King Charles greets mourners at Buckingham Palace

Death of the Queen:
• The world mourns the peaceful death of Queen Elizabeth II in Balmoral
• King Charles III leads royal tribute – ‘greatest sadness for me’
• New Zealand will hold a national mourning period with planned memorial services
• Jacinda Ardern praises “incredible woman”
• The Ascension of King Charles III – what’s happening now
• Obituary: “Lifetime Loyalty to Duty”
• LISTEN: Mike Hoskin sobbs on stream as news of Queen’s death breaks
• Claire Trevett: A brief but special Balmoral encounter with the Queen

The new king thanked mourners for their well-wishes on arrival at Buckingham Palace, telling a woman: “You’re so kind.”

King Charles III and his wife the Queen met their new subjects for the first time after flying back from Balmoral.

The impromptu meet-and-greet led to the King spending more than 10 minutes lining up along the people who had gathered to welcome him back to London.

Both the king and queen heard cries of “we are so sorry for your loss”.

A mourner from Rutland, Victoria Binkey, 51, grabbed the king’s hand and kissed them, to which His Majesty responded: “You are so kind.”

Binky later explained that she suddenly felt the need to hug the king, which she hadn’t intended to do.

early

King Charles left Balmoral for London and performed his first official duties as king following the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II.

The King will have an audience with British Prime Minister Liz Truss and a pre-recorded televised address to the nation, which will be broadcast around 5am (NZ time).

This is likely to be an emotional speech after the Queen’s death. She died peacefully at her bedside with Charles and Princess Anne as other family members rushed towards Balmoral in vain, according to British media.

Senior royals rushed to the Queen’s side after doctors shared the tragic news that she had only a few hours left, The Sun reported.

According to the Daily Mail, Prince Andrew, Prince William, Prince Edward and his wife Sophie flew to Aberdeen by private jet (NZT) overnight, but did not reach the royal estate before Her Majesty’s death.

Meanwhile, Prince Harry arrived at 8pm (7am NZST on Friday) after the royal family announced the heartbreaking news of the 96-year-old’s passing to the public. He was pictured leaving Balmoral on Friday night (NZ time) after a night of mourning with his father and brother.

After the blog live, the story continues:

The story continues:

The Queen’s death marked the end of her historic reign – which sparked worldwide grief.

Buckingham Palace has confirmed in a somber statement that Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-reigning monarch in British history, has died – making her son Charles king.

Buckingham Palace announced in a statement: “The Queen passed away peacefully in Balmoral yesterday afternoon. The King and Queen Consort will remain in Balmoral tonight and will return to London tomorrow.”

Thousands of Britons took to the streets to pay their respects to the monarch in mourning for her passing, leaving flowers and gathering in her memory.

A tearful crowd stormed the God Save King outside Buckingham Palace when the death was announced yesterday.

This morning (NZT) Charles, who will now be known as King Charles III, made a solemn statement as he led the nation in mourning.

The new king said: “The passing of my beloved mother, Her Majesty the Queen, is the saddest time for me and all members of my family.

“We deeply mourn the passing of a beloved monarch and a much-loved mother. I know her loss will be deeply felt by the entire country, kingdom and Commonwealth, and countless others around the world.

“During this time of mourning and change, my family and I will be comforted and supported by our extensive respect and affectionate understanding of the Queen.”

British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who was formally appointed by the Queen two days ago, said the Queen’s death was “a huge shock to the country and the world”.

She added: “God bless the king”.

Operation London Bridge is underway

Operation London Bridge is the code name for the covert operation crafted for The Queen’s Death. (Since the 1960s, when the Queen died, a plan had been drawn up.)

It covers everything from what will happen to her body to how New Zealand and Australia will be involved.

In 2017, The Guardian published a detailed story detailing what happens when the UK and the world grapple with the loss of a figure who is almost universally admired.

London Bridge collapses

One of the first things that happened after the Queen was pronounced dead was that her private secretary contacted the new Prime Minister, Liz Truss. The message was further forwarded on secure lines with the coded message “London Bridge has collapsed”.

The wider world is discovered in many ways.

First, the Press Association issued a news flash alerting the world media. Buckingham Palace also announced his death on social media.

When the news was made public, it was like 5.30am NZT on Friday when the TV presenter donned a black tie and costume and aired a pre-prepared obituary. The pilot is expected to announce her death to passengers on any plane flying at the time.

An attendant dressed in black walked out of Buckingham Palace and posted a black-bordered notice on the gate.

According to the Guardian, Leverton & Sons is the royal funeral home and has prepared the “first coffin” for the royal emergency. The Queen is in Balmoral, Scotland, so her body will be brought back to London by royal train.

The upper and lower houses of parliament will meet as soon as possible, and national and Commonwealth flags have been lowered.

Any royals travelling on business or abroad are expected to return as soon as possible. It is for this reason that they are always asked to travel with a black ensemble.

before the funeral

The Duke of Norfolk has been in charge of royal funerals since 1672, so the 18th Earl of Norfolk will be in charge. (To this end, they have a permanent office at St James’s Palace.)

During a 10-day mourning period, the Queen’s coffin will be buried in Westminster Abbey, with 23 hours a day of public mourning, before she will receive a full state funeral led by the Archbishop of Canterbury.

In preparation, 10 coffins will practice carrying her coffin, as members of the royal family are buried in lead-lined coffins.

funeral day

The funeral will take place at Westminster Abbey on the ninth day after her death, according to the Guardian.

Leaders and heads of state of the Commonwealth and other countries will be in attendance, and the public is likely to line up in the funeral procession.

The day of the Queen’s funeral is likely to become a national holiday and the London Stock Exchange (and most UK banks) will be closed, costing the economy billions of pounds.

On the morning of the funeral, Big Ben’s hammer will be covered in leather so its famous tone is suppressed, and a 41-gun salute will be fired in Hyde Park.

Once the service starts, across London’s Underground, broadcasts will stop and buses will pull to the side of the road.

Finally, the Queen will be buried with 10 former monarchs in a tomb at St George’s Chapel inside Windsor Castle. Her husband, who died in April 2021, will be transferred to her from his original resting place, the royal vault at St George’s Chapel.

King Charles III

The day after the Queen’s death, the Ascension Council will meet at St James’s Palace and Charles will be proclaimed King at 11am. (The Australian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom will observe the Ascension Council.) That evening Parliament will meet to swear allegiance to the new monarch.

The Duchess of Cornwall will officially become Queen Camilla.

On her 70th anniversary, the Queen said: “When my son Charles becomes king, I know you will give him and his wife Camilla the same support you have given me; I sincerely hope that by then, Camilla will be known as Queen, continuing her own loyal service.”

At the time, Charles said he and Camilla were “well aware of the honor my mother’s wishes represented”.

Prince of New Wales

Prince William, as heir to the throne, will inherit the title of Prince of Wales. At a later stage, he will participate in a lavish ceremony, as Charles did in 1969.

huge price tag

Her Majesty’s funeral and Charles’ coronation will both be national holidays. It is estimated that two days of lost productivity will cost the UK between $210 and $10.8 billion.

What will happen to New Zealand and Australia

Essentially, a lot of symbolic gestures. The Prime Ministers will speak (probably drafted and on standby), the Wehrmacht will see several salutes and flags will be flown at half-staff. The Prime Minister and the Governor-General of each country are likely to travel to London for the funeral.

The role of Commonwealth head is not hereditary, but at a Commonwealth Heads of Government “retreat” at Windsor Castle in 2018, it was decided that Charles would be the next head.