If the death of Queen Elizabeth II, announced this Thursday (8), had taken place in London, the city of the royal residence, Buckingham Palace, the official program would have started immediately with Operation London Bridge, elaborated in the years 1960 by the English government.
However, as the queen was in Scotland, at Balmoral Castle, due to a meeting with Prime Minister Liz Truss, the royal funeral protocols must first go through a stage called Operation Unicorn.
In it, the queen’s body will first go to Holyrood Palace, from where it will depart for St. Giles on Edinburgh’s Royal Mile. Travel to London will be on the Royal Train from Waverley Station.
From then on, the schedule will begin in the English capital, as reported by The Guardian newspaper. Anyone who is in London during this period, which can last more than ten days from the date of death, will be able to follow several public stages.
It is now possible, for example, to see the flags at half-mast in all royal residences and government buildings, including the Palace of Whitehall —the main residence of the Kings of England in London between 1530 and 1698— located in the borough of Westminster, where there is also Parliament.
Buckingham Palace, which is also right next door, will also have posted a notice on its gate railings about the Queen’s death. Westminster Abbey and St. Paul toll their bells as a tribute to the queen.
Shots in Hyde Park and Tower Hill should also signal the nation’s respect for the monarch.
The coffin journey will begin at St. Pancras, where he will be disembarked from Scotland the night before. The queen’s body is expected to arrive at Buckingham Palace five days after the death was announced.
From there he proceeds to Westminster Hall, where he will be veiled for five days. This is the first and main moment when the public will be able to pay their respects more closely – the coffin will be exposed for 23 hours a day.
Ten days after her death, on 17 September, the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II will begin. The body will be transported from Westminster Hall to Westminster Abbey — upon arrival there will be two minutes of silence across the nation.
After an hour-long ceremony — which is not supposed to be open to the public, but will be televised — the coffin heads to Hyde Park and from there to Windsor Castle, 40 km from London.
There, the body of the Queen of England is placed in a royal vault in the King George Sixth Memorial Chapel, and left for her eternal rest.
Windsor Castle
One of the official residences of the British royal family, Windsor Castle is located in the county of Berkshire. It was built in the 11th century and became known as the oldest inhabited castle in the world, in addition to being the largest in the region, with more than five hectares in area.
There is still no information about how visits to one of the favorite castles of tourists visiting England will be and looking to learn more about the British royal family.
However, it is worth knowing that this is a fun tour, for which it is worth setting aside a whole day. From London, there are several train and bus options — the Green Line 702, for example, has a stop called Windsor, Parish Church.
One of the favorite traditions of visitors to Windsor Castle, the royal family’s weekend residence, has always been whether or not the Queen was there.
To do so, it was enough to observe a code: if the flag hoisted was that of the Royal Standard, the tourist was lucky, as it was a sign of the queen’s presence; The UK flag, in turn, meant that Elizabeth was not there.
Possibly, the tradition of flags will continue, now marking the presence of the new king, Charles III.
Where to stay
Hotel 41 (41 Buckingham Palace Road, London, SW1W 0PS, UK). Tel.: +44 207 300 0041. Rates from R$3,020.
The Resident Victoria (10 Palace Place, London, SW1E 5BW, UK). Tel.: +44 203 540 8800. Rates from R$1,607.
The Londoner (38 Leicester Square, London WC2H 7DX, UK). Tel: +44 20 7451 0101. Rates from R$2,400.
Brown’s Hotel (33 Albemarle St, London W1S 4BP, UK). Tel.: +44 20 7493 6020. Rates from R$7,560 for two people.
The Sanctuary House Hotel (33 Tothill Street, London, SW1H 9LA, UK). Tel.: +44 207 799 4044. Rates from R$889.
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