation Unicorn" is still on as the UK authorities had devised Operation London Bridge to manage events during the first 10 days between the Queen's death and the funeral.
“London Bridge is down" is reportedly the way in which the death of the Queen would have been communicated to the Prime Minister, Liz Truss, by the Queen’s Private Secretary. The funeral will be held on the tenth day at Westminster Abbey and Queen Elizabeth II will be buried in the castle's King George VI Memorial Chapel.
The Royal Family is set to publish official plans for the funeral, which is expected 10 days after her death on Thursday. A national mourning and minute’s silence will be announced after Prime Minister Truss meets with the new King.
Here's what will happen now:
- King Charles III will travel from Balmoral to London with his wife, Camilla, now Queen Consort. More details have yet to be confirmed, but here's what we can expect will happen throughout the day: Parliament will gather at noon for MPs to pay respect to the Queen. Apart from this, at midday bells will toll in tribute to the Queen at Westminster Abbey, St Paul's Cathedral and Windsor Castle. At around 1 pm, gun salutes will be fired in Hyde Park and elsewhere. The prime minister and other senior ministers will attend a remembrance service at St Paul's Cathedral. The King is due to make his first televised address to the nation as head of state.
- An Accession Council is the one that proclaims King Charles as the new sovereign, which will be read at St. James’s Palace and the Royal Exchange in London.
- The Parliament will meet to agree on a message of condolence and for MPs to give tributes in the House of Commons. All parliamentary business will be suspended for 10 days. This will be followed by the Prime Minister and Cabinet meeting with the new King.
- As the Queen died at Balmoral Castle in Scotland, her body will be carried to London by royal train dubbed Operation Unicorn or Operation Overstudy will kick in for her body will be flown back to London.
- Operation Lion refers to the Queen’s coffin being transferred from Buckingham Palace to the Palace of Westminster via a ceremonial route through London. When it arrives, a memorial service is expected at Westminster Hall.
- The coffin is expected to lie in state where hundreds of thousands of people are expected to converge on London to visit her and pay their respects, and condolence books will be opened online. The State Funeral is expected at Westminster Abbey in London.
- No official details have been released about what will happen over the coming days, but it is anticipated that the Queen will be given a full state funeral, as is traditional to mark the death of a monarch. It is also expected that her body will lie in state to allow the public to pay tribute. King Charles III will sign off the final plans in the coming days.