Disruptions and high hotel prices: What to know if visiting London for Queen Elizabeth II events

Sep 13, 2022 • 6 min read

LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 13:  Members of the public visit the flowers in Green Park in memory of Queen Elizabeth II on September 13, 2022 in London, England. Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor was born in Bruton Street, Mayfair, London on 21 April 1926. She married Prince Philip in 1947 and acceded to the throne of the United Kingdom and Commonwealth on 6 February 1952 after the death of her Father, King George VI. Queen Elizabeth II died at Balmoral Castle in Scotland on September 8, 2022, and is succeeded by her eldest son, King Charles III. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)

Mourners gather in Green Park, London on Tuesday to commemorate Queen Elizabeth II © Getty Images

London is set to become increasingly busy over the next week as people travel to see Queen Elizabeth II lying in state at Westminster Hall and take part in public gatherings and official ceremonies. There are already reports of hotel price surges, transport delays, and event cancelations with visitors urged to plan ahead before traveling to the capital.

If you are one of those people or you happen to find yourself in London, or indeed the UK, during this historic time, here's what you need to know.

Is it easy to find accommodation?

London is expecting "unprecedented travel demand" starting Wednesday, September 14 as more than one million people are expected to make their way to the capital for the official ceremonies. If you haven't yet secured accommodation, expect to pay steep prices for a room. According to the Guardian , prices are at their highest since the 2012 Olympics with some hotels increasing them by more than 300%. 

Are museums, restaurants, and shops open?

The UK is in a 10-day period of national mourning that will end on September 19 but it will be business as usual for most places over the next few days with a statement from the government confirming that "there is no obligation on organizations to suspend business". That said, it's a good idea to check ahead to make sure that opening times haven't changed, especially when visiting a museum or cultural establishment. The Royal Collection Trust, which manages royal estates and attractions, has closed all six of its sites for the duration of the mourning period, while  Westminster Abbey is closed to tourists until September 21. 

You'll find that the country comes to a standstill on Monday, September 19 - the day the state funeral takes place with widespread business shutdowns including some supermarkets and holiday resorts like Center Parcs. Even the National Health Service (NHS) is canceling appointments on the day.

King Charles III, right and Camilla, Queen Consort, look at floral tributes, on the first day of public mourning following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, outside Buckingham Palace in London, UK

Will events be canceled?

Yes. If you are traveling to the UK for a particular event that's not connected to the queen's passing, your plans will probably go awry. All major sporting events will be canceled on the weekend of September 17 and 18. And any major events, including film festivals and Pride celebrations, have been scaled back or canceled outright.

Again, it's a good idea to confirm that plans haven't changed before going anywhere as it's likely schedules will continue to change over the coming days.

Will trains run? Can I expect transport disruptions?

You'll likely encounter transport disruptions across the UK but particularly in London and Edinburgh where much of the official ceremonial arrangements are taking place. In London, access to some areas in the city center will be restricted as people travel to Buckingham Palace to commemorate the queen. "We expect large crowds, which can pose risks to public safety," the government said in an earlier statement.

Planned industrial action across rail networks has been canceled for September but expect train and bus schedules to be impacted throughout the mourning period. Planning journeys in advance "will be essential," according to a joint statement released on Tuesday from Network Rail and Transport for London. London, they said, will be "exceptionally busy" and Tube stations could temporarily close to avoid overcrowding.

"We will see unprecedented travel demand in the capital, especially from Wednesday, September 14," the statement from the rail companies reads. "Transport providers have well-developed plans with extra staff and services coming on-stream to help people get to where they need to be."

London Underground passengers are asked to avoid Green Park station, the nearest one to Buckingham Palace due to "high numbers of customers passing through and try other nearby options including Victoria, Piccadilly Circus, and St James’ Park.

Airports and flight schedules shouldn't be impacted, but trains and busses to London's airports may suffer delays and overcrowding.

Well-wishers gather outside Buckingham Palace

How can I take part in commemorations?

The state funeral is taking place at Westminster Abbey in London on the 10th day of mourning, that is Monday, September 19. But beforehand, people have an opportunity to commemorate the queen at various events and gatherings across the UK.

How to attend the queen's lying in state at Westminster Hall, London

On Tuesday evening the queen's coffin is set to be flown to London, where it will be taken first to her former home at Buckingham Palace . It is expected that the coffin will be taken in a procession on a gun carriage on Wednesday from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall , the oldest building at the Houses of Parliament, where it will lie in state for five days, until the nation holds a minute's silence on Sunday, September 18 at 8pm.

All roads in central London are expected to close to traffic for the public to stand along the route. The Hall will be open to the public for 24 hours each day, with over three-quarters of a million visitors expected to file past the coffin which will be closed and placed on top of a raised platform known as a catafalque.

First Day Of Mourning Following The Death Of Queen Elizabeth II

The British government issued guidance for anyone planning to go to parliament: "You will need to stand for many hours, possibly overnight, as the queue will keep moving." People have been told to reconsider bringing young children given the long waiting times expected and to pack food and drink and any medication they may need. 

Attendees will need to pass through airport-like security screening before entering Westminster Hall, so no liquids will be permitted through. Once inside photography is banned and those wishing to attend have been told to dress appropriately, anyone wearing clothes that are heavily marked with branding or marketing messages will not be allowed entry. Larger bags can be left at the bag-drop facility but capacity is limited.

Details on the state funeral will be released "in due course".

Where can I leave flowers?

Buckingham Palace has become a focal point for people to congregate since her passing. Any flowers left at the Palace gates are being moved to nearby Hyde Park and the Green Park Floral Tribute Garden, which is also becoming a gathering point for visitors. 

What about the coronation of King Charles?

That event won't happen for another few months. It probably won't even happen this year. Queen Elizabeth II's coronation took place 16 months after her accession in 1953, so her son's coronation will likely take some time. Details haven't been made public yet but it's likely, despite the current cost of living crisis, it will be a major event with plenty of pomp, pageantry, and anachronistic traditions.

How do I approach discussing the queen with people in the UK?

While there's no universality of sentiment in the UK - as even a cursory scan of the polarised world of social media will reveal - this is going to be an extraordinary few days to be in the United Kingdom. People will be going into new shared experiences and visitors will be a part of something unique. Expect wall-to-wall media coverage of funeral arrangements, and pundits discussing the queen's legacy and what the future has in store for the monarchy.

Bear in mind that the royal family is a symbol of many things in today's UK - tradition, privilege and, of course, colonialism. When talking to people there's no need to shy away from the queen's death but on the other hand, no one will expect to be offered sympathy. Meanwhile, away from royal honeypots like Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle which will be busy and strewn with floral tributes, Brits will be (mostly) keeping calm and carrying on. Away from grappling with constitutional questions, most people are more worried about energy bills and inflation.

This article was first published September 2022 and updated September 2022

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How will UK and London travel be affected by the Queen’s funeral?

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The death of Queen Elizabeth II and the accession of King Charles III have no parallel in modern times for the UK.

The Queen’s funeral on 19 September will see disruption across a wide range of transport.

These are the key questions and answers.

Where will travel be most affected?

Central London. Her Majesty is lying in state in Westminster Hall at the Palace of Westminster in central London until 6.30am on Monday 19 September.

Parts of central London are closed to normal traffic, with many bus routes curtailed. While the Tube is running normally, some station access points are closed.

On the afternoon of the funeral, there will be extensive road closures between central London and Windsor.

Air traffic restrictions will be in place at Heathrow ; normally flights arrive over central London and take off over Windsor, where the Queen will be interred. Around 200 flights have been cancelled to and from Heathrow Airport as a result .

What’s happening on the railways?

Despite Monday being a bank holiday, a normal full weekday train service is being provided. Cheaper off-peak fares are available all day.

Several rail operators are laying on extra services , including some through Monday night, to allow as many people as possible to travel to the capital to pay their respects.

LNER, which runs trains on the East Coast main line from Scotland, north-east England and Yorkshire to London, said: “Our services and London will be much busier than usual. We encourage everyone to plan ahead and ensure you have a seat reservation before travel.”

The time when crowds are expected to be at their largest at stations is on Monday afternoon, when leaving London after the funeral. Passengers who delay their journey home are likely to experience a more comfortable journey.

GWR, which runs trains from South Wales and the West of England to London Paddington, has added an hourly link from the capital to Swindon, Bath and Bristol on Monday night/Tuesday morning.

East Midlands Railway has the same same plan from London St Pancras to Leicester and Derby.

“Welfare trains” are being provided overnight at stations including London Marylebone, St Pancras and King’s Cross: empty trains parked at platforms to allow people to rest comfortably, with refreshment facilities nearby. No tickets are required.

What about public transport in London?

Transport for London (TfL) is warning of “unprecedented travel demand in the capital”.

On Saturday six Tube staions experienced passenger numbers well in excess of the corresponding day in 2019: Bermondsey (the closest to Southwark Park, where the queue for paying respects at the lying-in-state begins), Charing Cross, Green Park, Hyde Park Corner, St James’s Park and Westminster.

Travellers and commuters in London have been asked to avoid Green Park Tube station, the closest to Buckingham Palace, walking instead from other nearby stations such as Victoria or Piccadilly Circus.

Green Park, the closest Tube stop to Buckingham Palace, will be exit and interchange only on Monday and Tuesday, 19 and 20 September, between the hours of 10am and 8pm.

St James’ Park, Westminster and Hyde Park Corner stations will be closed “for much of Monday morning” to prevent overcrowding.

Meanwhile, the Elizabeth line will run a special service with 12 trains per hour on its central London section (Paddington-Abbey Wood) during Sunday 18 September; normally it is closed on Sundays.

Buses serving central London are widely disrupted, usually starting and ending their journeys outside the Westminster area.

Walking and cycling in the Westminster area is heavily restricted, and most journeys are taking two or three times longer than usual.

I have a flight booked over the next few days. Will it operate?

Many flights to and from Heathrow on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday have been cancelled.

There will be a general ban on flying over central London during the Queen’s funeral. On a normal day aircraft come in to land at Heathrow just to the south of Westminster, creating a significant amount of noise.

The airport is telling passengers: “As a mark of respect for the solemnity of this sad and unique occasion, operations at the airport will be subject to alterations to avoid noise disturbance during the state funeral.

  • 1140 - 1210: no aircraft movements to support the two-minute silence at the conclusion of Her Majesty’s funeral
  • 1345 - 1420: no arrivals to support the procession of Her Majesty’s hearse
  • 1505 - 1645: no departures to support the ceremonial procession via the Long Walk to Windsor Castle
  • 1645 - 2100: we will operate a reduced departure rate to support the committal service at St George’s Chapel”

British Airways has cancelled 100 flights to and from Heathrow on Monday ; it says these are 50 round-trips on short-haul routes which have plenty of departures from the UK.

Around 100 other Heathrow services are cancelled between Sunday and Tuesday; Virgin Atlantic has cancelled or re-timed four flights, while Aer Lingus has grounded eight flights between the UK and Ireland or Northern Ireland.

United Airlines has cancelled Sunday night flights from Boston, Chicago, Denver, New York and San Francisco, due to arrive on Monday.

Other long-haul cancellations include Etihad from and to Abu Dhabi and Kenya Airways from and to Nairobi.

Some flights will be delayed to avoid the spells of closure. For example, the American Airlines flight 81 from Heathrow to Dallas-Fort Worth is due to leave at 5pm, almost two hours late.

A spokesperson for London City airport said: “During the state funeral, London City flights will not fly over Westminster out of respect for the funeral service for Her Majesty the Queen.

“We are working closely with our airlines to operate a normal schedule on the day and if there are any changes to flight times, passengers will be notified by their airlines.”

Disruption is not expected at other London airports – though the departure of heads-of-state flights from Stansted, particular US Air Force One carrying President Biden, could cause some delays.

There will be changes to some flights on Glasgow-based Loganair . The carrier says: “As a mark of respect, we are working with our airport and service partners to ensure we have no scheduled flying during the funeral itself.

“This is to allow our staff the option of being able to watch the state funeral and for Loganair as a team to demonstrate our deep respect to Her Majesty.”

What about coach travel?

Both National Express and Megabus have laid on extra coaches to meet a surge in demand for people wanting to travel to and from London for the state funeral.

On the day of the funeral Victoria Coach Station (VCS) will be closed from 2am on Monday because of its proximity to the funeral in Westminster Abbey.

The last National Express arrival into VCS on Sunday night/Monday morning is from Weymouth at 12.20am, and the last departure is to Weston-super-Mare at 1am. These will also be the first arrivals and departures at VCS when operations resume shortly after midnight on Tuesday morning.

During the closure of the central London hub, almost all National Express services will move to Wembley Stadium, northwest of central London. Departures will be from the green car park; arrivals into pink car park.

Links from Dover and Ramsgate will start and end at Stratford in east London, while airport services – the A1 to Luton and A6 to Stansted – will serve Baker Street.

Timings will remain the same as printed on tickets.

Megabus services will operate to and from Hillingdon Underground station, five miles north of Heathrow airport . The company says: “Customers will then need to use either the London Underground Uxbridge branch of the Metropolitan or Piccadilly lines or the Oxford Tube coach service which departs from Hillingdon for onwards travel into central London.”

The last Megabus arrival into VCS on Sunday night is 10pm, with later arrivals that evening dropping off at Baker Street.

Normal operations will resume on Tuesday morning.

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'Operation London Bridge' maps out the 10 days after Queen Elizabeth's death

Bill Chappell

london travel queen death

Members of the public leave floral tributes at the Cambridge Gate, the entrance to the grounds of Windsor Castle, on Friday, after Queen Elizabeth II died at the age of 96. Adrian Dennis/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

Members of the public leave floral tributes at the Cambridge Gate, the entrance to the grounds of Windsor Castle, on Friday, after Queen Elizabeth II died at the age of 96.

Queen Elizabeth II is being mourned by her family, fans and admirers. In Britain, her death at age 96 has thrown a state apparatus into motion that has sat idle for 70 years — since Elizabeth's father, King George VI, died in 1952.

The British government dubbed the intricate protocol of handling Elizabeth's death "Operation London Bridge." It ranges from succession rules to the process of bringing the queen's coffin from Balmoral Castle in Scotland to London.

Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-serving British monarch, has died at 96

Queen Elizabeth II dies at 96, surrounded by the royal family at Balmoral estate

The London Bridge plans were leaked to Politico last fall. Some of the details may have changed since then — but using them as a guide, here's a brief look at what the documents say will happen in the first 10 days after the end of the queen's record-setting reign:

Day Zero (Sept. 8)

The royal household notifies the public of the queen's death. Prince Charles immediately succeeds to the throne upon his mother's death. He will be known as King Charles III. His wife, Camilla, becomes queen consort. The couple stay at Balmoral overnight.

Flags fly at half-staff across the British government, and will remain so until 8 a.m. on the morning after the queen's funeral. Charles issues a brief statement , as does U.K. Prime Minister Liz Truss .

Numerous commemorations are planned, from moments of silence to military gun salutes and remembrances in honor of Elizabeth.

The royal family posts an online Book of Condolence on its website.

Day 1 (Sept. 9)

The king announced a period of royal mourning, to be observed until seven days after the queen's funeral on Monday, Sept. 19.

Two 96-round gun salutes honoring the queen — one round for each year of her life — were fired at 1 p.m. local time Friday in London, in Hyde Park and at the Tower of London.

london travel queen death

Members of the Honourable Artillery Company prepare for a 96-gun salute to the late Queen Elizabeth II at Tower Bridge in London. The tribute is one of dozens of events planned to mark the monarch's death. Eamonn M. McCormack/Getty Images hide caption

Members of the Honourable Artillery Company prepare for a 96-gun salute to the late Queen Elizabeth II at Tower Bridge in London. The tribute is one of dozens of events planned to mark the monarch's death.

Both houses of Parliament delay their start until noon, when they observe a moment of silence for the late queen. Members then begin delivering tributes , with proceedings expected to run until about 10 p.m.

St. Paul's Cathedral holds a service of prayer and reflection for Elizabeth, starting at 6 p.m. local time. The service is open to up to 2,000 members of the public and is streamed online.

On Saturday morning, the Accession Council met at St. James's Palace in London, where it formally declared Elizabeth's death and proclaimed the new sovereign's accession to the throne . Charles then read and signed a centuries-old oath to uphold the security of the Church in Scotland and ensure continuity of government.

On the same day, senior members of Parliament took an oath of allegiance to King Charles III. The two houses continued their tributes and framed a message of condolence to the king.

Meanwhile, in Scotland, a procession will transport the queen's coffin from the Palace of Holyroodhouse to St. Giles' Cathedral in Edinburgh on Monday, Sept. 12. The king and other members of the royal family will take part in the procession and attend a service at the cathedral, after which the public will be able to pay their respects.

On Tuesday, the Royal Air Force will transport Elizabeth's body from Scotland to London.

On Wednesday, a ceremonial procession by the King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery will accompany her coffin from Buckingham Palace to Westminster. There, the Archbishop of Canterbury will conduct a short ceremony, after which she will lie in state at Westminster Hall for several days. The public will be able to visit for 23 hours of each day.

As final funeral preparations are being made in London, Charles will travel to Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales, visiting leaders in the United Kingdom.

Day 11 (Sept. 19)

On Monday, Sept. 19, a state funeral service will be held at Westminster Abbey, triggering an observance of two minutes' silence in the U.K. World leaders, including President Biden, are expected to attend. Immediately after the service, another procession will take place from Westminster to Wellington Arch in Hyde Park.

Prince Philip Is Memorialized In An Intimate Funeral Ceremony

Prince Philip Is Memorialized In An Intimate Funeral Ceremony

Afterward, her coffin will be transported to Windsor Castle, where a final service will be held in St. George's Chapel. Finally, the queen will be buried on the castle grounds next to her husband, Prince Philip, who died in April 2021 .

Watch CBS News

King Charles III returns to London amid outpouring of grief and thanks for Queen Elizabeth II

  • https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/queen-elizabeth-ii-dies-age-96-royal-family-mourning/ link copied

By Tucker Reals , Haley Ott

Updated on: September 9, 2022 / 11:38 PM EDT / CBS News

London — People in Britain and its commonwealth nations woke up on Friday with a new monarch for the first time in most of their lives. King Charles III returned to London from Scotland to meet the prime minister and address the British people for the first time as their monarch. 

Buckingham Palace announced that Charles had requested a formal "period of Royal Mourning" for his mother,  Queen Elizabeth II , who died on Thursday after a record 70-year reign. The U.K.'s longest-reigning monarch , one of the world's most enduring and instantly recognizable personalities, died at her beloved summer home in Scotland, Balmoral Castle, at the age of 96. 

The following week and a half will see a meticulously orchestrated process of both mourning and constitutional transition play out across Great Britain. It will be colored by the grief of a grateful nation mourning a queen with whom many felt a deep connection.  

Tributes continued to pour in from leaders, dignitaries and celebrities from across the globe Friday as thousands of people flocked to Buckingham Palace and the queen's other homes to lay flowers and notes of thanks for Elizabeth's lifetime of dedication and service. King Charles showed up with his wife, Queen Consort Camilla, to shake the hands of well-wishers in front of Buckingham Palace.

Follow the latest developments below, as a new era dawns in Great Britain.

The world pays respects to Queen Elizabeth II

British public pays tribute to Queen Elizabeth

  • https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/queen-elizabeth-ii-dies-age-96-royal-family-mourning/#post-update-0cbb4a91 link copied

Mothers bring daughters to honor Queen Elizabeth II

As we walked through the crowds at Buckingham Palace, we couldn't but notice the mothers and daughters who came to honor the only monarch many of them have ever known.

"It's a great inspiration for me, for my child," one mother told CBS News about what it meant to have a woman reign for so long.Other women also brought their daughters to lay flowers.

"When we found the news out yesterday, the little ones were uncontrollably crying," a mother said. "A great loss. And obviously, even in their generation, in their lifetime, we're probably never going to see a queen again."

"It's like someone that's always been there, like a grandma," another mother said, adding that the message for all the girls in her family is "that anything's possible, isn't it?"

Queen Elizabeth was not just a monarch but a matriarch for the United Kingdom. She was a source of strength and inspiration for many of the women at Buckingham Palace on Friday.

  • https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/queen-elizabeth-ii-dies-age-96-royal-family-mourning/#post-update-9317404c link copied

Former royal aide on how roles of King Charles, Prince William and Princess Kate will change

The former communications director for then-Prince Charles thinks the now king will carry on the passion he had for certain issues as he takes the throne.

In an interview with "CBS Evening News" anchor and managing editor Norah O'Donnell on Friday, Julian Payne, who is also a CBS News contributor, said King Charles could have spent the last few decades doing very little, but he chose to campaign "for the things he was passionate about."

"I absolutely am certain that he will take the spirit of that into the monarchy now as king," Payne said.

Payne said the king has "always been a modernizer," explaining that Charles put "a recycling bin in Buckingham Palace in the early 1980s and got everybody recycling their bottles."

"This is not somebody who has sat on tradition and never, never changed," he said. "He actually is always, always pushing forward."

O'Donnell also asked Payne how the roles of Prince William and his wife, Kate, will change. They became the prince and princess of Wales.

"That is quite a powerful moniker to carry. What I think you'll see, is they will naturally follow into that role as people that are putting philanthropy at the heart of their work," Payne said. "But I think what you can expect is for that work really to kick up a notch. And also, don't forget the prince of Wales, now as he is, he also has the Duchy of Cornwall to look after. This is the estate which brings in the revenue that pays for the prince of Wales and his family. So that's a huge job as well."

  • https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/queen-elizabeth-ii-dies-age-96-royal-family-mourning/#post-update-80d24eb9 link copied

Elton John pays tribute to Queen at his final Toronto show

Elton John paid tribute to Queen Elizabeth II at his final concert in Toronto on Thursday night, saying he was inspired by her and is sad she is gone.

"She led the country through some of our greatest and darkest moments with grace and decency and genuine caring," John said.

Queen Elizabeth II Elton John

"I'm 75 and she's been with with me all my life and I feel very sad that that she won't be with me anymore, but I'm glad she's at peace," he said. "I'm glad she's at rest and she deserves it. She worked bloody hard."

The singer-songwriter then performed his 1974 track "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me."

  • https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/queen-elizabeth-ii-dies-age-96-royal-family-mourning/#post-update-0fbef51a link copied

Charles: Queen's death is "the moment I've been dreading"

King Charles III told British Prime Minister Liz Truss Friday that the death of his mother was a moment he's been "dreading" but said he had to "keep everything going."

"It has been so touching. ... All those people, come to give their condolences," he told Truss during their meeting.

"It's the moment I've been dreading, as I know a lot of people have," he added, referring to his mother's death. "But you try and keep everything going."

Read more here

  • https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/queen-elizabeth-ii-dies-age-96-royal-family-mourning/#post-update-dd3fe45d link copied

5 things to know about Queen Elizabeth II's wealth

The  passing of Queen Elizabeth II  involves not only the  transfer of the crown  to King Charles III but also a shift of her personal wealth and the ownership in trust of a massive portfolio of assets that range from iconic castles to the Crown Jewels.

  • https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/queen-elizabeth-ii-dies-age-96-royal-family-mourning/#post-update-6a06310b link copied

Charles meets with Prime Minister Liz Truss

The royal family posted a picture of King Charles III holding an audience with new Prime Minister Liz Truss on Friday.

This afternoon, The King held an Audience at Buckingham Palace with the Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. Liz Truss MP. pic.twitter.com/G3h0ALT6It — The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) September 9, 2022

Earlier this week, Truss met with Queen Elizabeth II to be officially appointed as Boris Johnson 's successor after she was selected to lead the British government.

  • https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/queen-elizabeth-ii-dies-age-96-royal-family-mourning/#post-update-948de6f2 link copied

Charles expresses love for Harry and Meghan in address

King Charles III expressed love for his son Prince Harry and Harry's wife Meghan in his address Friday.

He wished the couple well "as they continue to build their lives overseas."

Meghan, 41, and Harry, 37, have been in a tense relationship with Britain's royal family since they stepped away from royal duties and left the U.K. in early 2020, citing what they said were the unbearable intrusions and racist attitudes of the British media.

  • https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/queen-elizabeth-ii-dies-age-96-royal-family-mourning/#post-update-3afb7b21 link copied

Biden says he'll attend Queen Elizabeth II's funeral

President Biden on Friday said he'll be going to the funeral of  Queen Elizabeth II  whenever it takes place.

"Yes," Mr. Biden said, asked by a reporter in Ohio if he'll attend the funeral. "I don't know what the details are yet, but I'll be going."

  • https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/queen-elizabeth-ii-dies-age-96-royal-family-mourning/#post-update-e520da76 link copied

Charles: "My beloved mother was an inspiration"

In his address Friday, King Charles III called Queen Elizabeth II "an inspiration."

"Throughout her life, Her Majesty the Queen, my beloved mother, was an inspiration, an example to me and to all my family, and we owe her the most heartfelt debt any family could owe to their mother," Charles said.

He paid tribute to his mother's dedication to her country.

"That promise of lifelong service I renew to you all today," Charles said.

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Charles names William and Kate "our new Prince and Princess of Wales"

During his first address to the British people since the death of Queen Elizabeth II, King Charles III named his son Prince William and William's wife Kate "our new Prince and Princess of Wales."

The king said they "will, I know, continue to inspire and lead our national conversations, helping to bring the marginal to the center ground, where vital help can be given."

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"She loved America, and we loved her"

Jane Hartley, the U.S. ambassador to the U.K., told "CBS Mornings" that there was no closer ally to the United States than Queen Elizabeth II.

"I think she loved America, and we loved her. When I first arrived, it was right before the  Platinum Jubilee , and I was amazed at the number of people on the street that just adored her. And there was so much respect. But there were many, many Americans there," Hartley said.

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Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip's seven-decade love story

Queen Elizabeth II spent her entire 70-year reign at the helm of Britain's royal family with her longtime love Prince Philip by her side. Their story began when they were just children and lasted until April 9, 2021, the day Philip died.   

Click here for a look back at the couple's remarkable royal love story. 

Queen & Duke of Edinburgh Diamond Wedding Anniversary

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Harry and Meghan's children Archie and Lillibet are now a prince and princess

Archie and Lillibet, the children of Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, have become a prince and princess after the passing of Queen Elizabeth II.

When they were born, the two children were too far down the line of succession to be given those titles under rules set out by King George V in 1917. 

Britain Prince Harry

Archie was given the title Earl of Dumbarton when he was born. He could have had the title of "Lord," but his parents chose for him to be called "Master Archie" instead, according to Buckingham Palace.

It is possible for King Charles III, the new monarch, to change the rules to take the His and Her Royal Highness (HRH), the prince and princess titles, away from his grandchildren, but veteran royal correspondent and CBS News contributor Roya Nikkhah said it was unlikely he would do so.

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"The Crown" pauses production "as a mark of respect" for queen

" The Crown ," Netflix's acclaimed series about Queen Elizabeth II and her family, has paused production due to the monarch's death. A spokesperson for the series said production was paused on Friday "as a mark of respect" and will also be suspended on the day of the queen's funeral. 

The show, which has won 22 Emmy Awards so far, is in production on its sixth season. Its first two seasons focused on the early years after the queen ascended to the throne and has gradually moved closer to current events. 

Its fifth season, with Imelda Staunton playing the queen, will premiere later this year.  

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Somber Scottish capital prepares to receive queen's coffin

Sadness, drizzle and a strange frisson filled the Edinburgh air as the Scottish capital prepared to receive the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II this weekend. The monarch died at her Scottish Balmoral estate Thursday and the coffin's arrival in Edinburgh will be the first stage on its journey to a state funeral in London.

Against a damp wall at Holyroodhouse, the royal palace in Edinburgh, the mass of flowers continued to grow. Gary Millar, a 45-year-old technician, added a bouquet to the pile that started to build when news broke of the queen's death.

Scottish Daily Politics

Millar had arrived early in the morning to show his "respects" and "to honour the lady."

"She honoured us her whole reign by doing her duty and I think it's time that the public gave that back a little," he said, his voice tight with emotion.

BRITAIN-ROYALS-QUEEN-DEATH

In Scotland, led by a government that wants independence from the United Kingdom, the queen is much more popular than the monarchy itself. For Millar, the late sovereign "held the country together."

"She was the figurehead of our union of Great Britain. She's been around all my life," he continued, praising her "hard work" and "dedication."

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King Charles and Camilla greet well-wishers at Buckingham Palace

King Charles III and his wife Camilla, the queen consort, arrived at Buckingham Palace in central London on Friday and greeted crowds gathered outside the palace gates.

Britain Queen

The new king flew back to London from Scotland just after 1:30 p.m. local time (8:30 a.m. Eastern).

King Charles was due to meet the U.K.'s new Prime Minister Liz Truss later in the day, and deliver his first message to the nation as its monarch early in the evening.  

Britain Queen

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Accession Council for new King Charles III to be televised for 1st time ever

Clarence House, the former home and official office of Britain's new King Charles III, said Friday that the centuries-old ceremony by which the U.K. government will formally recognize his reign would be televised.

The broadcast of the two-part Accession Council , which will take place on Saturday at St. James's Palace in London, will be a first. The Council has been convened for British governments to formally acknowledge new monarchs for around 1,000 years. It is the oldest part of Britain's government.

The process comes in two parts, the first of which takes place without the new king, as "Privy Counsellors" and a bevy of other dignitaries "formally announce the death of the Monarch and proclaim the succession of the new Sovereign."

Charles will then join the council along with his wife, Queen Consort Camilla, and his son and heir, Prince William, who are also members, to attend his first session of the gathering and to declare his support for the British constitution and the Church of Scotland, of which the monarch is the official head. 

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French president: "To you, she was your Queen. To us, she was THE Queen."

French President Emmanuel Macron expressed "deep sadness" and a sense of "emptiness" after the passing of the monarch and praised her "great affection for France."

Macron said in a video message that the queen mastered "our language, loved our culture and touched our hearts."

Macron described her as a "great head of state," and said that with her, Britain and France share "a warm, sincere and loyal partnership."

To you, she was your Queen. To us, she was The Queen. She will be with all of us forever. pic.twitter.com/PaL1DRmlHK — Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) September 9, 2022

Speaking in English, the French president said: "To you, she was your Queen. To us, she was THE Queen."

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U.K. leader lauds queen as "rock on which modern Britain was built" as MPs pay tribute

Members of the United Kingdom's parliament gathered in the House of Commons on Friday to pay tribute to Queen Elizabeth II. Prime Minister Liz Truss called the queen, who died the previous day at the age of 96, "the rock on which modern Britain was built," and "one of the greatest leaders the world has ever known."

"We remember the pledge she gave on her 21st birthday to dedicate her life to service," Truss said. "The whole house will agree, never has a promise been so completely fulfilled."

"She was the rock on which modern Britain was built" UK Prime Minister Liz Truss pays tribute to Queen Elizabeth II, calling her "one of the greatest leaders the world has ever known" https://t.co/dhbqfe9lNu pic.twitter.com/Qxfslt3ZRW — BBC News (UK) (@BBCNews) September 9, 2022

"As the longest-serving monarch this country has known she would have been assured of a notable entry in our history books even if it were not for the magnificence in which she undertook the role as Queen," the speaker of the House of Commons, Lindsay Hoyle, said.

"She was the most devoted monarch. As well as Queen, she was a wife, a mother, a grandmother and great grandmother — roles she carried out with the same sense of occasion and human kindness as the role of Queen," Hoyle said.

The tributes on the floor of the House of Commons were expected to continue until about 10 p.m. local time.

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Nelson Mandela Foundation reflects on his close bond with the queen

Nelson Mandela was on first-name basis with Queen Elizabeth II, a rare privilege contravening royal etiquette, the late anti-apartheid hero's foundation said Friday, sharing anecdotes of their fond relationship.  

"By his own admission, Nelson Mandela was an anglophile, and in the years after his release from prison cultivated a close relationship with the Queen," the Nelson Mandela Foundation wrote in a statement, sending condolences to the royal family. "They also talked on the phone frequently, using their first names with each other as a sign of mutual respect as well as affection."

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Fondly known to South Africans as Madiba, Mandela spent decades in prison before leading his country from white minority rule to a multi-racial democracy. He died in 2013 aged 95 .

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King Charles III expected to address the nation today

King Charles III left Balmoral Castle on Friday to travel back to London to meet Prime Minister Liz Truss and then deliver a televised speech to the nation in the early evening. Charles and the queen's three other children, and her grandsons Prince William and Prince Harry, all rushed to Balmoral on Thursday to be by her side.

Britain Queen

A service of prayer and reflection will be held at London's St. Paul's Cathedral at 6 p.m. local time (1 p.m. Eastern), which the public will be allowed to attend and which will also be televised. The prime minister and the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan were expected to attend.

If the timing of the king's speech coincides with the service, it is expected that the speech will be played to the audience inside St. Paul's Cathedral.

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British sports come to halt to mourn queen

The Premier League has postponed its upcoming round of matches as a mark of respect following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, adding to the cancellation of high-profile golf, cricket and horse racing events across Britain on Friday.

England's top-flight soccer clubs held a meeting Friday and said they wanted to "pay tribute to Her Majesty's long and unwavering service to our country."

The English Football League - the three divisions below the Premier League - also called off their games scheduled for the weekend. 

Important golf, cricket and horse racing events scheduled to take place on Friday have been postponed or canceled.

The England and Wales Cricket Board announced there would be no play on Friday in the third and deciding test between England and South Africa. There was no immediate update on whether play would be resuming over the weekend.

Other events called off included cycling's Tour of Britain, which also canceled the final two stages of the race scheduled for the weekend, and the third day of horse racing's St. Leger festival in Doncaster. The St. Leger, one of British racing's classics, will now take place on Sunday, organizers said Friday.

Horse racing was the queen's favorite sport.

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Palace says "period of Royal Mourning" to last until 7 days after queen's funeral

Buckingham Palace said Friday that King Charles III had requested a formal "period of Royal Mourning be observed from now until seven days after The Queen's Funeral."

The palace has not yet confirmed the date for Queen Elizabeth II's state funeral, but it is expected to be held on Monday September 19 .

"Royal Mourning will be observed by Members of the Royal Family, Royal Household staff and Representatives of the Royal Household on official duties, together with troops committed to Ceremonial Duties," the palace said in a statement.

The palace also confirmed that gun salutes would be fired Friday afternoon in London's Hyde Park and at the Tower of London, with one round being fired for each year of the queen's 96 years.

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"Our hearts are broken": U.K. newspapers mark queen's death

Poignant photographs of Queen Elizabeth II dominated the front pages of Britain's grieving newspapers Friday, charting her journey from coronation to matriarch of the nation.

A picture of the 27-year-old Elizabeth taken at her 1953 coronation, full of regal splendor clasping the Sovereign's Orb and Scepter in the vaulted walls of Westminster Abbey, covered the front pages of The Times, Guardian, Daily Star and Independent.

The Sun, Daily Telegraph, Daily Express and Daily Mirror instead chose images of the white-haired monarch as she neared the end of her record-breaking 70-year-reign.

The Telegraph carried a quote made by the queen for the victims of the September 11, 2001 attacks. "Grief is the price we pay for love," it said.

Most tabloids marked the occasion with subdued black-and-white front pages, although the Sun splashed its header in royal purple, above the headline "We loved you Ma'am."

"Rest in peace, Ma'am. The Sun and our readers loved you. We are proud you were our Queen," it added.

The Daily Express carried the headline "Our Beloved Queen is Dead," while the Daily Mirror simply wrote "Thank you."

"Our hearts are broken", said the Daily Mail headline. "How to find the words? Our grief is a hundred different emotions, all of them hard to grasp," said its front-page splash.

"As God Save the Queen played on the radio and TV, as we heard that our beloved monarch had died, a nation's heart broke," it added.

The story unsurprisingly filled the inside pages of the souvenir edition papers, with most dedicating at least 20 pages to the seismic events.

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U.K. prime minister was told of queen's passing 2 hours before the world

Britain's new Prime Minister Liz Truss was told at 4:30 p.m. local time (11:30 a.m. Eastern) on Thursday that Queen Elizabeth II had died. 10 Downing Street, the premier's office, confirmed that the Cabinet Secretary had informed Truss of the monarch's passing almost two hours before Buckingham Palace told the world.

It was Truss' second day on the job. She was chosen to take over the prime minister's office by members of her Conservative Party following the resignation of Boris Johnson, who was forced out by a succession of scandals.

The new prime minister was notified of Elizabeth's passing about four hours after the palace issued an extremely rare statement about the queen's health, saying doctors were "concerned," and had put her under medical supervision at her Scotland home, Balmoral Castle. The announcement caused immediate concern, and as every senior member of the royal family rushed to Balmoral to be by her side, it quickly became clear that the situation was serious.

Queen Elizabeth Greets Incoming PM Liz Truss

When Buckingham Palace did tell the world about Elizabeth's passing at about 6:30 p.m., it said only that she had "died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon."

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U.K. labor unions call off strikes "out of respect for" the queen

British railway and postal workers, at the forefront of sector-wide strikes over a cost-of-living crisis, have halted upcoming walkouts following the death of Queen Elizabeth II. The Communication Workers Union had planned to continue a 48-hour stoppage Friday but this has been called off "out of respect for" the queen, CWU general secretary Dave Ward said in a statement late Thursday.

The RMT rail union said it was suspending walkouts planned the next week and the TSSA transport union has called off its September strikes. Train drivers union Aslef has also suspended a planned stoppage.

"RMT joins the whole nation in paying its respects to Queen Elizabeth," its general secretary Mick Lynch said in a statement. "The planned railway strike action on 15 and 17 September is suspended... We express our deepest condolences to her family, friends and the country."

Network Rail, which manages Britain's railways, said it welcomed "the unions' decision to call off" strikes.

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Putin, Xi offer condolences

Among the many world leaders sending condolences to Great Britain were Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping.

Putin sent a telegram to King Charles III saying in part, "For many decades, Elizabeth II rightfully enjoyed the love and respect of her subjects, as well as authority on the world stage. I wish you courage and perseverance in the face of this heavy, irreparable loss."

And Xi offered "sincere sympathies to the British government and people," noting that the queen was the first British monarch to visit China.

Elizabeth's death came amid increasingly tense relations between Britain and China. Xi said he's willing to work with Charles on promoting "healthy and stable" bilateral ties.

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Empire State Building honors the queen

David Caplan, executive editor of digital content for the two all-news radio stations in New York, WCBS and WINS, noted a special salute to the late Queen Elizabeth II:

Empire State Building glittering purple + silver for Queen Elizabeth II @1010WINS @wcbs880 pic.twitter.com/agLoODOTAW — David Caplan (@DavidCaplanNYC) September 9, 2022
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What to know about King Charles III

With the passing of Queen Elizabeth II Thursday, her first son Charles has ascended the throne. Charles, 73, had been the Prince of Wales — the title reserved for future British kings-in-waiting — for longer than anyone else in the history of the United Kingdom's monarchy.

Buckingham Palace confirmed that the new monarch would be known as King Charles III.

In many ways, Charles has been the first modern heir to the British throne: He was sent off to school rather than being tutored privately at the palace, and after that he went on to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree at Cambridge.

The young prince then served in both the Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy, being deployed on several warships during the 1970s.

CBS News correspondent Mark Phillips takes an in-depth look at Charles role in the royal family up to this point, his rocky love life and some of his "bonkers" pursuits. Read the full story here . 

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U.K. will likely get revamped national anthem, new look for its currency

Following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, decades of symbols in Her Majesty's honor – from the national anthem to currency – will likely see a shift. 

The national anthem, "God Save the Queen," will likely be reversed to "God Save the King," its original title. The first verse of the song will now be recited as, "God save our gracious King! Long live our noble King! God save the King! Send him victorious, Happy and glorious, Long to reign over us, God save the King."

Another change will be the currency, which currently includes an image of the queen facing toward the right. Now, with King Charles III in charge, all new coins will likely have his image, and facing toward the left, as is tradition.

Other similar changes are likely for the U.K.'s stamps and flags. Read the full story here .

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Japanese PM calls queen's death "a great loss"

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida called the queen's death a "great loss" in a statement on social media early Friday morning.  

"I extend my heartfelt condolences to the Royal Family, the government and the people of the United Kingdom," Kishida said. "The loss of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II is a great loss not only to the British people but also to the international community. Japan's thoughts are with the United Kingdom as the British people overcome this deepest sadness."

The loss of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II is a great loss not only to the British people but also to the international community. Japan’s thoughts are with the United Kingdom as the British people overcome this deepest sadness. — 岸田文雄 (@kishida230) September 9, 2022
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U.S. Open holds moment of silence for Queen Elizabeth II

The U.S. Tennis Association held a moment of silence before the first U.S. Open women's semifinal match Thursday night — won in straight sets by Ons Jabeur over Caroline Garcia.

"We would like to pause to remember Queen Elizabeth II," the stadium announcer said. "Our thoughts are with the people today of the United Kingdom. Remember to be part of us in a second of silence."

U.S. Open moment of silence for queen

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What to expect in the days leading up to Queen Elizabeth II's funeral

For years, the U.K. government has had a detailed plan – codenamed Operation London Bridge – in place for what happens after the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

Although it was a closely guarded secret, following the queen's death Thursday, the plan was widely reported by the British media.

The government plan refers to the day of the queen's death as D-Day, or D+0. However, since the queen's death came so late Thursday, the schedule was shifted, and D-Day was pushed to Friday.

This means that the state funeral for the queen, D+10 under the plan, will take place on Monday, Sept. 19, in Westminster Abbey.

Read the full story on Operation London Bridge here . 

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Celebrities react to queen's death

Celebrities from Sir Elton John to Victoria Beckham shared tributes to Queen Elizabeth II on social media on Thursday.

"She was an inspiring presence to be around, and lead the country through some of our greatest, and darkest, moments with grace, decency, and a genuine caring warmth," John shared with his fans on  Instagram . He ended his tribute with, "Queen Elizabeth has been a huge part of my life from childhood to this day, and I will miss her dearly."

Sir Paul McCartney , also no stranger in his love and admiration for the queen, wrote on his Instagram: "God bless Queen Elizabeth II / May she rest in peace / Long live The King." McCartney's connection to the queen goes back decades to when he was just 10 years old. He  wrote an essay  about her for a competition that was being held in England for school-aged kids, and he won for his division. 

"Today is a very sad day not just for our country but for the entire world. I'm deeply saddened by the passing of our beloved Monarch, Her Majesty The Queen," Beckham, the fashion designer and singer, shared on her  Instagram . "She will be remembered for her steadfast loyalty and service and my thoughts are with the royal family at this incredibly sad time." 

Read the full story here .

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NATO secretary general says he's "deeply saddened" by queen's death

Jens Stoltenberg, the NATO secretary general, tweeted that he was "deeply saddened by the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II."

"Over more than 70 years, she exemplified selfless leadership and public service. My deepest condolences to the Royal Family, to our #NATO Allies the United Kingdom and Canada, and to the people of the Commonwealth."

Deeply saddened by the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Over more than 70 years, she exemplified selfless leadership and public service. My deepest condolences to the Royal Family, to our #NATO Allies the United Kingdom and Canada, and to the people of the Commonwealth. pic.twitter.com/hHyqBdhKcx — Jens Stoltenberg (@jensstoltenberg) September 8, 2022
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Examining Queen Elizabeth II's legacy with U.S. presidents

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"A figure of global significance": Spanish prime minister lauds Queen Elizabeth II

Pedro Sánchez, the prime minister of Spain, offered his condolences to the royal family and the people of the U.K.

He called the queen "a figure of global significance, witness and author of British and European history," in a tweet Thursday.

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Former prime minister on his "lively" conversations with the queen

Sir John Major, who served as Britain's prime minister from 1990 to 1997, opened about his relationship with Queen Elizabeth, describing their conversations when he was in office as "lively."

In an interview with "CBS Evening News" anchor and managing editor Norah O'Donnell on Thursday, Major said the queen had the gift of being resilient.

"One of the many gifts the queen has is that when she faces great difficulty, she has the capacity to be a stoic," Major said. "She puts her head down. She plows on. She knows whatever the problems are, she will come through the other end of that."

"It is part of the training for monarchy," he continued. "I mean, self evidently, you need to be very selfless. You need to have a great understanding of the way your nation works and the way people think and act in order to be a successful monarchy. And you need a great capacity to discharge your obligations and your duty. And the queen had a remarkable sense of duty all her life."

Major also described her as "very funny."

"The conversations with her weren't starchy, dull, boring," he said. "They were very lively. You were talking to someone with a lively intellect. She was she was fun to be with."

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Queen Elizabeth faced complex role as monarch and mother

As a monarch to millions and mother to four, Queen Elizabeth II faced "unique challenges," according to historian and author Amanda Foreman."

Queen Elizabeth II as a mother had some unique challenges," Foreman told CBS News. "She had to be away for many months at a time, and yet she took her duties as a mother very seriously."

She was often called detached for leaving her children with nannies and sending them to boarding school.

"Those comparisons, I think, hurt her feelings greatly because she loved her children — that was always obvious," Foreman said.

As her children grew, their lives often exploded on the front page of tabloids and TVs around the world.

"Queen Elizabeth had to walk a very difficult line, kind of a mediator between the public's expectations of her and her children and how her children were actually feeling," Foreman said. "And it was very difficult."

The queen's legacy will include leading her family and her country into a modern era.

"She showed that yes, you can be a mother, you can be a wife, but you can still be a woman in a position of power and influence," Foreman said.

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Crowds gather at Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle to mourn Queen Elizabeth II

As the flag lowered in London and all over the United Kingdom, crowds began to gather at the golden gates of Buckingham Palace. Mourners sang the national anthem, "God Save the Queen," for a much-loved monarch.

Mourners who gathered outside Windsor Castle told CBS News what the loss meant to them.

"She was everything to us and it was a massive part of our upbringing," a crying woman said. 

"It's a very sad moment, a very sad moment," a man said.

"She's always been there and it'll never be the same again," an elderly woman said.

A young man in the crowd said Queen Elizabeth was "a queen with a lot of love for her people."

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Cycling's Tour of Britain cancels final 3 stages

Following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, cycling's Tour of Britain has canceled its final three stages, set to take place Friday through Sunday.

Spanish cyclist Gonzalo Serrano, the leader after Thursday, was declared the winner.

"The Tour of Britain organisation, alongside the teams, riders and officials involved in the event, send their deepest condolences to the Royal Family at this sad time," the race said in a statement. 

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Moment of silence held prior to Manchester United match

Manchester United's home clash in the Europa League against Real Sociedad went ahead but a minute's silence was held before kick-off and players wore black armbands.

The Premier League said it was "deeply saddened" by the queen's death.

Manchester United v Real Sociedad: Group E - UEFA Europa League

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European golf's PGA Championship suspended

Play at the PGA Championship at Wentworth, near London, was suspended on Thursday evening when news broke about the death of the 96-year-old monarch and it was later confirmed that there would be no play on Friday.

"Out of respect for Her Majesty and the Royal Family, play has been suspended at the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth Club for the remainder of Thursday and flags at Wentworth Club will be lowered to half-mast," a European Tour statement said.

"Furthermore, no play will take place at the BMW PGA Championship on Friday and the golf course and practice facilities will be closed."

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Six Historic Royal Palaces to close to the public Friday

Six palaces, designated as the Historic Royal Palaces , will be closed to guests on Friday after the death of Queen Elizabeth II. The sites include the Tower of London, Hampton Court Palace, Banqueting House, Kensington Palace, Kew Palace and Hillsborough Castle.

"Historic Royal Palaces joins millions of people around the world in mourning the death of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II," its website said.

Guests who booked tickets for the palaces will be refunded, and ticket sales have been temporarily suspended, according to its website.

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House of Commons to spend two days offering tributes to the queen

British politicians across the political spectrum united in sorrow Thursday at the death of Queen Elizabeth II, a passing that brought the country's usually fractious politics to a halt.

For the next several days, essential government functions will continue, but much of the routine business of politics will be put on pause. Parliamentary business will give way to two days of tributes from lawmakers in the House of Commons on Friday and Saturday.

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Double rainbow appears over Windsor Castle

A rainbow appeared over Buckingham Palace in London shortly before the queen's death was announced. Not long after, as people gathered outside of Windsor Castle to mourn her death, a double rainbow appeared there as well.

Queen Elizabeth II Dies At Balmoral Castle

Queen Elizabeth II grew up at Windsor, and throughout her time as monarch, she spent many of her private weekends and a month around Easter at the castle, according to the  Royal Collection Trust . Several members of the royal family have been married there, including the Duke and Duchess of Sussex in May 2018; Princess Eugenie in October 2018; and Princess Beatrice in 2020.

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London mayor calls queen "a source of great stability"

In a statement after the queen's death, London Mayor Sadiq Khan celebrated her "extraordinary service."

"Throughout a period of unprecedented transformation, she was a source of great stability, inspiring hope during the most testing of times and exemplifying the best of what it means to be British," he wrote.

"I'm proud to have served as Mayor of London while Queen Elizabeth II was our monarch. I know Londoners, and people across the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth, are immensely proud and grateful for what she achieved for us all over so many years."

He offered his condolences to the royal family.

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Israeli president: "Her passing is the end of an era"

Israeli President Isaac Herzog extended his "deepest sympathies to the British people and all nations of the Commonwealth" following the death of Queen Elizabeth II.  

"Queen Elizabeth was a historic figure: she lived history, she made history, and with her passing she leaves a magnificent, inspirational legacy," Herzog said in a statement. 

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Australian prime minister: "This is a loss we all feel"

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese wrote in a statement that "Australian hearts go out to the people of the United Kingdom who mourn today."

"This is a loss we all feel, for few have known a world without Queen Elizabeth II," he wrote.

The Australian leader also reflected on the queen's history with the country. 

"From her famous first trip to Australia, the only reigning sovereign to ever visit, it was clear Her Majesty held a special place in her heart for Australia," Albanese wrote, adding, "She celebrated our good times, she stood with us in the bad. Happy and glorious but steadfast too."

Albanese called the queen's death "the close of the second Elizabethan age."

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English Football League postpones Friday matches

The English Football League (EFL) has postponed all of its scheduled matches for Friday "as a mark of respect" to the former monarch.

Earlier, the league tweeted : "The EFL and its Clubs are truly saddened to learn of the passing of Her Majesty the Queen Elizabeth II, at the age of 96."

It has not yet determined whether the matches scheduled for the remainder of the weekend will be played.

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Eiffel Tower goes dark in honor of the queen

The Eiffel Tower's lights were turned off Thursday night following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, Anne Hidalgo, the mayor of Paris, tweeted .

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NYC's Empire State Building to honor Queen Elizabeth II

The Empire State Building in New York City will "shine in purple and sparkle in silver to honor the life and legacy of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II" on Thursday night.

Tonight, our tower lights will shine in purple and sparkle in silver to honor the life and legacy of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II. pic.twitter.com/qIpk7lQgbc — Empire State Building (@EmpireStateBldg) September 8, 2022
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"Deeply saddened" Pope Francis prays for queen, new king

Pope Francis said Thursday he was "deeply saddened" at the death of Queen Elizabeth II, offering prayers for her "eternal rest" and for her son Charles as he becomes king.

In a personal telegram to the new monarch, the head of the Catholic Church paid tribute to the queen's "life of unstinting service... her example of devotion to duty, her steadfast witness of faith in Jesus Christ," and, addressing the new King Charles III, said, "I invoke an abundance of divine blessings as a pledge of comfort and strength in the Lord."

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India's president says "world has lost a great personality"

Indian President Droupadi Murmu also offered her condolences to the royal family and the people of the United Kingdom.

"In the demise of  Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II of UK, the world has lost a great personality," the president's tweet said. "An era has passed since she steered her country and people for over 7 decades. I share the grief of people of UK and convey my heartfelt condolence to the family."

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Italy's premier calls the queen the "absolute protagonist" of past 70 years

Italian Premier Mario Draghi in a condolence message hailed the queen as having been "the absolute protagonist of world history of the last 70 years." 

Draghi, who is now acting in a caretaker role ahead of Italian parliamentary elections later this month, said Queen Elizabeth II had represented the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth "with equilibrium, wisdom, respect for institutions and for democracy."

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French president remembers Queen Elizabeth II as "a friend of France"

French President Emmanuel Macron tweeted Thursday that the queen "embodied continuity and the unity of the British nation over 70 years. I retain the memory of a friend of France, a queen of hearts who marked as never before her country and her century."

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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle add tribute to Queen Elizabeth II on Archewell website

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, who were in England at the time of Queen Elizabeth II's death, posted a tribute to the late monarch on their organization's website.

The Archewell homepage is completely black, with a simple "In loving memory of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 1926-2022" written in white on the page.

Prince Harry, one of the queen's grandsons and the second son of now King Charles III, traveled to the Scotland estate where his grandmother died.

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U.N. chief lauds Queen Elizabeth II as a " reassuring presence throughout decades"

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a statement Thursday that he was "deeply saddened" by Queen Elizabeth II's passing and he offered his "sincere condolences to her bereaved family, the Government and people of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and the wider Commonwealth of Nations."

Guterres said Elizabeth, "was widely admired for her grace, dignity, and dedication around the world. She was a reassuring presence throughout decades of sweeping change, including the decolonization of Africa and Asia and the evolution of the Commonwealth."

"Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II was a good friend to the UN and a reassuring presence throughout decades of sweeping change, widely admired for her grace, dignity & devotion." -- @antonioguterres pays tribute to Queen Elizabeth II. https://t.co/802DvbUb5s pic.twitter.com/y2LhKqCvfu — United Nations (@UN) September 8, 2022

He called her "a good friend of the United Nations," and praised her commitment to environmental issues in particular.

"The world will long remember her devotion and leadership," Guterres said.

Both the U.N. General Assembly and Security Council observed moments of silence Thursday in honor of the late monarch.

#QueenElizabeth honored with Moment of Silence in UN General Assembly & Security Council 👇with tribute by UK Amb @BWoodward_UN @CBSNews |UN Read about her legacy here @CBSNews @CBSMornings https://t.co/1rbdbuHWkW pic.twitter.com/v58DA760Oq — Pamela Falk CBS News Correspondent United Nations (@PamelaFalk) September 8, 2022
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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says most Canadians "have known no other Sovereign"

In a statement , Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau wrote of the queen's impact on the people of Canada, saying most of its residents have "known no other Sovereign."

"Queen Elizabeth II was a constant presence in our lives," he said. "Time and again, Her Majesty marked Canada's modern history. Over the course of 70 years and twenty-three Royal Tours, Queen Elizabeth II saw this country from coast to coast to coast and was there for our major, historical milestones."

"She would proclaim 'it was good to be home' when returning to her beloved Canada. She was indeed at home here, and Canadians never ceased to return her affection."

Trudeau said Canadians will enter a "period of mourning" — along with the rest of the Commonwealth — "ending with a national day of mourning when a commemorative service will be held to mark the passing of our Sovereign."

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U.K. Prime Minister Liz Truss addresses the nation

Britain's new  Prime Minister Liz Truss  said that Queen Elizabeth II was "the rock on which modern Britain was built."

In a statement outside her residence at Number 10 Downing Street, Truss said the loss of the queen was "a huge shock to the nation and to the world," and that the country must come together to support the new monarch, King Charles III.

"Through thick and thin, Queen Elizabeth II provided us with the stability and the strength that we needed. She was the very spirit of Great Britain, and that spirit will endure," Truss said.

Earlier this week, Truss had met with the queen at her home in Balmoral to be officially appointed as prime minister, after the resignation of the former U.K. leader, Boris Johnson.

"She has been a personal inspiration to me and to many Britons. Her devotion to duty is an example to us all. Earlier this week, at 96, she remained determined to carry out her duties as she appointed me as her 15th prime minister... In the difficult days ahead, we will come together with our friends across the United Kingdom, the Commonwealth and the world, to celebrate her extraordinary lifetime of service. It is a day of great loss, but Queen Elizabeth II leaves a great legacy," Truss said.

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Former U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson pays tribute

Britain's former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who resigned from the nation's top political post only two days before Queen Elizabeth II's passing, issued a long statement Thursday mourning the late queen and calling it Britain's "saddest day."

The late queen, Johnson said, had a "unique and simple power to make us happy. That is why we loved her."

"It is only really now that we grasp how much she meant for us, how much she did for us, how much she loved us," the former prime minister said. 

Statement on the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II (3/3) pic.twitter.com/yHPiUfBWlH — Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) September 8, 2022

"Though our voices may still be choked with sadness we can say with confidence the words not heard in this country for seven decades. God save the King," concluded Johnson. 

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President Biden remembers Queen Elizabeth II

President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden issued a statement Thursday to remember the queen, calling her "more than a monarch. She defined an era."

"In a world of constant change, she was a steadying presence and a source of comfort and pride for generations of Britons, including many who have never known their country without her," the Bidens said.

Read more here .

President Joe Biden with Britain's Queen Elizabeth in 2021

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Charles will be known as King Charles III

Speaking outside her residence at Number 10 Downing Street on Thursday, Britain's new Prime Minister Liz Truss said that Queen Elizabeth II was "the rock on which modern Britain was built."

Truss said the loss of the queen, who had officially appointed Truss only two days before her death, was "a huge shock to the nation and to the world," and that the country must come together to support the new monarch, King Charles III.

Clarence House later confirmed the king's title.

Truss finished her statement by saying "God save the king."

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Charles, Britain's new king, expresses sadness at mother's death

Charles, Britain's new king , has made a statement after the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II.

"The death of my beloved Mother, Her Majesty The Queen, is a moment of the greatest sadness for me and all members of my family," the statement says.

"We mourn profoundly the passing of a cherished Sovereign and a much-loved Mother. I know her loss will be deeply felt throughout the country, the Realms and the Commonwealth, and by countless people around the world. During this period of mourning and change, my family and I will be comforted and sustained by our knowledge of the respect and deep affection in which The Queen was so widely held."

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The official announcement

A statement released by Buckingham Palace announced the queen's passing and the ascension of her eldest son, Prince Charles, as the new king:

The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon. The King and The Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow.
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Rainbow appears outside Buckingham Palace

As the world awaited news from Balmoral, where the senior members of the royal family gathered to be by the queen's side on Thursday, a rainbow appeared outside Buckingham Palace in London.

A rainbow has appeared opposite Buckingham Palace over crowds hoping for better news on the Queen’s health @itvnews pic.twitter.com/UsE0CM0siP — Romilly Weeks (@romillyweeks) September 8, 2022
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Tucker Reals is cbsnews.com's foreign editor, based in the CBS News London bureau. He has worked for CBS News since 2006, prior to which he worked for The Associated Press in Washington D.C. and London.

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Britain's Queen Elizabeth II

The day Queen Elizabeth died: the inside story of her final hours

As meticulously laid palace plans kicked in, others were taken by surprise. We recall those historic hours

Plans in the event of Queen Elizabeth II’s death were meticulous; they were revisited and updated regularly. On 8 September , they were executed flawlessly. But not everything could be anticipated.

Balmoral Castle, despite its grand, gothic revivalist exterior, is intimate compared with Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle, which is one of the reasons the late queen loved it. Its private quarters and official offices are quite close together.

So on the morning of 8 September, few, if any, at Balmoral would have been unaware of the momentous events unfolding as the queen’s life quietly ebbed.

Two days previously, leaning heavily on a stick but with that familiar smile in place, she had appointed her 15th and final British prime minister, Liz Truss. But an announcement just after 6pm the following evening, that the queen was postponing a virtual privy council meeting on the advice of doctors, was concerning.

The imminent death of a sovereign is a major constitutional matter. No 10 would have been alerted immediately about her deteriorating condition. Simon Case, the cabinet secretary, and Sir Edward Young, the queen’s private secretary, would serve as the pivotal liaison between the palace and Downing Street.

A flag at half mast flaps in the wind at Balmoral Castle in September

That evening, Case was informed, and passed the message on to Truss, that there was the distinct possibility the queen’s condition might worsen rapidly. As Truss worked late on the energy statement, her first major act as prime minister, she had in the back of her mind the fact it might all be overshadowed, according to sources.

If any of the staff at Windsor were uncertain of how serious the situation was, the departure of the queen’s helicopter from Windsor Castle shortly before 7am to take the Prince of Wales from Dumfries House in Ayrshire, where he was staying that night, to his mother’s bedside, would have alerted them.

Charles arrived at Balmoral shortly before 10.30am, and the Duchess of Cornwall was driven from nearby Birkhall to join him. The Princess Royal, in Scotland on engagements, was already there.

In No 10, Case was categorical that bad news was on its way, perhaps in a matter of hours. Truss had still not packed all her clothes for her move into Downing Street and, according to the biography Out of the Blue , aides were sent to her Greenwich home to locate black clothing.

Liz Truss announcing the death of the queen on 8 September

Truss was also still mid-reshuffle when the palace started to inform key people in government through its planned “cascade” system. One minister said they walked into their new department to be told without any ceremony: “You have a meeting in 30 minutes.” Officials said in direct language that they expected the queen’s death was imminent and that the first job of the minister would be an immediate briefing on the so-called London Bridge plans .

“That was like a baptism of fire for me,” the minister recalled. “I didn’t back Liz, I was expecting to be on the backbenches. So not only was I thinking about moving departments, taking a job that was very new to me, but within minutes I was part of one of the most high-profile operations on Earth.”

Indications to the general public that something was wrong came in a place where the queen is almost never mentioned – the House of Commons. Truss had finished her opening remarks and was listening to Sir Keir Starmer. The new chancellor of the duchy of Lancaster, Nadhim Zahawi, slipped into the chamber and inserted himself between Kwasi Kwarteng and Truss to speak to the prime minister, handed her a note, then slipped out again. MPs picked up the frisson almost immediately, beginning to whisper among themselves.

Angela Rayner reads a note about queen’s ill health in Commons

The next person to be told was Labour’s deputy leader, Angela Rayner, who read a note passed from outside the chamber , which she handed to the shadow chancellor, Rachel Reeves, who also looked at it grim-faced.

The note was in plain English – with no codes about “London Bridge”. It said: “The queen is unwell, and Keir needs to leave the chamber as soon as possible to be briefed.” Rayner tried not to be “too dramatic” in handing the note to Starmer, she has since said, torn by a desire not to distract him mid-flow while also realising the urgency of the situation. She then saw the speaker, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, gesticulating, suggesting she should interrupt the Labour leader regardless.

How concern for the Queen spread around House of Commons during debate – video

At 12.32pm a statement was released from Buckingham Palace: “The queen’s doctors are concerned for Her Majesty’s health and have recommended she remain under medical supervision. The queen remains comfortable and at Balmoral.”

The BBC’s Huw Edwards, dressed in black tie , announced the news to the general public. An evening call from Truss to the French president, Emmanuel Macron, was cancelled.

For the queen’s family members not already at Balmoral and unable to know how swiftly she would deteriorate, it would have been a difficult call: head there too early and risk spreading alarm; too late, and miss the opportunity to say goodbye.

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When Buckingham Palace announced at 12.50pm that William, Andrew, Edward and Sophie were on their way to Scotland, the gravity of situation was very clear. At about 2pm, in a separate statement, the Sussexes, who were staying at Frogmore Cottage on a visit to the UK to attend an awards ceremony, announced that they, too, would be heading to Scotland.

Members of the royal family, driven by Prince William, arriving at Balmoral on he day of the queen’s death

Two hours later, when it became clear that Kate was remaining at the Cambridges’ new Windsor home, where the couple’s three children were still settling in to the school they had started at three days previously, plans for Meghan to accompany Harry appeared to have been dropped.

There has been much speculation over why Harry did not accompany his brother and uncles onboard the jet that left RAF Northolt at 2.40pm. There have been suggestions the flight was originally intended to depart at 1.30pm. If that was the case, no reason has been given for the delay.

In any event, Harry would travel separately, leaving Luton airport onboard a private jet at about 5.30pm. He would still be in the air when the announcement of the queen’s death was made at 6.30pm.

BBC announces the death of Queen Elizabeth II – video

It would later transpire, when her death certificate was made public weeks later, that the queen died at 3.10pm. She was pronounced deceased – the cause of death later given as “old age” – by Dr Douglas Glass, her official apothecary in Scotland, who holds GP clinics for Balmoral staff. He has since said there was concern for the queen’s health for several months: “It was expected and we were quite aware of what was going to happen,” he is quoted as saying in Gyles Brandreth’s new biography, Elizabeth: An Intimate Portrait .

William and the other royals landed at Aberdeen airport at 3.50pm, 40 minutes after her death. With William at the wheel, they drove to Balmoral, arriving at 5.06pm, an hour and 25 minutes before the news would be made public.

By then, the official cascading of the news was in full swing. An internal palace team was calling all those who needed to be informed as soon as possible: No 10, Lambeth Palace, the chief of the defence staff, prime ministers and high commissioners of the 14 other countries of which she was head of state, to name but a few.

Staff attach a notice informing people of the death of Queen Elizabeth II to the gates of Buckingham Palace in London on 8 September.

By the time Harry landed at Aberdeen airport at 6.45pm, the world knew. Buckingham Palace has since denied reports that Charles or his aides were unable to contact his second son ahead of the public announcement. “The public was only informed after every family member had been informed,” the new king’s spokesperson said at the time.

Harry finally arrived at Balmoral at 7.52pm. By then, Charles had released his own personal tribute to the late monarch, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother.

Outside No 10, the podium was put in place. Truss, in the black clothes her aides had managed to locate for her, stepped up to it at 7.07pm. It was, she said, “the passing of the second Elizabethan age”.

It was the end, too, of a truly historic day.

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London travel guide—the queen’s funeral: what to know.

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King Charles III and members of the Royal family walk behind the Queen Elizabeth II's coffin during ... [+] the procession from Buckingham Palace to the Palace of Westminster on September 14, 2022 in London, United Kingdom.

Today is the last day for Heads of State to RSVP to attend Queen Elizabeth's funeral on Monday 19 September. For those who plan to watch on the streets of London or on television, here's the guide on where to watch the funeral procession and how to get around London in the process.

This will be one of the largest events ever carried out by the military and the police have called it a logistical nightmare. Transport for London has said that it is much more difficult than organizing the London Olympics in 2012 because then they had an idea of the time of planned events and ticket holders. In this case, no one is sure how many people will be on the streets of central London and how and when they will decide to travel. The added complication is that heads of state from every country have been invited (except six: Russia, Belarus, Myanmar, Syria, Venezuela and Afghanistan).

The Lying-in-State of Queen Elizabeth II

Her Majesty is currently lying-in-state in Westminster Hall in the Palace of Westminster (known as Parliament). The coffin is on a plinth, called a catafalque, draped in the Royal Standard flag with an Orb and Sceptre displayed on top.

She is surrounded by members of the Sovereign's Bodyguard, the Household Division or Yeoman Warders of the Tower of London, who are maintaining a round-the-clock vigil, with a change of guard happening every 20 minutes.

The government is running a live queue-tracker to detail how long the queue is to pay your respects to Queen Elizabeth II as her coffin lies-in-state.

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On Thursday, the queue varied from 2 to 4.6 miles long, running past Waterloo along the South Bank, past Borough market and HMS Belfast on the river Thames to London Bridge. There is infrastructure in place to cope with a queue of up to 10 miles. To provide an example, a queue of 4.6 miles would mean a 9-hour wait.

There are very specific instructions for visitors who wish to queue to pay their respects:

  • There is a separate access point for disabled mourners, starting at Tate Britain. It is not necessary to provide details or proof of the disability in question.
  • There is also step-free access for people who require it.
  • People joining the queue are given wristbands marking their place, meaning they can leave for comfort breaks and to grab a bite to eat.
  • Photography is not allowed inside Westminster Hall.
  • Everyone will pass through security (at Victoria Tower Gardens) and people may store large bags (necessary to survive a night in the queue) in lockers provided. Clearly, no sharp objects are allowed and no objects can be left inside Westminster Hall.
  • Queuers can only bring one small bag measuring no more than 40cm x 30cm x 20cm, with only one opening or zip.
  • Mourners are asked to observe silence as they pass through Westminster Hall.

Westminster Hall is open 24 hours a day until 06.30 on Monday 19 September, the day of her funeral. Dignitaries who arrive for the funeral will also be able to visit through a separate entrance and join the public as they shuffle past to pay their respects.

If you cannot attend the lying-in-state currently happening at Westminster Hall, the BBC is livestreaming the event here .

There will be a nationwide minute's silence for the Queen on Sunday 18 September at 8pm UK-time.

The Royal family inside the Palace of Westminster during the Lying-in State of Queen Elizabeth II on ... [+] September 14, 2022 in London, England.

The Queen's funeral is on Monday 19 September, at 11am

The itinerary has been planned down to each minute:

  • The congregation are expected to start taking their seats inside Westminster Abbey from 8am onwards.
  • At 10.44 on Monday morning, the coffin will be placed on the same gun carriage that carried Queen Victoria's coffin in 1901 for the short procession to Westminster Abbey, where Queen Elizabeth II will arrive at 10.52. Members of the Royal family will walk behind her, as they did when she left Buckingham Palace this week and 200 musicians will play.
  • The service will start at 11am and finish at noon, after a two-minute silence across the country.
  • At that point, the coffin will be taken on the gun carriage by procession to Wellington Arch, led by members of the police and armed services, as well as workers in the NHS.
  • For anyone wishing to see the procession, it will walk from Westminster Abbey down Whitehall, across Horse Guard's Parade, down The Mall and finally up Constitution Hill.
  • From here, a hearse will drive the coffin to Windsor where it is expected to arrive at Shaw Farm Gate at 3.06pm and there will be a procession up The Long Walk (in front of expected large crowds) before another short televised service at 4pm from St George's Chapel.
  • Her Majesty's body will be interred in the King George VI Memorial Chapel at 7.30pm in a private service in front of only her family. She will be buried next to her husband, Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh.

People gather on the Royal Mile, Edinburgh to watch the cortege carrying the coffin of the late ... [+] Queen Elizabeth II, on her journey to London

Practical information for moving about London

Monday has been declared a bank holiday meaning that many services, such as doctor's and schools will be closed. Expect museums to be closed across the country too.

Many shops and eateries will be closed—MacDonald's, for example, is closing all stores between midnight and 5pm, and all major supermarkets are closing larger stores, but some will keep smaller ones open. That means that it's worth taking picnics and enough provisions, as even if they stay open, there may be long queues.

All planned rail strikes were called off when news about the Queen's death was announced. However, all public transport routes are expected to be heavily jammed—when moving around central London, walking might be the best option as distances are often shorter between stations than they look on the Underground map.

Transport for London reported that 115,000 more tube journeys were made on Wednesday alone in the eight major stations in Zone 1, compared with the same day last week.

British Airways has cancelled 1 in 7 flights, as reported by The Telegraph , to keep the skies clear and noise pollution to a minimum. Heathrow airport has announced that it will stop all flights 15 minutes before the national silence and 15 minutes afterwards, as reported by The Guardian . This will reportedly disrupt 15% of Heathrow's schedule for Monday.

How to watch the Queen's funeral on television

In the U.K., Sky News and the BBC will both be covering the service and commentating all day. In the U.S., NBC, CNN, ABC, Fox News and others will livestream the service which begins at 3am PT or 6am ET.

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Queen Elizabeth II has died at 96. Here's what happens next for the throne, currency, and more.

  • Queen Elizabeth II died on Thursday at Balmoral Castle .
  • She was the longest-reigning monarch in British history, and her death will result in many changes.
  • The national anthem, passports, police uniforms, and even money will need to be updated.

Most British people have never known life without the Queen.

london travel queen death

Queen Elizabeth II was the longest-reigning monarch in British history. She ascended to the throne in 1952 and reigned for 70 years, until her death on Thursday, September 8, 2022. She was 96.

For at least 12 days after her death, Britain will grind to a halt, potentially costing the UK economy billions in lost earnings.

But it's not just the economy. King Charles III has ascended to the throne, and the words of the national anthem will be updated.

Buckingham Palace has long planned for the days following the Queen's death. The plan for if her death occurred in Scotland was reportedly called "Operation Unicorn."

london travel queen death

In a statement sent to Insider, Buckingham Palace said the Queen "died peacefully at Balmoral" on Thursday afternoon.

Inside Buckingham Palace, arrangements for handling the Queen's death and the subsequent succession were said to have been codenamed "London Bridge." The Guardian reported that the plan for if she were to die at Balmoral was codenamed "Operation Unicorn."

The detailed plan reportedly included a "call cascade" to alert Britain's leaders of the queen's death. The prime minister, the cabinet secretary, and the Privy Council Office were all to be informed, followed by an official public notification.

According to The Daily Beast , plans had long been in place to announce the Queen's death at 8 a.m. if she had died overnight.

Most staff members at the palace will be sent home.

london travel queen death

The royal court has a staff hotline for distributing news and instructions to employees in case of a major event.

Most staff members at the palace and associated institutions will be immediately sent home once the announcement has been made, a former staff member of the palace told Insider.

All parliamentary business will be postponed.

london travel queen death

Sources told Insider that all parliamentary business, "including scheduled meetings of Select Committee and All-Part Parliamentary Groups," will be postponed until after September 21, 2022.

Condolences will pour in from around the world.

london travel queen death

Given Britain's global presence through its embassies, former colonies, and the Commonwealth (which swears loyalty to the crown), the Queen's death is a top news story around the world.

The immediate official government response in the UK — beyond the expected statements of condolences from leaders around the world — will be harder to predict, the former palace employee told Insider.

The last death of a monarch was in 1952; procedures that seemed apt then may be woefully antiquated in the 21st century. Mourners  wore black armbands to show respect for King George VI , for example, but similar public displays of mourning may not be employed today.

Flags will fly at half-staff.

london travel queen death

Flags were lowered to half-staff at Windsor Castle following Queen Elizabeth II's death on Thursday. Across the Atlantic Ocean in the United States, flags were ordered to be flown at half-staff at the Capitol, the chief of staff for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi tweeted .

In the UK, flags will be flown at half-staff until 8 a.m. the day after the funeral, according to guidance from the Greater London Lieutenancy , with the exception of Proclamation Day (more on that shortly). Churches may also toll their bells to mark the day of the Queen's death or the day after. 

The day of the funeral will be declared a bank holiday.

Many businesses in the UK will close.

london travel queen death

Following Princess Diana's death in 1997, The Guardian's Jonathan Freedland wrote that many Britons felt "forced to close their shops or cancel sporting events on the day of the funeral, lest they feel the rage of the tear-stained hordes outside."

Given the Queen's stature and how intrinsically she was woven into the fabric of modern Britain, there is likely to be even greater public mourning for her death.

The protocols that government bodies will follow will emanate from the Department of Culture, Media, and Sport (though they may also originate from the palace).

Britain's overseas outposts will also be in mourning.

london travel queen death

A former ambassador told Insider that overseas posts would look to the Foreign Office for urgent guidance.

Social functions will be canceled, and the Union Flag will be flown at half-staff until after the funeral, just like in the UK. Officials will enter a period of mourning and dress appropriately. Condolence books will be prepared for visitors to leave messages.

But the ambassador also stressed that there is a lot of uncertainty about what will actually happen, as it has been so long since the death of a British monarch.

Behind closed doors at the palace, an "Accession Council" will convene.

london travel queen death

Once most staff members are gone and tourist attractions are closed, an Accession Council will be held at St. James's Palace to formally declare the successor: Prince Charles.

The Accession Council will be attended by privy councillors, lords, the lord mayor of the city of London, and high commissioners of certain Commonwealth countries, among others.

This council is not required, however, to make Queen Elizabeth II's successor "official," as Charles will become the monarch from the moment of her death. There is never not a sovereign on the throne. This is also why the Royal Standard is never flown at half-mast, unlike the Union Flag.

The new monarch will swear loyalty to Parliament at the council, and an "Access Proclamation" will be issued.

london travel queen death

At the council, the new monarch will swear loyalty to Parliament and to the Church of England. They will also become the new supreme governor of the church. (Catholics cannot ascend to the throne.)

The council will also make a Proclamation of Accession to be read on Proclamation Day, soon after the death, in  London, Edinburgh, Windsor, York, and other towns and villages throughout the country .

Politicians will swear allegiance to the new monarch.

london travel queen death

Both houses of Parliament will have the opportunity to take a new oath of allegiance to the new monarch. All members must swear allegiance to the present monarch.

Members will also present addresses of condolences and loyalty to the new sovereign, a House of Lords representative told Insider, in a format that is yet to be determined.

A few senior members of the House of Commons will take an oath to the new King during the Queen's tribute on Saturday, according to a Twitter announcement from the Parliament .

After this, both houses will be suspended until after the official state funeral.

Prince Charles is now King Charles III.

london travel queen death

Charles didn't necessarily have to become "King Charles."

Upon ascending to the throne, royals may pick their regal name from any of their Christian or middle names.

Arthur Bousfield and Garry Toffoli, the authors of "Fifty Years the Queen," wrote that  when Queen Elizabeth II was asked what she wanted her regnal name to be, she said, "My own, of course — what else?"

Charles felt similarly inclined. He is now King Charles III; his title was announced by Prime Minister Liz Truss.

"Today the crown passes, as it has done for more than 1,000 years, to our new monarch — our new head of state — His Majesty King Charles III," Truss said on Thursday as she addressed the nation.

Prince William won't become king ... yet.

london travel queen death

William will become the new Prince of Wales , Charles' former role.

Charles has prepared for this job for his entire life. At 73, he is the oldest person in British history to become king.

"Impatient? Me? What a thing to suggest! Yes of course I am,"  he said in 2012 , according to The Telegraph. "I'll run out of time soon. I shall have snuffed it if I'm not careful."

Camilla, formerly the Duchess of Cornwall, is now the Queen Consort.

london travel queen death

Camilla was expected to become princess consort instead of queen, but Queen Elizabeth II announced in February 2022 that she wanted the Duchess of Cornwall to be known as Queen Camilla .

"When, in the fullness of time, my son Charles becomes King, I know you will give him and his wife Camilla the same support you have given me; and it is my sincere wish that, when the time comes, Camilla will be known as Queen Consort as she continues her own loyal service," the Queen wrote in her Platinum Jubilee message.

The Queen's body will lie in state.

london travel queen death

The Queen's coffin will be prepared to lie in state, meaning it will be presented for public viewing so people can pay their respects.

The Queen's body will lie in state in Westminster Hall. There will be a short ceremony to mark the coffin's arrival, after which people will be able to file past and pay their respects. The hall will be open all but a single hour a day, the representative said.

There may be a new Vigil of the Princes.

london travel queen death

When the Queen Mother lay in state after her death in 2002, her grandsons briefly relieved the official guard to stand guard over her coffin in what was called the Vigil of the Princes. Something similar happened after the death of King George V.

It's likely that a similar act of remembrance would be accorded to Queen Elizabeth II.

More than 200,000 people paid their respects as the Queen Mother lay in state, and the scale of mourning for the Queen is likely to eclipse that.

There will be a public outpouring of grief.

london travel queen death

When Diana died, tens of thousands of people laid flowers outside Buckingham Palace. As many as 1 million bouquets were estimated to have been left. People queued for 10 hours or more to sign memorial books.

Though the day of her funeral wasn't a national holiday, one person described it to the BBC as "everything closed, saturation TV coverage, no one at work."

There were "scenes of unbelievable grief," another person said, adding: "It was as though all of these people had lost someone incredibly dear to them and their emotion was genuine."

The funeral will be attended by leaders from around the globe.

london travel queen death

Queen Elizabeth II's body will lie in state until the day of the funeral, which will be a public holiday. There will be a 10-day mourning period starting Friday, sources told Insider. The House of Commons will sit for tributes on Friday, from 12 p.m. to 10 p.m., and on Saturday, from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m., according to a tweet from the Parliament .

After the 10-day mourning period, the coffin will then be transported to Westminster Abbey by gun carriage for a state funeral.

At 9 a.m. that day, Big Ben's bell will ring once , then the bell's hammer will be covered with a leather pad to dampen its tones for the rest of the day.

World leaders will come to pay their respects. The Queen was the most senior head of state in the world, having been on the throne for more than 70 years.

Billions of people around the world will watch the funeral.

london travel queen death

On the day of Princess Diana's funeral , "over a million people lined the route of the funeral cortege to the abbey," according to the BBC, with 30 million British people tuning in to watch it. Worldwide, there were as many as 2.5 billion viewers.

The viewership of Queen Elizabeth II's funeral is likely to be equivalent, if not even more.

The service will be led by Justin Welby, the archbishop of Canterbury and the second-most senior figure in the Church of England (after the monarch).

The Queen will be buried at the King George VI memorial chapel at Windsor Castle.

london travel queen death

After the funeral, Queen Elizabeth II will be buried in the King George VI memorial chapel in Windsor, according to The Telegraph.

The body of her late husband, Prince Philip, who died at age 99 on April 9, 2021 , will be moved from the Royal Vault beneath St. George's Chapel to join her .

A year later, it will be time for a coronation.

london travel queen death

After a certain period of mourning — up to a year or so — there will be a coronation. It's a highly ceremonial affair, and Charles' authority as sovereign will not derive from the ceremony, so he could choose to forgo it altogether.

But assuming Charles does not wish to totally break with tradition, it will, again, be held at Westminster Abbey and officiated by the Archbishop of Canterbury.

Here's some archive footage illustrating the pomp and ceremony of Queen Elizabeth II's coronation .

The coronation will cost Britain billions of pounds.

london travel queen death

The entire event will be broadcast on television and streamed online, and there will be parties throughout the country, just like after the royal wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton in 2011.

As a national holiday,  that wedding lost the economy between £1.2 billion and £6 billion , and the coronation will be similar — in addition to the direct cost to the taxpayer of holding the largest British ceremonial event since the 1950s.

New currency will be printed and minted immediately.

london travel queen death

British currency bears images of the monarch, and the portraits of Charles will already have been made in preparation.

The entire stock of currency won't be replaced overnight, however, but will take several years, much like how older notes and coins are gradually removed from circulation today.

The British national anthem will change.

london travel queen death

"God Save The Queen" will get some new lyrics — or some old ones, rather. It will become "God Save The King," as it was before Queen Elizabeth II ascended to the throne.

Here's a video of Julie Andrews singing the old national anthem to King George VI in 1948 .

Police officers will need new uniforms, as will soldiers.

london travel queen death

Police will need new insignia on their helmets, which currently display the Queen's initials and regnal number.

Likewise, a great deal of military insignia will require updating.

Passports and stamps will need to be updated.

london travel queen death

Passports, too, will need a refresh — the British passport currently "requests and requires in the Name of Her Majesty all those whom it may concern to allow the bearer to pass freely without let or hindrance."

Stamps will also need updating to show the new king's head.

Even mailboxes will need a change.

london travel queen death

After the Queen was crowned, her regnal number, II, caused controversy in Scotland, which she also rules, as there was never a Scottish Elizabeth I. When postboxes bearing her cypher were erected in Scotland, some were attacked and vandalized.

The Queen will also be memorialized.

london travel queen death

The fourth plinth in London's Trafalgar Square is currently dedicated to temporary statues and works of art, but former London Mayor Ken Livingstone  said his understanding was that  "the fourth plinth is being reserved for Queen Elizabeth II."

Daniel Boan contributed to an earlier version of this story.

london travel queen death

  • Main content

Operation London Bridge: What happens next after the Queen’s death, from period of mourning to state funeral

The accession council will meet at st james’s palace to proclaim charles the new king, watched by hundreds of privy councillors.

LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 10: Puddles form in front of Buckingham Palace on March 10, 2021 in London, England. On Tuesday evening, the Palace issued a statement on behalf of the Queen responding to the recent interview that Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, gave to American TV personality Oprah Winfrey, describing their troubled relationship with other members of the royal family. The statement read that "The whole family is saddened to learn the full extent of how challenging the last few years have been for Harry and Meghan. The issues raised, particularly that of race, are concerning. While some recollections may vary, they are taken very seriously and will be addressed by the family privately. Harry, Meghan and Archie will always be much-loved family members." (Photo by Rob Pinney/Getty Images)

A meticulously planned operation codenamed London Bridge has swung into action following the death of Queen Elizabeth II , with a period of mourning to be declared as the nation prepares for what is expected to be the biggest state funeral since the death of Queen Victoria.

The operation has been decades in the planning, but an army of courtiers, aides and Government officials are now finalising the details as the nation mourns the passing of a monarch who spent seven decades on the throne.

Of all the potential eventualities considered under the operation, the plans for the return of the Queen’s body to London from Balmoral, where she had been spending her usual summer break, are the most complicated.

Under Operation Unicorn , which forms part of Operation London Bridge, the Scottish Parliament is immediately suspended before the Queen is taken to the Palace of Holyroodhouse for a short period, and then St Giles’ Cathedral on the Royal Mile in Edinburgh. Her body will then be returned to London.

The nation has already heard from King Charles III as he addressed 2.5 billion people across the Commonwealth.

In a written statement on the Queen’s passing, he said: “The death of my beloved mother, Her Majesty the Queen, is a moment of the greatest sadness for me and all members of my family.

“We mourn profoundly the passing of a cherished Sovereign and a much-loved mother. I know her loss will be deeply felt throughout the country, the Realms and the Commonwealth, and by countless people around the world.

“During this period of mourning and change, my family and I will be comforted and sustained by our knowledge of the respect and deep affection in which the Queen was so widely held.”

Under the original plans, the day of the Queen’s death would have been known as D-Day, with each day that follows up to the Queen’s funeral known as D plus the number of days that have passed.

But the announcement came late in the day – at about 6.30pm on Thursday – meaning plans have been shifted a day to allow the complex arrangements to be put in place, so D+0 will be considered to be Friday.

This is how Operation London Bridge will unfold:

World is told of the Queen’s death

The world was told by Buckingham Palace that the Queen was under medical supervision at Balmoral at around midday on Thursday after doctors became concerned for her health.

The new Prime Minister, Liz Truss, who met the Queen at Balmoral on Tuesday, was in the Commons announcing the Government’s new energy policy when that news was made public. She was told of the Queen’s death by the Cabinet Secretary at 4.30pm while she was working in Downing Street.

Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall were already in Scotland and left Dumfries House to head to Balmoral earlier in the morning, with the Duke of Cambridge, the Duke of Sussex, Prince Edward, Edward’s wife Sophie the Countess of Wessex, Prince Andrew and Princess Anne also travelling to be at the Queen’s bedside.

The news of the Queen’s death was announced to the world at 6.30pm in an official notification from the Royal Family, which was then posted on the gates of Buckingham Palace.

It said: “The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon. The King and the Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow.”

On BBC1, Huw Edwards announced the Queen’s death to viewers as he Union Flag could be seen being lowered on the roof of Buckingham Palace.

He said: “In the last few minutes, Buckingham Palace has announced the death of Queen Elizabeth II.”

Flags were immediately lowered to half-mast at royal residences and in Whitehall, including on the roof of Downing Street, with Government websites showing a black banner.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are now to be known as the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and Cambridge.

Crowds began to gather outside the gates of Buckingham Palace in heavy rain, with the first floral tributes being laid. A line of hackney Ccarriages stopped in the Mall to pay tribute. Applause rang out outside the palace, and at one point three cheers.

The floral tributes started as a trickle and will flood every inch of ground outside the gates of the Royal palaces. Bells began to toll at Westminster Abbey, St Paul’s Cathedral and Windsor Castle.

Security officers guard the gates of Balmoral Castle, amid concerns over Britain Queen Elizabeth's health, in Balmoral, Scotland, Britain September 8, 2022. REUTERS/Russell Cheyne

A statement from the King

It will be up to King Charles to decide on the length of mourning for members of the Royal Household, but this is expected to last a month.

It is a tradition introduced by Queen Victoria following the death of Prince Albert, when she began to correspond with stationery with a black border. Following the death of Prince Philip, Queen Elizabeth II used a black rather than a red crest on her stationery.

The King and his wife Camilla remained at Balmoral on Thursday night and returned to London on Friday.

Gun salutes took place across the country to mark each of the 96 years of the Queen’s life.

There were 11 saluting stations around the UK, including at Edinburgh Castle, Stirling Castle, Woolwich, Cardiff, Belfast, Plymouth, Dover Castle and York, as well as in Gibraltar. A national minute’s silence will be announced.

At a time to be confirmed, Ms Truss will meet the new King before he makes the hardest and most emotional public statement of his life. It is expected to take place at 6pm on Friday.

During the televised speech, King Charles will pay tribute to his mother’s service in the decades since she succeeded to the throne in 1952. He will also seek to reassure a nation and a Commonwealth in mourning.

There is likely to be a service of remembrance at St Paul’s Cathedral, where members of the public are expected to gather to pray for the Queen. The Prime Minister and senior ministers are expected to attend.

The Accession Council meets

The Accession Council is due to meet at St James’s Palace on Saturday, the official seat of the Royal Court, which was built between 1531 and 1536 by Henry VIII. The palace stands next door to Clarence House.

The council is formed of all Privy Counsellors, Great Officers of State, the Lord Mayor of London, the Realm High Commissioners and senior civil servants.

Since the Act of Settlement of 1701, a new monarch succeeds automatically, and the Accession Council confirms by name the identity of the heir who has succeeded .

The gathering will proclaim Charles the new sovereign. Members of the council will be expected to wear morning dress or lounge suits with black or dark ties. No military decorations are to be worn.

Monarchs are required to make an oath to “maintain and preserve” the Church of Scotland. Once Charles has made the oath, the Garter King of Arms will step onto the Proclamation Gallery overlooking Friary Court to proclaim him King.

In 1952, the council met twice so that the Queen could give the oath when she returned from Kenya.

According to Operation London Bridge documents leaked in September 2020, the accession proclamation will be read at St James’s Palace and at the Royal Exchange in the City of London after a copy is taken by hand to Mansion House. It will also be read in Edinburgh and Cardiff and at Stormont in Northern Ireland.

While “the Queen is dead, long live the King” is commonly believed to be part of the official proclamation, it is only tradition that causes it to be recited after the proclamation is read aloud by town criers.

King Charles will also hold his first Privy Council meeting, accompanied by Camilla and the Duke of Cornwall and Cambridge, who are Privy Counsellors. Around the country, Union Flags will go back up to full-mast and remain there for 24 hours in honour of the proclamation before returning to half-mast.

MPs offer messages of condolence

The House of Commons will sit at midday on Friday to pay tribute to the Queen, with memories and praise expected to be shared until 10pm. This will commence again on Saturday afternoon.

This could last more than one day as the 650 members take turns to speak. On the day of George VI’s death, Winston Churchill offered his condolences in a short message in the Commons, which have been recorded in black-bordered pages in Hansard, the official parliamentary record.

“The House will have learned of the death of His Majesty King George VI. We cannot at this moment do more than record the spontaneous expression of grief,” he said.

The Prime Minister and the Cabinet are expected to hold an audience with the new King to help him prepare and confirm arrangements for the days ahead.

Visitors walk past Buckingham palace, central London, on September 8, 2022. - Fears grew on September 8, 2022 for Queen Elizabeth II after Buckingham Palace said her doctors were "concerned" for her health and recommended that she remain under medical supervision. The 96-year-old head of state -- Britain's longest-serving monarch -- has been dogged by health problems since last October that have left her with difficulties walking and standing. (Photo by Daniel LEAL / AFP) (Photo by DANIEL LEAL/AFP via Getty Images)

The Queen’s body will be brought back to London

Operation London Bridge takes in Operation Unicorn, the contingency plans for the scenario of the Queen dying in Scotland.

Under the original plans, the Queen’s body would have been carried by Royal Train to London from Waverley station in Edinburgh, but it is now thought that she will be flown to the UK’s capital on Tuesday after people in Scotland have had chance to pay their respects.

It is likely that St Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh will be the main place for the public to pay their respects in Scotland, with the Queen taken to the Palace of Holyroodhouse beforehand. Ahead of this, the coffin, covered with the royal standard of Scotland, will remain at Balmoral to give staff a chance to pay their respects.

Ms Truss and senior ministers are expected to meet the Queen’s coffin on arrival in London before she is taken to Buckingham Palace.

The undertakers are expected to be Leverton and Sons, based in Camden. The firm has been an independent funeral directors for 230 years and was last called upon by the Royal Family when Prince Philip died in April 2021.

It is thought the Queen’s casket was made by Henry Smith in Battersea and was inherited by Leverton. Like Philip’s lead-lined coffin, it is likely to be made of English oak.

The new King tours the UK

After King Charles III receives a motion of condolence at Westminster Hall, the plan is for him to tour the UK in the days before the Queen’s funeral.

In an operation known as Spring Tide, his tour is expected to begin with a visit to the Scottish Parliament and a service at St Giles’ Cathedral.

He will then visit Northern Ireland, where he will receive another motion of condolence at Hillsborough Castle and attend a service at St Anne’s Cathedral in Belfast.

Next, he will head to Wales for another motion of condolence at the Welsh Parliament and to attend a service at Llandaff Cathedral in Cardiff.

King Charles will then return to London for the Queen’s funeral . He will join hundreds of thousands of people from across the UK in paying his respects to the Queen at the lying in state.

The lying in state

Before the lying in state, the Queen’s coffin will proceed from Buckingham Palace to the Palace of Westminster on Wednesday. This section has been codenamed Operation Lion.

The procession will be watched on television by millions of people. It is expected the Queen will then lie in state at the Palace of Westminster for four days – this period is codenamed Operation Feather.

The Archbishop of Canterbury will perform a short service following the coffin’s arrival. VIPs will be given tickets to avoid having to queue, with others queuing to view the coffin up to 23 hours a day.

It is likely, as happened when the Queen Mother died, that people will sleep in line overnight for a chance to pay their respects.

The Queen’s coffin will lie on a raised box known as a catafalque in the middle of the hall, and each corner will be guarded around the clock.

One notable event at the lying in state of King George V was the Vigil of the Princes, with the four sons of the late king standing guard together for a time.

The vigil was recalled 65 years later at the lying in state of the Queen Mother, when her grandsons – the Prince of Wales, the Duke of York, the Earl of Wessex and Viscount Linley – stood guard together.

When the Queen Mother died in 2002, she lay in state for three days, with an estimated 200,000 people visiting to pay their respects.

When Sir Winston Churchill died aged 90 in 1965, more than 320,000 filed past his coffin. Edward Bacon, a reporter from the Illustrated London News , described the procession through the hall as having “the mesmeric effect of a river flowing past”.

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The Queen’s funeral

The Queen’s funeral is to take place at Westminster Abbey in around 10 days’ time, before a committal service at St George’s Chapel.

The day will be declared a public holiday in the form of a National Day of Mourning. It is expected to have a similar feel to the Queen Mother’s funeral in 2002.

On the eve of the funeral, heads of state and royals will fly in to Heathrow from around the world.

Businesses will halt and shops will close as billions of people across the country and around the world gather around their TV screens.

The Queen Mother’s funeral was watched by an estimated 10 million people in the UK, and the Duke of Edinburgh’s funeral in April 2020 by 13.6 million.

It is expected that well over a million people will pour into London to line the streets for the procession. In a striking assessment of how the public could react, previously leaked plans for Operation London Bridge suggested that London could become “full” for the first time ever as huge numbers travel to the capital, with public transport, policing and basic services stretched to breaking point and a vast security operation to manage crowds.

State funerals changed greatly after the death of Queen Victoria, who wanted a much more military event than previous monarchs.

It was Victoria who requested that her body be carried on a gun carriage as she wanted to be buried as “a soldier’s daughter”. Since that time it has been tradition for the gun carriage to be drawn by a Royal Guard of sailors.

A more recent tradition of state funerals has been the ringing of Big Ben before 10am, with as many strokes as there were years of the monarch’s life. It last happened on the death of George VI.

The original plan has long been for the Queen to be carried on a gun carriage to Westminster Abbey, with the sailors using ropes rather than horses to pull the carriage along.

Senior members of the family are expected to follow behind, as they did for the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales, and the Duke of Edinburgh.

The military will line the streets and also join the procession.

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Heads of state, prime ministers and presidents, European royals and key figures from public life will be invited to gather in the abbey, which can hold a congregation of 2,000.

The same day as the funeral, the Queen’s coffin will be taken to St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle for a televised committal service. Later in the evening, there will be a private interment service with senior members of the Royal Family.

The Queen’s final resting place will be the King George VI Memorial Chapel in the Windsor Castle grounds. The tiny chapel is also the resting place of the Queen’s father and mother, and the ashes of her sister, Princess Margaret.

Prince Philip’s coffin will move from the Royal Vault to the memorial chapel to join the Queen’s.

The Queen and her consort, who were married for 73 years, will be together once again.

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Inside Operation London Bridge: The plan for what happens after the Queen dies

london travel queen death

Queen Elizabeth passed away Thursday at the age of 96, ending a 70-year reign as monarch. She was the world’s longest-serving monarch.

It’s a sad time, but one that the Crown has been preparing for since the 1960s. The plan for what to do after Elizabeth’s death is called Operation London Bridge , and the steps that will be taken now that the Queen has died are strictly controlled. Here’s what to expect:

It starts with a phone call. At the time of the Queen’s death, Sir Edward Young, her private secretary, called the Prime Minister and said “London Bridge is down.” It was just Tuesday that Elizabeth met with and appointed newly installed U.K. Prime Minister Liz Truss following the resignation of Boris Johnson, who bid his farewell to the Queen earlier that day.

The notifications

After the Prime Minister had been alerted, news went out to the 15 governments where the Queen was still head of state, including Jamaica, New Zealand, Australia, Papua New Guinea, Canada, and the Bahamas. After that, officials in the 38 other nations in the Commonwealth were alerted to the news.

A footman dressed in black pinned an official notice to the gates of Buckingham Palace.

london travel queen death

At the BBC, there’s an alarm that signals national emergencies . Many who work there had no idea what it sounds like, but it went off when the Queen died. At that point, the BBC’s logo, which is usually red, was changed to black. And all anchors changed into black suits and ties.

That logo change occurred a little before 9:45 a.m. ET.

The transition of power

Flags were lowered to half-mast and Prince Charles unofficially became king immediately upon Elizabeth’s death. He is expected to make his first speech as head of state as early as this evening, though that has not been formally announced.

On Friday, flags will be raised again and at 11:00 a.m. local time, Charles will officially become king and Camilla will become the U.K.’s queen.

He’ll then undertake a tour of the U.K., stopping in Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Wales to attend services. While that takes place, Westminster Hall will be prepped for Elizabeth’s funeral.

The funeral

Four days after Elizabeth’s death, there will be a procession from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall. Elizabeth will lie in state for four days, and she will be be buried nine days after her passing.

Two thousand invited guests, largely heads of state, will attend in person. The funeral will be broadcast globally.

Elizabeth is expected to then be buried next to her late husband, Prince Philip, and her father, King George VI.

There’s much more to Operation London Bridge, which is an incredibly detailed preparation for the monarch’s passing.

For instance, because Elizabeth died at Balmoral, her body will first lie in Holyroodhouse, Edinburgh, before being carried up the Royal Mile to St. Giles’s Cathedral.

Afterward, it will be put on the Royal to return to London. The BBC will also cancel all comedy shows for 12 days following her death.

And, of course, the words to the national anthem have now been changed to “God Save the King.”

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'operation london bridge' maps out the 10 days after queen elizabeth's death.

Britain's intricate protocol of handling Queen Elizabeth II's death, Operation London Bridge, is set in motion, and lays out the steps for...

london travel queen death

Updated September 11, 2022 at 2:53 PM ET

Queen Elizabeth II is being mourned by her family, fans and admirers. In Britain, her death at age 96 has thrown a state apparatus into motion that has sat idle for 70 years — since Elizabeth's father, King George VI, died in 1952.

The British government dubbed the intricate protocol of handling Elizabeth's death "Operation London Bridge." It ranges from succession rules to the process of bringing the queen's coffin from Balmoral Castle in Scotland to London.

The London Bridge plans were leaked to Politico last fall. Some of the details may have changed since then — but using them as a guide, here's a brief look at what the documents say will happen in the first 10 days after the end of the queen's record-setting reign:

Day Zero (Sept. 8)

The royal household notifies the public of the queen's death. Prince Charles immediately succeeds to the throne upon his mother's death. He will be known as King Charles III. His wife, Camilla, becomes queen consort. The couple stay at Balmoral overnight.

Flags fly at half-staff across the British government, and will remain so until 8 a.m. on the morning after the queen's funeral. Charles issues a brief statement , as does U.K. Prime Minister Liz Truss .

Numerous commemorations are planned, from moments of silence to military gun salutes and remembrances in honor of Elizabeth.

The royal family posts an online Book of Condolence on its website.

Day 1 (Sept. 9)

The king announced a period of royal mourning, to be observed until seven days after the queen's funeral on Monday, Sept. 19.

Two 96-round gun salutes honoring the queen — one round for each year of her life — were fired at 1 p.m. local time Friday in London, in Hyde Park and at the Tower of London.

Both houses of Parliament delay their start until noon, when they observe a moment of silence for the late queen. Members then begin delivering tributes , with proceedings expected to run until about 10 p.m.

St. Paul's Cathedral holds a service of prayer and reflection for Elizabeth, starting at 6 p.m. local time. The service is open to up to 2,000 members of the public and is streamed online.

On Saturday morning, the Accession Council met at St. James's Palace in London, where it formally declared Elizabeth's death and proclaimed the new sovereign's accession to the throne . Charles then read and signed a centuries-old oath to uphold the security of the Church in Scotland and ensure continuity of government.

Members of the public leave floral tributes at the Cambridge Gate, the entrance to the grounds of Windsor Castle, on Friday, after Queen Elizabeth II died at the age of 96.

On the same day, senior members of Parliament took an oath of allegiance to King Charles III. The two houses continued their tributes and framed a message of condolence to the king.

Meanwhile, in Scotland, a procession will transport the queen's coffin from the Palace of Holyroodhouse to St. Giles' Cathedral in Edinburgh on Monday, Sept. 12. The king and other members of the royal family will take part in the procession and attend a service at the cathedral, after which the public will be able to pay their respects.

On Tuesday, the Royal Air Force will transport Elizabeth's body from Scotland to London.

On Wednesday, a ceremonial procession by the King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery will accompany her coffin from Buckingham Palace to Westminster. There, the Archbishop of Canterbury will conduct a short ceremony, after which she will lie in state at Westminster Hall for several days. The public will be able to visit for 23 hours of each day.

As final funeral preparations are being made in London, Charles will travel to Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales, visiting leaders in the United Kingdom.

Day 11 (Sept. 19)

On Monday, Sept. 19, a state funeral service will be held at Westminster Abbey, triggering an observance of two minutes' silence in the U.K. World leaders, including President Biden, are expected to attend. Immediately after the service, another procession will take place from Westminster to Wellington Arch in Hyde Park.

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Travel warnings for those planning to go to London for Queen Elizabeth II state funeral

  • Wednesday 14 September 2022 at 2:54pm

london travel queen death

Travel companies have started to put plans in place for Queen Elizabeth II's state funeral , urging people to plan ahead.

Great Western Rail said they will follow similar plans to what they had for the Royal wedding which included queuing systems, extra carriages and additional trains for certain lines.

A Rail Delivery Group spokesperson said:  "The rail industry is doing all it can to ensure people can travel to pay their respects during the period of mourning. Where possible – we will be running some extra services and customers should check journey planners for the most up to date information." 

People are being urged to check service details before travelling and to be prepared for very busy trains and stations. During this period, restrictions on tickets have also been eased.

This means that anytime, off-peak and super off-peak ticket holders will be able to get fee-free refunds on tickets if they were purchased before the announcement of Her Majesty the Queen’s death on September 8.

National Express also described an increased demand for services since the plans for the Queen's funeral were announced.

The coach company has warned that normal routes and stops will be subject to change due to road closures.

National Express said: "We have seen a significant increase in both enquiries and bookings on all London routes on our national scheduled coach network for travel throughout this week and the day of the state funeral.

"We are working hard to increase availability to meet this additional demand but are already busier than normal so our advice is to plan ahead and book in advance of travel. Normal routes and stops will be subject to change due to road closures. Latest information will be updated on our website and social media channels."

For four days,  the public will be able to file past the Queen’s closed coffin in the ancient Westminster Hall .

Queues will be very long, will continuously move – with little chance to rest or sit down – and are expected to stretch throughout central London, the government has warned.

When it comes to travelling in London, the same advice is echoed with "unprecedented travel demand" expected.

From Wednesday, it is "essential" to plan journeys in advance using the latest information, according to a joint statement by Network Rail, Transport for London and industry body the Rail Delivery Group.

The organisations said: "As Her Majesty’s coffin travels to London to lie in state at the Palace of Westminster, it is expected that we will see unprecedented travel demand in the capital, especially from Wednesday 14 September.

"Transport providers have well-developed plans with extra staff and services coming on-stream to help people get to where they need to be."

London Underground passengers are urged to avoid Green Park station "if possible" due to "high numbers of customers passing through".

It is the nearest station to Buckingham Palace, but other nearby options include Victoria, Piccadilly Circus and St James’ Park.

A special service will run on the Elizabeth line railway between London’s Paddington and Abbey Wood on Sunday to ease the pressure on other parts of the transport network.

Monday's (September 19) travel warning comes as government officials are planning for at least 750,000 visitors to descend on Westminster to pay their respects to the Queen, according to The Times.

The hours leading up to the Queen's death: Where were the royal family? Who made it to Balmoral? How the day unfolded

Prince Andrew and Prince Edward  can be seen inside a SUV driving along a road in scotland with people taking photos

As news of Queen Elizabeth II's sudden ill health broke, members of the royal family rushed to be by her side at her Balmoral estate on Thursday.

It is believed that only her two eldest children reached the estate before she died.

Here's how it all unfolded. All times are UK time.

King Charles III and Princess Anne: By the Queen's bedside

By chance, King Charles III and the Queen's only daughter — Anne, Princess Royal — had both been in Scotland this week.

On early Thursday morning, it was confirmed that the King, at the time Prince Charles, caught the royal helicopter from Dumfries House in Ayrshire.

Camilla — now the Queen Consort — also travelled to Balmoral, but it is unclear if she travelled alone or alongside her husband.

"Their Royal Highnesses The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall have travelled to Balmoral," a Clarence House spokesperson said, according to Reuters. 

The Dumfries House estate belongs to Charles in Ayrshire, Scotland. It's about 245 kilometres from Balmoral. 

Princess Anne and Prince Charles laugh to each other next to Camilla as they sit at the Fife Memorial Park in Braemar Scotland

The Princess Royal was already in Scotland, having carried out events earlier in the week including the Braemar Royal Highland Gathering, which she was pictured attending alongside Charles and Camilla.

They were both able to reach the estate in time to say goodbye. 

Where were William and Kate? 

Later on Thursday afternoon Prince William, now the Prince of Wales, Prince Andrew, Prince Edward and Sophie the Countess of Wessex flew into Aberdeen airport. It was reported they flew on an RAF plane that arrived from RAF Northolt. 

The four then travelled by car to the Queen's Balmoral estate, a journey of about 73 kilometres.

BBC Scotland journalist Linda Sinclair said they arrived at Balmoral Castle at 5:11pm.

Prime Minister Liz Truss was informed of the Queen's passing at 4:30pm, Downing Street confirmed. Ms Truss was told the news by Cabinet Secretary Simon Case.

This meant that the four royals missed seeing the Queen before she died. 

Kate, now the Princess of Wales, did not travel to Scotland to accompany her husband. Instead, she stayed at Windsor while her three children were in school.

Prince Harry the last to arrive and first to leave 

Meghan Markle smiles as she speaks to her husband Prince Harry

Prince Harry was the last of the senior royals to arrive at Balmoral on Thursday.

The Duke of Sussex arrived at Balmoral shortly after the announcement of the Queen's death. He made his way to Scotland by himself while it's believed his wife Meghan stayed behind at Windsor Castle

Photos show the duke travelling to Balmoral alone, sitting in the back seat of a black vehicle. He took the vehicle to the estate after touching down at Aberdeen airport. 

prince harry can be seen in the back seat of a black car covered with rain with two people in the front seat

Sky News's Political Editor in the UK, Beth Rigby, confirmed the Duchess of Sussex did not accompany him to Balmoral.  

The news of the Queen's death was confirmed to the nation at   6.31pm. Buckingham Palace said in a statement: "The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon. The King and The Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow." 

It is understood that both Harry and Meghan were already in the UK, due to attend the WellChild Awards in London on Thursday evening in London. 

The duke was first to leave Balmoral Castle on Friday morning. He was spotted in a black Range Rover driving out of the gates at 8:20am. 

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‘Just a Human’: Londoners Offer Sympathy on Princess’s Cancer Diagnosis

Many expressed compassion for Catherine, Princess of Wales, a woman who has spent much of the past two decades with every aspect of her life scrutinized.

  • Share full article

Catherine, Princess of Wales.

By Megan Specia

Reporting from London

The morning after Britain finally got some answers about what had kept Catherine, Princess of Wales, away from public view — that she is receiving treatment for cancer — the handful of news cameras set up on Saturday outside Kensington Palace were the only suggestion that anything was amiss.

The sun shone as Londoners went out for their morning runs in the surrounding park, children biked under budding trees and tourists waited for the palace, where Catherine and her family live, to open the doors of its public areas to visitors.

As news of her illness filtered out after weeks of speculation and suspicion, many expressed their shock and their concern for a well-liked member of the British royal family who is in line to one day be queen. Many also seemed to want to throw a protective arm around a woman whose every move has been scrutinized in her marriage to Prince William .

“I just hope for the best for her,” said Helen Mercer, 68, who was reading a book on a bench near the palace.

Ms. Mercer, who was born in Canada but lives in London, said she had grown up with admiration for the royal family. Both of her parents are British, and she said that while her daughter had told her it was not “cool” to be a royalist, she had a fondness for the House of Windsor.

“They’ve always just sort of been there,” she said, but added that she felt the wild speculation about Catherine had been sickening. “I do wonder what all those people that hopped on that bandwagon are feeling now,” she said. “I hope they feel terrible.”

The palace had urged the public and the news media to respect Catherine’s privacy as she recovered from a major abdominal surgery in January. But as the days drew into weeks, the rumor mill swirled — with conspiracy theories growing deeper and wilder — about what was keeping such a prominent member of the royal family out of view.

In a video statement on Friday evening, Catherine, 42, announced that she had been diagnosed with cancer, but did not specify the type and said that her focus now would be on her recovery and her family.

She is the second member of Britain’s royal family to be diagnosed with cancer in recent weeks. Buckingham Palace announced in February that her father-in-law, King Charles III, was being treated for cancer .

“Your heart goes out to William,” Ms. Mercer said on Saturday. “With his father and his wife both being diagnosed with cancer, it’s just so hard.”

On Friday evening, others also lamented the spotlight Catherine had fallen under in recent weeks.

“She is still just a human,” Aaron Viera, 33, a lifelong Londoner, said as he shared a drink with friends outside the Goat Tavern, steps from Kensington Palace. “It’s just really sad that she has to go through this.”

One of the friends, Maryann, 35, posited that much of the recent frenzy around the princess had been driven by an American “obsession” with Britain’s royals, which had put a huge amount of international attention on her absence from public duties.

While the royals have long been fodder for Britain’s tabloid press, the family is also viewed as a part of the country’s identity, and many British papers have shown some level of restraint when it came to outright speculation about Catherine and the king’s recent health woes. But conspiracy theories and rumors swirled online, driven in part by an obsession with the family’s celebrity.

That speculation drew attention even in places where talk of the British royal family is not the norm. Christiane Lehmanh, 33, who was feeding the ducks at the pond in front of Kensington Palace with a friend on Saturday, said that even in Germany, where she is from, the princess’s health had been big news.

“I was devastated to hear that she was sick, and I wish her well,” Ms. Lehmanh said, describing how hearing that anyone so young was being treated for a serious illness was terrible. “But also, life goes on.”

Concern for Catherine’s well-being was the overwhelming sentiment as the news filtered out in alerts on smartphones, in clips of the video on social media and by word of mouth.

And many in London seemed to take a protective stance around the country’s future queen. Two older women who had just come from the theater on Friday evening said they thought the criticism of Catherine after it was revealed this month that she had altered a publicly released photo of herself and her three children had spun out of proportion.

In her announcement on Friday, Catherine also expressed empathy for those whose lives have been affected by cancer.

“For everyone facing this disease, in whatever form, please do not lose faith or hope,” she said in the video address. “You are not alone.”

Her candor in her remarks about her own diagnosis had made her more relatable, many said.

“Everyone knows someone who’s gone through this or has someone in their family who has had cancer,” Ms. Mercer said. “So, yes, I think people can understand.”

Cancer specialists in Britain as well as charities that support people diagnosed with cancer and their families expressed their support for Catherine and reminded the public that her experience with the disease was one that played out every day in families across the country.

The Macmillan Cancer Support charity said on social media that it was “sending our best wishes to Her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales.”

“We hear from people all over the country, every day going through the experience the Princess has described, and our thoughts are also with His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales and their children,” the charity said. “Many families will be sending solidarity to them.”

Megan Specia reports on Britain, Ireland and the Ukraine war for The Times. She is based in London. More about Megan Specia

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