La Queen Elizabeth is dead. Charles, Prince of Cornwall is now king. The announcement comes after his doctors had expressed concerns about his state of health, so much so that they called all the members of the royal family at his bedside and the BBC to interrupt the programming of its first channel to broadcast continuous updates on the sovereign, with all journalists dressed in black. Although justified by his age, the news of His Majesty's passing is a blow to the whole UK and not only. Seventy years have passed since the coronation day - the first broadcast on television -, and since that June 2, Elizabeth II's popularity has only increased. In her public role, she experienced first-hand epochal historical changes, such as head of the Windsor family instead he had to manage a somewhat turbulent household, but he did it mostly without flinching and with great aplomb. The firm composure with which she remained on the throne for seven decades has transformed her into a myth, a historical figure that will be talked about for centuries to come. Yet, in all those years, he's only given five addresses to the nation. But you don't need to be part of one of the 15 Commonwealth states to understand that Elizabeth's reign marks and closes a historical period that is impossible to replicate.
To this day, his kingdom is the longest in all of British history, having surpassed the previous record held by his great-great-grandmother Victoria (9 years, 2015 months and 63 days) on 7 September 2. Elizabeth II can boast of having partied the most Jubilees: in 1977 (silver), in 2002 (d'Oro), in 2012 (Diamond) and in 2022 (Platinum).
And to think she shouldn't even have been queen. She wasn't the predestined one. It was a great stroke of "luck" to change history and write her future: when in 1936 her uncle, King Edward VIII, abdicated to marry American multi-divorcee Wallis Simpson, renouncing the crown in favor of his brother, George VI, his father. It was her sudden death on February 6, 1952 from a heart attack, that Elizabeth became queen. However, the coronation only took place the following year, the 2 June 1953.
Queen Elizabeth: a style icon with a great sense of humour
Lover of corgi dogs (she has had more than thirty) and horses, passionate about Agatha Christie and Dick Francis, Queen Elizabeth was also afashion icon over the years, with its unique and inimitable style: among the famous pastel-colored coats and fluorescent shades, the sumptuous hats with floral inserts, the ever-present pearl necklace, the brooches used to send coded messages, the bags by hand to communicate with his staff and the precious jewels that have made his style iconic and absolutely British.
But Queen Elizabeth is not only an austere woman with a conservative spirit, an example of dedication to her role. Her wicked sense of humor has been shown on more than one occasion. Her Majesty's flight in a parachute escorted by James Bond during the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympics. Or the video where he takes a Tea with Paddington Bear – the beloved character from English children's literature created by Michael Bond – during the Platinum Party at the Palace concert.
The long reign of Elizabeth II
The queen of records, she has gone through a century, experiencing many epochal changes, starting with the progressive transformation of the British Empire into the current Commonwealth. Along with the decolonization of Africa and the Caribbean, the cession of Hong Kong to the People's Republic of China represented the dissolution of the power inherited from Edward VII. Elizabeth II was also the last living head of state to have known the Second Word War and the hardships of reconstruction, demonstrating that she knew how to get her hands dirty by enlisting in the Women's Auxiliary Territorial Service, where she worked as a mechanic and truck driver. She to have reigned while Mao was chairman. You have seen the fall of the Berlin Wall, the Cold War, the Gulf War, the attacks of 11/XNUMX. You lived through the pandemic, also defeating the virus.
During his long life he gave charge to ben 15 prime ministers, from Winston Churchill to new prime minister Liz Truss. she met 12 presidents of the United States, hosted as many as 112 heads of state. She met seven popes she was heir to the throne of the Anglo-Indian empire, to then hand it over to Nehru and Indira Gandhi, premier of independent India. She has traveled the world, visiting more than 100 countries, she got on the blue train with Tito to cross the still united Yugoslavia. Somehow she even reached the Moon: Apollo 11 deposited a message from her in 1969.
Scandals and secrets of the royal family
However, not everything went smoothly in the 70-year reign of the queen. Three divorces out of four children, the tragic death of the much loved one Princess Diana (a few days ago the 25th anniversary of his death) and the controversy over Elizabeth's lack of empathy initially shown, up until more recent times: the turbulent events related to the megxit, accompanied by accusations of racism against the royal family, the sad disappearance of Prince Philip of Edinburgh after 73 years of marriage, on 9 April 2021, although marked by a tumultuous start made up of continuous escapades by the prince consort, until the involvement of the Prince Andrew in the Epstein Affair. All during a pandemic and in the emergency caused by Covid-19.
Queen Elizabeth is dead: the "London bridge" plan is underway
"London Bridge is down” (“London Bridge has collapsed”) is the code name of the plan developed since the 60s and updated several times. It is in all respects a plan organized down to the smallest detail, which involves the government, the armed forces, the media, the Church of England, the local police of London and the Royal Parks.
To announce the death of the queen, his personal secretary who contacted the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. Then came a cascading series of calls to inform the cabinet secretary and some of the senior ministers and officials.
After 10 minutes of the news "Queen Elizabeth is dead", the flags of Whitehall they were lowered to half-mast.
Queen Elizabeth is dead: the program of the 10 days until the funeral
From the day "Queen Elizabeth is dead" another 10 will follow before the funeral and burial can take place. These days will be named with the abbreviation D (from "day") + 1, 2, 3 and so on.
D-Day+1: The day after the Queen's death, at 10am, senior government officials, wearing black or dark ties, will gather at St. James' Palace to proclaim Charles the new king. Parliament will meet to agree on a message of condolences. All other parliamentary activities are suspended until the funeral. At 15pm, the prime minister and cabinet will see the new king (but the coronation will take place in three months and his wife Camilla will assume the title of queen consort).
D-Day+2: The Queen's coffin will return to Buckingham Palace.
D-Day+3, D-Day+4 and D-Day+5: In the morning, King Charles will receive a motion of condolence at Westminster Hall. In the afternoon he will embark on a tour of the UK, starting with a visit to the Scottish Parliament and a service at St. Giles' Cathedral in Edinburgh. He will then travel to Northern Ireland, to Hillsborough Castle, and attend a service at St. Anne's Cathedral in Belfast. On the fifth day, Operation Lion will take place, the coffin procession from Buckingham Palace to the Palace of Westminster.
D-Day+6 and D-Day+9: The Queen will lie at the Palace of Westminster for three days. Her coffin, lifted off the ground, will be in the middle of Westminster Hall, which will be open to the public 23 hours a day. A rehearsal for the state funeral procession will take place on D-Day+6. On D-Day+7, King Charles will travel to Wales to receive condolences in the Welsh Parliament and attend a service at Liandaff Cathedral in Cardiff.
D-Day+10: The day of the funeral to be held at Westminster Abbey. There will be a two-minute nationwide silence at noon. The processions will take place in London and Windsor. There will be a funeral service in St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle where the body will be buried.
Following the Gallery with the most important events, or rather those most impressed in the collective memory, of the reign of the longest sovereign that Great Britain has ever had.
