Operation London Bridge: Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral plans leaked

Documents obtained by a US media organization, reportedly, reveal the details of Buckingham Palace’s plans for their current monarch, Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral. The 95-year-old has been the holder of the crown since June, 1953 and is the longest-serving monarch till date. 

The documents, under the codename ‘Operation London Bridge’, were leaked to US-headquartered news organisation ‘Politico’, which reports that officials will refer to the day the Queen dies as “D Day”. They highlight the extent of the huge operation that will be launched in the hours and days after Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II dies.

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As per the Politico reports, the British Prime Minister, now Boris Johnson, will be alerted by a phone call from a civil servant telling him or her “London Bridge is down” and the death will be announced via a newsflash on the Press Association wire.

Queen Elizabeth has no known health complications. As per the documents, she will be buried 10 days after she dies and her son and heir, Prince Charles, will embark on a tour of the UK before the burial is held.

The documents reportedly further reveal the details of Operation Spring Tide – the plan for Charles’ accession to the throne.

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According to the plans, the late sovereign’s coffin will lie in state for three days at the Houses of Parliament, with authorities anticipating hundreds of thousands of people to descend on London – sparking fears over gridlock, policing and even food shortages.

A vast security operation has been planned to manage the unprecedented crowds and travel chaos that are expected in the lead-up to her funeral. One memo warns that London could be stretched to breaking point as hundreds of thousands of people make their way to the UK capital.

There will be a supposedly “spontaneous” service at St Paul’s Cathedral, according to Politico, and the new King Charles will tour the four nations of the United Kingdom in the days after her death.

The British prime minister and the monarch are said to be in agreement that the day of her state funeral will be a day of national mourning. It will effectively be a holiday, although not described as such.

Buckingham Palace officials have declined to comment, either on the leak or the plans.

In 2017, ‘The Guardian’ published a long article revealing details about Operation London Bridge, which covered how the new King – Charles – will be proclaimed at St James’s Palace amid visiting royalty.

Each following day leading up to the funeral will be referred to as “D+1,” “D+2” and so on.

A call script for departmental permanent secretaries outlining how to break the news to their ministers, seen by Politico, instructs them to say: “We have just been informed of the death of Her Majesty The Queen.” Ministers will be told that “discretion is required.”