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LONDON – After the Queen suffered a bout of ill health, a rehearsal forthe death of the British monarch was held last Sunday.
The plan was given the code name “London Bridge” and consisted of arun-through of what should be done in the event of her death.
While a plan for the monarch’s death has always existed, the scale of theplanning was unmatched to prior times, though the event was kept under thewraps.
Senior government ministers were involved in the meeting chaired by May’sdeputy David Lidington; it was attended by the top gun of government suchas Scottish secretary David Mundell, Pakistani-origin Home Secretary SajidJavid, and leader of the Commons Andrea Leadsom.
A Whitehall official said that the rehearsal was the first time, differentministers have come together in one room.
“Previously it has only been officials,” he confirmed.
According to British media, a 10-day mourning would be announced in theevent of her death who has been ruling the kingdom from as early as 1952.
Upon her death, it will be the Queens secretary’s responsibility to alertthe Prime Minister by using the code word ‘London Bridge’ as per theprotocol outlined.
The foreign office will then alert the offshore governments where the Queenis the head of the state and the Commonwealth nations will be informedaccordingly.
The public will be informed via the media and both the houses of parliamentwill finish work early. The funeral will host two-thousand guests and theQueen will be buried in the royal vault at Windsor castle.
This rehearsal comes soon after the 92-year-old canceled a publicengagement scheduled to be held in St Paul’s Cathedral.