Inside King Charles funeral plans - Operation London Bridge explained in full
The codename was upgraded following the death of Queen Elizabeth II...The royal family is a tight operation behind palace walls with various protocols in place, including in the event of King Charles‘ death, with his funeral plans having the codename Operation London Bridge.
Charles ascended to the throne at 73 years old, and was diagnosed with a form of cancer in early 2024. Now, at 76, he is still receiving treatment and is carrying on with public duties alongside his wife Queen Camilla.
But the funeral plans for King Charles were actually started the moment he succeeded his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, when she passed away in September 2022.
While he was the Prince of Wales, the codename for his funeral was known as Operation Menai Bridge, with the London version being used for the late Queen. However, a book released last year claimed King Charles’ funeral plans had been upgraded to Operation London Bridge, the same as his mother’s.
Are they planning King Charles’ funeral?
The plan for the days following the death of King Charles have long been established, before he announced he had been diagnosed with cancer. This included how the public would be informed via a statement, lying-in-state and funeral service. These come under standard royal protocol, and began when he ascended to the throne.
In 2024, a new book reported that the codename for King Charles’ death and funeral had been upgraded to Operation London Bridge.
Robert Hardman gave new details of the plan in his book, New King, New Court Charles III: The Inside Story.
He explained: “The King’s own valedictory arrangements have now, officially, been upgraded to Operation London Bridge, mirroring those of Elizabeth II.”
The protocol was initiated shortly initiated after his coronation, due to the monarch’s age being 75.
William was affected
Additionally, Prince William‘s funeral plans have been upgraded, using the codename King Charles used before he became the monarch. William’s were called Operation Clare Bridge, in reference to the famous Cambridgeshire crossings. This would be due to his title, which was gifted to him and his wife by the late Queen on their wedding day, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
Now, they have been rebranded to Operation Menai Bridge, in recognition to the suspension bridge in North Wales. The eldest son of the monarch has the title, the Prince of Wales.
Hardman added: “That is now the code for the new Prince of Wales, with the ‘Menai’ designation for all his immediate family in numerical order. Prince William’s plans had previously been codenamed Operation Clare Bridge, after the famous crossing over the Cam, during his days as Duke of Cambridge.”
Operation London Bridge explained
Previously, plans for the royal family would have been kept private from the public. However, the royal author claimed the arrangements were drawn following the tragic death of Princess Diana in 1997.
He says a royal source told him: “You need a plan for everything, sadly, we all remember the death of a member of the family who died in Paris without a plan.”
Although the funeral plans of Operation Menai Bridge remain tight-lipped, it’s believed they’ll follow the London protocol.
In this case, immediate family members are informed of his passing first, followed by the British Prime Minister. Then the news of King Charles’ death would be shared across the Commonwealth and an official statement from Buckingham Palace confirming the sad details.
Following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, King Charles insisted family were told before a public announcement.
A notice will be pinned to the gates of the palace, and flags across the UK lowered to half-mast.
Read more: What would actually happen if King Charles chose to resign and announced his abdication
Funeral
According to the plans of Operation London Bridge, King Charles’ funeral will take place around nine days after his death. This is similar to what happened in 2022 for Elizabeth – who became Britain’s longest-reigning monarch.
His body will be moved from Buckingham Palace’s throne room to Westminster Hall, where he will lie in state. We saw this with the Queen, and members of the royal family will stand in place at the vigil. For Elizabeth, her children gathered to pay respects: Charles, Anne, Andrew and Edward. Then her eight grandchildren also stood vigil thereafter. This included William, Harry, Princess Eugenie, Princess Beatrice, Zara Tindall, Peter Phillips, Lady Louise Windsor and James, Earl of Wessex.
His body will then be interred in the royal vault at the King George VI Memorial Chapel, within Windsor Palace.
After news of his mother’s death, hundreds of thousands of mourners queued for hours to pay their respects. Her State Funeral was also broadcast live across the world and watched by millions. World leaders arrived from all corners of the globe to bid farewell at Westminster Abbey. However, Buckingham Palace has previously declined to comment on whether these protocols would be followed for Charles.
William’s part in the protocol
Prince William will ascend to the throne immediately, following royal tradition, but his coronation wouldn’t take place right away. When Charles became king, his coronation was planned for eight months later.
William is likely to give an address or further statement to the nation the same day. He’s also expected to meet with government officials.
The Prince of Wales is also like to lead the royal family procession behind the coffin for the funeral.
When did King Charles’ funeral plans start?
King Charles’ funeral plans started when he ascended the throne.
Royal Protection Officer Simon Morgan explained to Today: “Even the King said in his acceptance that he will take this role for as long as life allows him to.
“He is 73 years of age, it’s got to be in the back of your mind, and from the police, we’ve got to start planning again for the future.”
Read more: Inside King Charles’ ‘plan’ for a modern monarchy and what that looks like for the royal family
What illness is King Charles suffering from?
In February 2024, Buckingham Palace announced the king had been diagnosed with a type of cancer.
It came after the monarch revealed he was undergoing a routine and planned procedure for an enlarged prostate. While it is not common for members of the royal family to disclose private matters, especially when it comes to health, it’s said Charles wanted to be open about his own journey to raise awareness.
Weeks later, the palace had revealed the monarch’s diagnosis. However, they did not confirm what form of cancer he had, but did clarify it was not prostate cancer.
At first, Charles cancelled public-facing duties and started treatment at home. He then returned to work several months later, but it is understood his treatment continues. The prognosis has also not been shared with the public.
In May, his son Prince Harry caused a stir during a BBC interview when he pleaded to reconcile with his family. He claimed he ‘didn’t know how much longer his father has left’ and wanted them to repair their relationship. The Duke of Sussex claimed his father had stopped talking to him over his battle to get his security status reinstated while in the UK. Harry lost the appeal, and said he wouldn’t take the matter further.
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