Queen Elizabeth II is dead at 96. She reigned over the United Kingdom for 70 years making her Britain’s longest reigning monarch. As the island nation and people around the world process their iconic leaders passing, Operation London Bridge, the plan outlining Britain’s next steps in the coming days, is under way. That plan has been in the works for years, and several reports have pieced together the details of what is likely to unfold with the queen’s funeral arrangements and the crown.
But the location of the queen’s death Thursday has added a wrinkle to Operation London Bridge, triggering a contingency plan known as Operation Unicorn.
What is Operation London Bridge?
Details of Operation London Bridge first leaked in The Guardian in May 2017, describing what would happen during the 10-day period from the day after the death and the funeral at Westminster Abbey followed by interment in St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle.
Here are a few highlights of what is to come ahead under Operation London Bridge, based on information from the Foreign Press Association of London.
- At the moment of the sovereign’s death, her eldest son and heir, Prince Charles the Prince of Wales, instantly becomes Britain’s 42nd monarch since William the Conqueror in 1066
- The new king will receive Parliament’s motion of condolence at Westminster Hall, then depart on a tour of the kingdom to meet his people.
- The procession of the coffin from Buckingham Palace to the Palace of Westminster will take place, followed by a service in Westminster Hall.
- The queen lies in state at Westminster Hall.
- The queen’s state funeral will be at Westminster Abbey. The day will be declared a Day of National Mourning and two minutes of silence will be marked across the nation.
What is Operation Unicorn?
Because the queen died at her Balmoral estate in Scotland, a contingency plan dubbed Operation Unicorn has kicked into gear. Under this plan, the queen’s body will remain in Scotland for a number of days, according to the press association, before being transported likely by plane to London.
Then, the rest of the plans under Operation London Bridge will continue. The queen will lie in the throne room at Buckingham Palace overlooking the northwest corner of the Quadrangle interior courtyard.
The state funeral will be at Westminster Abbey, where the queen will lie in state. There will be a committal service in St. George’s Chapel, followed by burial in the royal vault’s King George VI. Memorial Chapel, where the queen will join her parents and sister, and be reunited with her beloved late husband.
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