Questions And Answers: How Will Britain Mourn And What Will Change With The Passing Of Queen Elizabeth II.?

On Thursday, September 8, the news of the death of Queen Elizabeth II hit the world. Refresher has prepared an article with useful information about what will happen in the next few days.

What was the atmosphere like in the UK just before the Queen's death?

We asked British media expert Pete Murray questions about the Queen's death.

"The atmosphere was very difficult. Everything indicated that the worst would happen. Never before has it happened that the Prime Minister was interrupted in the middle of a speech due to some announcement in the House of the British Parliament. Moreover, in such an important debate, as MPs were talking about the millions of pounds that they are going to invest in the fight against rising energy prices. The fact that the Prime Minister interrupted her announcement only emphasized the seriousness of the situation. It was also very unusual to have so many members of the British royal family traveling to see the Queen,” says Murray.

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Doctors first announced that the queen's condition was worrying. Thursday afternoon, the world was told that members of the royal family would arrive at her estate in Scotland. 

How did the world learn about the death of Elizabeth II?

British Prime Minister Liz Truss learned about the Queen's death at 5:30 p.m. CET.

At 7:30 p.m., the royal family officially announced the death to the public for the first time through their Twitter account. Shortly afterwards, at 7:31 p.m., they also published a statement from Buckingham Palace, and at 7:32 p.m., the public broadcaster BBC also officially announced the death via Twitter. The British public channel BBC 1 canceled the planned broadcast at approximately 4:00 p.m. and started a live broadcast from Balmoral in Scotland, which lasted until the evening. The presenters were dressed in black before announcing the Queen's death.

"We are deeply saddened by the passing of the esteemed queen and beloved mother. I know that her loss will be deeply felt by the entire country and the Commonwealth of Nations, as well as countless people around the world," read the first official statement of the royal family. The Queen died on the afternoon of September 8, the specific cause of death was not announced.

“I know from my own work experience at the BBC that such events are subject to strict protocols. The BBC has special rules for covering the deaths of members of the royal family - the more important they are, the more specific rules apply. With the queen, the rules are extremely detailed. It was similar with her husband Prince Philip. Even the fact that the Prime Minister immediately left the House of Commons after hearing the news of the Queen's death is part of the protocol," a journalism professor from Manchester Metropolitan University told Refresher.

Who will replace the queen on the throne?

Immediately after Buckingham Palace announced the Queen's death, Prince Charles automatically assumed the duties of monarch as the first in the line of succession to the British royal family. He will be known as King Charles III. The death of the queen will mean a change of titles not only for the new king, but also for the new crown prince - Prince William. King Charles III. was the longest-waiting heir to the throne in British history.

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The new king, whose full name is Charles Philip Arthur George, could choose from several names. The new British monarch Charles III. in Thursday's statement after the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II. he said that today is "a moment of great sadness for me and all my family members".

In a statement, Charles III. expressed "deep sorrow at the death of the esteemed monarch and beloved mother." "I know her loss will be deeply felt (by people) across the country and the Commonwealth, as well as many people around the world," he said.

The new heir to the British throne, Prince William and his wife Catherine, became the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall after the death of the British Queen Elizabeth II. This title previously belonged to the new King Charles III. and the Queen consort Camilla.

Prince Charles has been the talk of the town in recent years, either in connection with Diana or his lover and now wife Camilla Parker Bowles. “These things caused controversy and he was not popular in many parts of the country. People didn't like how he behaved. So now are perilous times for the royal family."

What does it mean, that London Bridge has fallen?

The sequence of events after the death of the British Queen Elizabeth II. it is codenamed Operation London Bridge. Politico reported on these plans last year, citing secret sources. They describe the exact procedure of what government authorities will do in the event of the death of the monarch.

"The documents show an extraordinary level of involvement from all parts of the British government, including a large-scale security operation aimed at managing unprecedented crowds and traffic chaos," Politico reports.

Government officials should have been the first to learn about the queen's death by phone, which apparently, according to the information obtained so far, really happened. The personal secretary of the queen should have telephoned the prime minister and informed her that Elizabeth II. died. The day of the Queen's death is marked as D-Day. 

What does Operation Unicorn mean?

It is part of the London Bridge operation, which concerns the transfer of the Queen to London. The protocolists counted on the fact that Elizabeth would live out the last days of her life in Scotland.

Since Elizabeth II. died in her Scottish residence, the British authorities launched Operation Unicorn.

• The body of the late queen will be transported 48 hours after her death from Balmoral to Holyrood Castle and from there to St. Giles' Cathedral in Edinburgh, where a service will be held with the participation of members of the royal family, writes the BBC.
• Subsequently, the coffin will be transported by the British royal train from Wawerley station to London. A guard of honor will be set up at each station through which the train will pass.
• Immediately after the news of the Queen's death, the British Parliament and the legislatures in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland suspended their activities.
• The official website of the British royal family has shrouded itself in black and currently only provides information about Elizabeth's death.
• The flags at Buckingham Palace were lowered to half-mast.

What will happen in Britain in the coming days and when will the Queen's funeral be?

The British government declared national mourning on Friday.

The official British government document contains guidance on flags, travel information and other public services. National mourning will last until the state funeral of the late queen.

The government has announced that there is no obligation to cancel or postpone events (including sports) or to close entertainment venues during this period, leaving the decision up to the organisers.

The organisers prematurely ended the Tour of Britain cycling race before the final three stages, and the PGA Championship golf tournament was suspended immediately. The management of the football Premier League has not yet informed whether it plans to make changes to the schedule of the 7th round, which is scheduled for the weekend.

State funeral of Elizabeth II. will not take place until the tenth day (D-Day + 10) at Westminster Abbey in London. At noon, the entire monarchy will observe two minutes of silence. The Queen will be buried in the Memorial Chapel of King George VI. alongside her husband Prince Philip, who died on April 9, 2021, informs BBC. 

Is the new King Charles popular in Britain?

According to a media expert on Britain, big changes may now occur in the country. While Elizabeth was perceived as a person who was able to unite and guide the family, Charles is not so respected.

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“The royal family does not have a good reputation for change. It is not easy for them to adapt to it. It is already clear that Charles' son William is much more popular than his father. Not to mention Harry and Meghan. It will be interesting to see what kind of tension between the members of the royal family the death of the Queen will bring. In such a large, powerful family, that tension is bound to arise, just as it did a year ago between Meghan, Harry and the rest of the royal family," Murray said in our interview.

The expert expects that in the near future we will not know how popular Charles III is, as no public polls will be conducted out of respect for the queen. It will be a while before we know if the people are happy with Prince Charles as the new king.

What will change in Great Britain with the departure of the Queen?

Banknotes with the portrait of Elizabeth II. remain legal tender according to the Bank of England. According to the institution, news regarding the possible change will be announced in time as soon as the mourning period is over. The Queen was the first monarch to appear on Bank of England banknotes. Over time, they should be replaced in circulation by banknotes with the portrait of the new king.

The wording of the anthem will also change, in which if the monarch is a man, God save the King is sung, and if it is a woman, the verse changes to God save the Queen.

Stamps with the Queen's likeness issued by the Royal Mail also remain valid. However, she will gradually be replaced by the effigy of her son Charles, who became the new monarch at the moment of her death. Since Elizabeth II. has been on the throne for 70 years, many Britons will experience such a change on stamps for the first time in their lives.

The famous British cast-iron red mailboxes, bearing on the front the initials of the monarch during whose reign they were placed, will not be bypassed by the changes either. Those from the time of Elizabeth II. have the inscription EIIR (Elizabeth II Regina, regina is Latin for queen). However, there are still mailboxes in the streets with the letters GVIR, which means George VI Rex, i.e. King George VI. (rex is Latin for king). George VI. he was the father of Elizabeth II.

How can people say goodbye to the queen?

A virtual condolence book has been set up on the official website of the British royal family in memory of the late British Queen Elizabeth II.

People from around the world mourning the British monarch can visit the royal family's website www.royal.uk and leave a link in the virtual condolence book. The website says selected links will later be passed on to members of the royal family, while some may also be stored in the royal archive to be preserved for future generations.

People will probably be able to say goodbye to Elizabeth in person in London, where her body will be on display for three days. Only those invited will be able to attend the official funeral.