10 DAYS MOURNING FOR QUEEN
Ministers rehearsing roles over HM death
MINISTERS have started preparing for the death of the Queen.
The Prime Minister’s deputy, David Lidington, chaired a highpowered meeting preparing for 10 days of national mourning.
Several senior ministers attended the rehearsal last Thursday, including Home Secretary Sajid Javid, Andrea Leadsom and David Mundell.
Codenamed Castle Dove, the scale of the exercise was described as “unprecedented”.
A Whitehall official said: “This is the first time different ministers have come together in one room. Previously it has only been officials.”
Taking place in the Cabinet Office room, the plans are said to include gathering 600 members of the Privy Council – the Queen’s advisers – to rubber-stamp her successor.
There are no immediate concerns for the 92-year-old monarch’s wellbeing.
The Queen missed an event last week after coming down with a cold but it was only said to be a minor concern.
Flags
Known as Operation London Bridge, plans for the detailed response have been in place since the 1960s.
When the time comes, it is believed the PM will be informed of the death by the Queen’s private secretary.
This will be done using the codeword “London Bridge”, with civil servants then saying “London Bridge is down” on secure lines. The Foreign Office would then inform the 15 governments outside the UK where the Queen is head of state, as well as the 36 other nations of the Commonwealth.
At Buckingham Palace, the end of an era would be marked by a footman pinning a black-edged notice to the gates.
The public would be told via the media, while a notice would also go up on the Palace website.
Parliament could also finish early.
The Queen’s body would then be held at Westminster Hall for four days, with flags flying at half mast.
Two thousand guests will be invited to the funeral before her body is taken to Windsor Castle where she will be buried in the royal vault.
In 2016 – the year that she turned 90 – the monarch called time on her overseas travelling.
The long-haul destinations are nowadays left to the younger royals.
But she still has a busy diary of events and in
2017 carried out nearly
300 engagements.