Since the death took place in Balmoral and not London, the so-called Operation Unicorn is activated, another planned mechanism marking the steps to be followed in Scotland to transfer the Queen’s body to the British capital, where the funeral will take place. would take place. functioned.
Isabel II has passed away in his stay in Balmoral (Scotland) and automatically the so-called London Bridge Operation has been launched and with it the so-called Unicorn, the millimetrically orchestrated preparations designed since the 1960s for this day of national mourning.
Since the death took place in Balmoral and not London, the so-called Operation Unicorn is activated, another planned mechanism marking the steps to be followed in Scotland to transfer the Queen’s body to the British capital, where the funeral will take place. would take place. functioned.
Edward Young, the Queen’s private secretary and the main person in charge of organizing her succession, is the first person to receive the news.
The plans drafted foresee that Young will notify the Prime Minister, Liz Truss, with a phrase: “London Bridge is Down” (“The London Bridge has fallen”).
From there, the British Foreign Office will relay the news to the 15 governments outside the country where the Queen is head of state, and the other 38 countries of the Commonwealth of Nations.
The London Bridge operation contemplates the events that would take place in the next ten daysof the so-called D-Day (the day of death).
Ministers will be notified immediately by email and, after that message, flags will be placed at half-mast at government headquarters less than ten minutes after the announcement.
the british agency Press Association (PA) she is responsible for spreading the news with a news flash, after which a palace servant crosses the courtyard of Buckingham Palace to hang the “official notice” of the death on the doors.
Parliaments, both in London and the Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish, are suspending their sessions and the royal family’s website is going black with the statement.
Truss is responsible for giving the first message to the nation after death.
A minute of national silence is then declared and the Prime Minister holds an audience with the new King, who Operation Spring Tide (“Spring Tide”), which governs the ascension of the monarch.
Carlos, the heir, will deliver a message to the nation at 6:00 PM local time (5:00 PM GMT) on the same day of death.
A memorial service for the Queen will be held with the Prime Minister in St Paul’s Cathedral.
Image: Reuters
The funeral
The first plans for preparations for the death of Elizabeth II date back to the 60’s although changes have been made, with meetings two or three times a year between various ministries, the police, the military, the media and the Royal Park Association.
The next day the flags are waved again and at 11:00 Carlos would be proclaimed king in fifteen minutes ceremony at St James’s dressed with all the pomp the occasion deserves, in which a palace official will read a formal statement and in which Charles will swear to protect the church in Scotland.
Parliament will meet to agree a message of condolence and for MPs to pay tribute to Her Majesty in the House of Commons. All parliamentary activities are suspended for ten days.
Operation Unicorn
If she dies in Scotland, the Queen’s body will initially be transferred to the seat of the Scottish Parliament, Holyrood Palace, where all types of parliamentary activity will be automatically interrupted and a register of condolence will be made available to citizens.
The next step is to move the body, along Edinburgh’s Royal Mile, to St Giles Cathedral, where it will be in the funeral chapel and where a first service will be held.
before the call D-Day+2 It is contemplated that the Queen’s coffin will be transferred to Buckingham Palace, in London, from Balmoral by train, from Waverley station, which is called Operation Unicorn, the protocol being considered if the Queen dies in Scotland.
According to this script, the day D+3the new British monarch will embark on a tour of the country, visiting Edinburgh, Belfast and Cardiff and attending services in memory of his mother.
For the so-called D+5 (day 6 after death), the coffin will be transferred to Westminster Hall, where it will lie for four days until the Buckingham Palace procession, which will cross the Mall – the first major military parade of this operation – will pass by the Horse Guards and by the Cenotaph.
The day of the funeral –D+10-, at 9:00 am, Big Ben will be heard to announce the state funeral for the Queen at Westminster Abbey, which will receive 2,000 guests.
The coffin is expected to reach the doors of the temple at 11 a.m. and the land will go quiet as a sign of respect. His remains will be in King George VI’s chapel, in Windsor Castle, next to his father.
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Source: EITB
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
