Operation Unicorn: What happens after the Queen’s death

The London Bridge is Down

Queen Elizabeth II, the 96-year-old monarch, passed away at her residence in Balmoral with her immediate family. 

It was a special provision called Operation Unicorn if a monarch died when she was in Scotland. 

The parliamentary business will be immediately suspended, and politicians will prepare a condolence motion and prepare for a state funeral.

At this moment, the parliamentary business will immediately be suspended, and the politicians will prepare a motion of condolence and a state funeral. 

At the same time, members of the public will sign a book of condolence at the parliament at Holyrood. 

“London Bridge is down” would have been said to be how the Queen’s Private Secretary communicated the monarch’s death to Liz Truss, the Prime Minister, and the Cabinet Secretary, along with the Privy Council of senior officials and politicians.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) Global Response Centre provides information to governments outside the UK, including India, where she is Head of State. Her death is known as D-Day, with each subsequent day marking the countdown to the funeral, which is expected to occur ten days after her passing.

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