'London Bridge is down' or 'Operation Unicorn': Queen Elizabeth II funeral plan

Queen Elizabeth II, the longest serving monarch of Britain passed away on Thursday after serving the throne for almost 70 years. The 96-year-old breathe her last at her outlying Highlands residence, Balmoral, in Scotland with all her immediate family flying in to be at her side.

Queen Elizabeth II succeeded her father King George VI in 1952 at the age of 32. The fact that the Queen passed away in Scotland and not in England has added complex procedures in what has been termed as Operation Unicorn to her funeral.

How ‘Operation Unicorn’ will be carried out?

1. Buckingham Palace already had a plan for the Queen’s funeral - codenamed ‘London Bridge' - had she died in London. However, there were special provisions if the monarch died when she was in Scotland, AFP reported.

2. This plan was codenamed ‘Operation Unicorn.’ The name was picked because unicorn is the national animal of Scotland and forms part of the royal coat of arms, along with the lion of England.

3. The day of Queen Elizabeth II’s death will be referred to as D-Day, while every day following that day will be referred to as D+1 and D+2 and so on, as per reports.

4. Just before the Palace announced the Queen's demise late Thursday, BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) anchors changed into black attire, black suits and ties, as part of the protocol. The BBC played the national anthem, “God Save the Queen,” over a portrait of Elizabeth in full regalia as her death was announced, and the flag over Buckingham Palace was lowered to half-staff.

5. According to the ‘Operation Unicorn,’ Queen Elizabeth II's body will be brought from Scotland to Buckingham Palace in London within the first week of her death, NPR reported. The Queen’s body will need to be shifted from Balmoral to Holyroodhouse, her residence in the Scottish capital of Edinburgh, to lie in rest briefly, news agencies said. The body will then be carried in a cavalcade up the Royal Mile, a central avenue, to St. Giles Cathedral for a reception service

6. Subsequently, Queen’s body will be taken to London on a royal train from Edinburgh’s Waverley Station. The coffin will be received in the capital by the newly appointed prime minister Liz Truss, and be taken to Buckingham Palace.

7. On the tenth day, a state funeral will take place at Westminster Abbey and there will be a committal service in St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle. Following that, Queen Elizabeth II will be buried in the castle's King George VI Memorial Chapel.

How ‘Operation London Bridge’was meant to proceed:

In Operation London Bridge the queen's private secretary was supposed to call the Prime Minister and say, 'London Bridge is down.' After this the Prime Minister was to make the announcement vis-a-vis the death.

The news was then supposed to be passed on to 15 governments for which the queen is also the head.

The same was to be shared with 30 other members of the commonwealth according to the operation procedures The Guardian reported.

Also Read: Queen Elizabeth II: She was leading a perfect life, but everything changed in December 1936