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Queen Elizabeth II's Journey to The Throne
Prince Charles and Prince William received the job promotions they each had been dreading.
Heir evident since his commencement successful 1948, 73-year-old Charles became king the moment his mum Queen Elizabeth II passed distant Sept. 8, making mode for William to yet get his long-held title of Prince of Wales and mounting into motion Operation Golden Orb, the program for Charles' ascension to the throne.
With the Ts crossed and the Is dotted connected that particular procedure for years already, the 2 heirs were simply near to hold for what they really preferred would ne'er hap astatine all.
"I deliberation the royal household has to modernize and make arsenic it goes on and it has to enactment applicable and that's the situation for me," William mused successful a 2016 BBC documentary of the considerations he's enactment into his aboriginal role. "How bash I marque the royal household applicable successful the adjacent 20 years' time—you know, it could beryllium 40 years' time, it could beryllium 60 years' time—I person nary thought erstwhile that's doing to beryllium and I surely don't prevarication awake waiting oregon hoping for it due to the fact that it sadly means my household person moved connected and I don't privation that."
And that's conscionable one piece of the meticulously thought retired Operation London Bridge—detailed successful a 2017 nonfiction successful The Guardian—that commenced when Britain's longest-reigning monarch passed distant astatine the property of 96.
Many of the arrangements took spot agelong earlier the nationalist was aware. The Queen's backstage secretary Sir Christopher Geidt, for instance, was tasked with informing U.K. prime curate Liz Truss that she had died earlier the Foreign Office's Global Response Centre spread word to the 15 governments extracurricular the U.K. wherever the Queen is besides the caput of authorities and the 36 different nations of the Commonwealth. The coded operation used—"London Bridge is down"—was akin to the "Hyde Park corner" messengers delivered erstwhile the Queen's begetter King George VI passed successful 1952 truthful that switchboard operators wouldn't beryllium clued successful to what was going on.
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Only then did a footman, dressed successful mourning clothes, tack the black-edged announcement to the gates of Buckingham Palace, with an alert sent to media organizations via the Press Association. The palace's website besides received a transformation—just 1 leafage bearing the aforesaid substance connected a acheronian background—while the U.K. Government site displayed a achromatic banner with the news.
As for what takes spot next, here's what we know:
What happens to Charles?
Immediately deemed King upon his mother's death, Charles volition beryllium allowed to pick his ain name. Though astatine 1 constituent helium was reportedly considering George—after the U.K.'s different King Georges, including his grandfather and great-grandfather—King Charles III is the expected choice. His wife, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall volition besides beryllium named Queen Camilla, a concern that seemed wholly improbable for years considering her unpopularity pursuing Princess Diana's death.
Amid each of that, the caller monarch volition person to acceptable himself to present a code to the federation successful primetime, past study to St James's Palace the adjacent greeting wherever the Accession Council volition officially proclaim him arsenic King. Later that afternoon, Charles volition conscionable with the premier curate and his furniture for the archetypal clip arsenic sovereign.
On the 3rd time aft his mother's death, Charles will embark connected a little circuit of the United Kingdom, opening with a sojourn to the Scottish Parliament. Eventually, his likeness volition marque its mode to stamps, currency and station bureau boxes and an authoritative coronation volition beryllium scheduled to instrumentality spot respective months aft the Queen's funeral.
How volition the quality beryllium transmitted?
Obviously the communicative volition predominate for immoderate time, with regular programming pulled disconnected tv screens successful favour of broadcasters delivering details in the dark covering they're expected to person connected manus for the occasion. (When BBC newsreaders announced Prince Philip's April 2021 passing, they wore black.)
According to The Guardian, royal experts person agelong agone inked contracts to talk exclusively connected definite channels. As 1 root told the insubstantial (which already has a database of stories prepared to publish, pinned to the lawman editor's bulletin board), "I americium going to beryllium sitting extracurricular the doors of the Abbey connected a hugely enlarged trestle array commentating to 300 cardinal Americans astir this."
For years, newsreaders at each of the large networks person been rehearsing for this situation, cautiously parsing which words they volition use. And yet inactive it whitethorn beryllium a struggle, with 1 erstwhile caput of BBC News telling The Guardian it was hard for his unit to adjacent consider, arsenic "she is the lone monarch that astir of america person ever known."
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For those not tuned into the tiny screen, radio stations volition travel a akin protocol. Alerted by bluish "obit lights" that flash successful times of emergency, DJs astatine Britain's commercialized stations volition play a acceptable of soothing, calm instrumental euphony successful the pb up to delivering the news, The Guardian detailing they each person prepared playlists "of 'Mood 2' (sad) oregon 'Mood 1' (saddest)" acceptable to go.
As BBC shaper Chris Price wrote successful a 2011 Huffington Post article, "If you ever perceive Haunted Dancehall (Nursery Remix) by Sabres of Paradise connected daytime Radio 1, crook the TV on. Something unspeakable has conscionable happened."
Press Association via AP Images
What other volition the nationalist see?
Britain's Union Flags volition beryllium lowered to fractional mast (ideally wrong 10 minutes of the announcement) and books of condolences, utilizing looseleaf paper, truthful inappropriate messages tin beryllium removed, volition beryllium enactment retired successful locations astir the world. The Ministry of Defence volition put for weapon salutes and a nationalist infinitesimal of soundlessness volition beryllium observed.
Both houses of parliament will be recalled and galore workers successful the U.K. volition beryllium sent location early. Even pilots will have the occupation of delivering the sad news implicit in-flight speakers.
When volition a ceremonial instrumentality place?
Ten days volition walk earlier the afloat authorities ceremonial astatine Westminster Abbey. During that time, the Queen volition laic successful repose wrong the Buckingham Palace's throne room. Should she walk distant at Sandringham, her residence successful Norfolk, protocol dictates she beryllium transported to London's St. Pancras presumption by royal bid wherever she volition beryllium met by the premier curate and his cabinet. Her death at Balmoral successful Scotland would acceptable into question Operation Unicorn (transport by royal train). Anywhere further flung would necessitate Operation Overstudy, with her assemblage being transferred by plane.
Five days aft the Queen's death, her coffin volition beryllium transported to Westminster Hall on a ceremonial way (a rehearsal volition instrumentality spot a time earlier) wherever members of the nationalist tin wage their respects. For 23 hours a day, mourners can visit her coffin atop a raised level known arsenic a catafalque draped successful purple. More than 200,000 visited the Queen Mother aft her 2002 death, but The Guardian predicts the Queen could pull much than 500,000. Naturally, VIP guests tin reserve a circumstantial clip slot.
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What would a ceremonial look like?
With galore COVID restrictions lifted, royal watchers should expect much pomp and condition than what took place aft Philip's passing. Mourners volition enactment the streets to observe processionals successful London and successful Windsor, wherever they volition clasp a committal work successful St. George's Chapel.
And some Prince Harry and woman Meghan Markle are expected to marque the 5,000-plus mile trek from their location successful Montecito, Calif., nary quarantine required present that question restrictions person lifted betwixt the United States and the U.K.
The Foreign Office is dealt the tremendous task of arranging the arrivals of heads of authorities and different overseas VIPs, a occupation that became trickier during the coronavirus pandemic. The Home Office, meanwhile, is successful complaint of information detail. Other concerns that person been raised see the interest that truthful galore radical mightiness question to London that the metropolis is overrun, with accommodations, nationalist proscription and nutrient proviso stretched thin.
Where volition the Queen beryllium laid to rest?
Following services astatine some Westminster Abbey and Windsor Castle, she volition beryllium buried in Windsor's King George VI Memorial Chapel.
With plans archetypal coming unneurotic backmost successful the 1960s, perfectly nary item of the full 10-day process has been near to chance. In fact, The Guardian reports the various officials progressive person met 2 oregon 3 times a twelvemonth to refine, hash retired and creaseless over any imaginable wrinkles. "Everyone astir the satellite is looking to america to bash this again perfectly," explained 1 participant, referencing erstwhile authorities funerals, "and we will."
