Australia has woken up to the news that Queen Elizabeth II has passed away.
The code phrase for when the Queen dies is “London Bridge is down”, which is relayed to the British prime minister and government officials.
Following such tragic news, how does the Commonwealth honour and commemorate the longest-serving Sovereign?
Britain and the Commonwealth will get a new King – Prince Charles will become the new monarch.
Like his late beloved mother Queen Elizabeth II, he chose to keep his Christian name, and he became King Charles III.
D-Day
D-Day is the day of Queen Elizabeth II’s death.
Buckingham Palace announced her passing. The Royal Family website was replaced with a simple message confirming her death.
A traditional announcement was placed on the gates of Buckingham Palace as the country goes into a state of mourning and flags have been lowered to half-mast.
The King, the Queen’s eldest son Charles, issued an official statement with Buckingham Palace letterhead 30 minutes after the palace announced his mother’s death.
The statement “from His Majesty the King” said: “We mourn profoundly the passing of a cherished sovereign and a much-loved mother. I know her loss will be deeply felt throughout the country, the realms and the Commonwealth, and by countless people around the world.”
A public service will be held at St Paul’s Cathedral in the evening. No members of the royal family will attend.
The King will be visited by the Prime Minister at some stage today.
Operation Unicorn is now also in motion.
This operation contains plans for if the Queen died in Scotland.
Her coffin will be taken there by road two days after her death, before being taken to London and the palace, either by The British Royal Train or plane.
In line with royal tradition, D-Day is proceeded with 11 days of ceremony.
Day 1: Proclamation of the King. The Accession Council – a group formed of all Privy Counsellors, Great Officers of the State, the Lord Mayor and City Civic party, Realm High Commissioners and certain senior civil servants in the event of a new Sovereign succeeding to the throne – will meet for two events at St James’s Palace. The King will join the second event.
Day 2: The King will meet with the Secretary-General of the Commonwealth and the Dean of Windsor.
Day 3: The King begins his tour, he will first visit Edinburgh in Scotland and will go to the Palace of Holyrood House for a guard of honour inspection.
Day 4: The King will make his way to Belfast, in Northern Ireland. He will attend a remembrance service at St Anne’s Cathedral after after visiting Hillsborough Castle.
Day 5: Lying in state begins. The Imperial State Crown, orb, sceptre and flowers will be placed on the Queen’s coffin. The royal family will hold prayers. At 2.30pm (local time) a gun carriage procession will take the coffin from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall at the Palace of Westminster. Once the coffin is at Westminster, a short service will be held by the Archbishop of Canterbury with the royal family in attendance, before they return to Buckingham Palace.
Day 6: No public events are to take place on this day and the King will not be seen in public.
Day 7: The King will go to Cardiff, Wales today, to attend a remembrance service at Llandaff Cathedral, visit the Senedd and then have an audience with the First Minister at Cardiff Castle. A vigil will be held at Westminster Hall in the evening, attended by members of the royal family.
Day 8: World leaders, dignitaries and officials are expected to begin arriving from around the globe today.
Day 9: Funeral arrangements are underway and the royal family are briefed.
Day 10: A state funeral service is held at Westminster Abbey, triggering an observance of two minutes’ silence in the U.K. After a final service in St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle, the queen is buried on the castle grounds next to her husband, Prince Philip, who died in April 2021.
Day 11: National mourning begins. Flags across Britain will be returned to full-mast today, and the national mourning period will begin. The time will be determined by the British Government.
