The plan for the aftermath of Queen Elizabeth's death has been revealed. Photo / AP
The plan for the aftermath of Queen Elizabeth's death has been revealed. Photo / AP
Official documents have finally confirmed exactly what will happen after the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
While certain details have emerged over the years, for the first time, the full plan has been made public after Politico obtained official documents relating to the event, which has been codenamed Operation London Bridge.
While the monarch – who marked her 95th birthday in April just weeks after the death of her husband Prince Philip at age 99 – remains in good health, the government has long planned for her death.
But according to Politico, the plans have been updated by the Cabinet Office recently and now contain specific references to the Covid pandemic.
The meticulous guidelines cover everything from managing unprecedented crowds and traffic congestion in London to the Prime Minister and Cabinet officials meeting the Queen's coffin at St Pancras Station.
Politico also revealed Prince Charles – who will become king after his mother's death – will travel across the UK in the days leading up to the funeral.
The documents cover the schedule for the 10 days after the Queen's death in painstaking detail.
The day of Her Majesty's death will be known as "D-Day" by officials, and according to Politico, a so-called "call cascade" will kick in soon after the Queen dies, whereby the Prime Minister will be informed followed by other senior government representatives.
An official notification will also break the news to the masses.
The UK government has long planned for what happens when the Queen dies. Photo / Getty Images
The flags at 10 Downing St will be lowered to half-mast within 10 minutes of the news breaking, and the royal family's official website will go black in a sign of respect, with a short message relaying the news.
The official UK government website will also display a black banner of mourning, and there will be a pause on non-essential government social media content.
The royals will soon release details of the funeral and the Prime Minister will issue an official statement, with gun salutes to be organised by the Ministry of Defence.
At 6pm on the night of his mother's death, the new King Charles will address the public, while a small service is to be held at St Paul's Cathedral for senior government officials only.
Day 1
The following day, the Accession Council will proclaim Charles the new King.
Parliament will meet to draft a condolence message, but apart from that, all other parliamentary work will halt for 10 days.
That afternoon, the PM and senior ministers will meet King Charles in person.
The Queen's coffin will return to Buckingham Palace, with a range of specific plans in place depending on where the Queen happens to be at the time of her death.
Days 3-5
King Charles will set off on his tour of the UK.
Official tributes and condolences will continue to pour in.
The Queen will lie in state at the Palace of Westminster for the three days leading up to her funeral.
Her coffin will be accessible to the public for 23 hours a day.
Day 10
The state funeral will be held at Westminster Abbey, with two minutes' silence observed across the nation at noon.
Concerns raised
While the plans contain stunning levels of detail, officials have raised a number of concerns, including the pressures which will be placed on the public transportation system and the need for crowd control, as record levels of people are expected to flock to the capital to pay their respects.
Those incredible crowds could bring with them added threats posed by the ongoing Covid pandemic, if the Queen happens to die while the virus is still circulating in the community, and authorities will also be on the lookout for any increased terror threat.
