What Happens When King Charles Passes Away
Although it's not a situation that many wanted to dwell on during his coronation, the advanced age of King Charles at the beginning of his reign underscored the need for a plan resembling "Operation London Bridge" in the event of his passing. And in the time since that's happened, that plan has only become more relevant.
According to USA Today, the English monarch has been diagnosed with an unspecified form of cancer. Although there are definitely survivable variants of the disease, and a person in King Charles's position can expect some of the best treatment humanly possible, his situation nonetheless raises questions. Namely, what will happen if his prognosis is more grim than the public is aware of?
Waiting And Seeing
Although Buckingham Palace has not yet been forthcoming about the specifics of King Charles's cancer diagnosis, CBS News reported that he's not letting the bad news get in the way of his royal duties. For the time being, he's committed to his pledge to serve as king for life.
A representative from the palace told the outlet that the king plans to conduct State business and deal with the associated paperwork as usual while he's undergoing treatment. That said, it's never easy to predict how things will change in the coming years.
Operation Menai Bridge
The royal procedures put in place in advance of Queen Elizabeth II's passing were code-named Operation London Bridge, and the plan for the aftermath of King Charles's death had a similar naming scheme. But this time, it's a reference to his long-standing former role as the Prince of Wales.
This time, it gets its name from the Menai Bridge in northwest Wales, which had the distinction of being the world's largest suspension bridge when it was built. Like Operation London Bridge, this plan deals with the public announcement of the event, funeral arrangements, and succession.
A State Funeral
According to Cornwall Live, it's likely that King Charles will receive a similar state funeral to his mother's. But while that may sound like standard operating procedure, state funerals in the U.K. are actually much rarer than some might expect.
According to The Washington Post, the last state funeral before hers honored Winston Churchill in 1965. However, the Queen's was even bigger and saw hundreds of thousands of mourners visit her casket while she was laid in state. A military procession featuring thousands of personnel marching was also a prominent part of the ceremony.
The Plan Was Already In Place
According to Cosmopolitan, Operation Menai Bridge's details were likely drafted as soon as the king's coronation occurred, if not as early as the Queen's funeral. And the necessity of having a plan in place for any unexpected event that could befall a monarch was likely the most significant factor for this speed.
Although the finest details of Operation Menai Bridge are known only to its planners, royal experts don't see much reason to think it will deviate significantly from Operation London Bridge. This is especially likely in light of Charles's wishes in the wake of the Queen's passing.
Public Announcement Protocols
Although Queen Elizabeth's death was the subject of constant press speculation before an official announcement was made, there was a strict order of operations for that announcement. According to Cosmopolitan, the Queen's family were to be informed before anyone, with the Prime Minister being the next in line to know.
This is a particular aspect of Operation London Bridge that Operation Menai Bridge is unlikely to deviate from. In a quote obtained by The Telegraph at the time, a royal representative said, "The King was adamant that the official statement must not be released until all members of the family had been informed. That was a father talking because he cares."
The Public Finds Out Last
But while Charles's insistence might suggest that a public statement would be forthcoming immediately after the Royal Family and Prime Minister are informed, that's not quite how it works. After all, England is far from the only nation that considers King Charles its head of state.
According to Cosmopolitan, word must first travel to the governments of all Commonwealth countries that still recognize the king in this way, such as Canada and New Zealand. Only after that happens will Britain's Press Association receive official word of the king's death and the Royal Family's official website see a mournful update.
Buckingham Palace Will Look Different
Once King Charles's death becomes public knowledge, some of the protocols of Operation London Bridge that concerned Buckingham Palace will likely be honored during Operation Menai Bridge as well. A note memorializing King Charles will be affixed to the Buckingham Palace, and its flag will be lowered to half-mast.
According to Reader's Digest, that will also be true of flags throughout the nation. St. Paul's Great Tom bell will also toll to mark the solemn occasion, but all but one of Westminster Abbey's bells will be muffled. The remaining one is the abbey's tenor bell, which is ceremonially rung after a death in the Royal Family has occurred.
The Period Of Mourning
As was the case for Queen Elizabeth's death, the date that King Charles's passing is announced will be considered a national holiday in the U.K. According to Reader's Digest, this will mean the closure of businesses and theaters for the day, as well as the cancellation of at least some scheduled sporting events.
There will also be an official period of mourning, and in Queen Elizabeth's case, this encompassed the ten days prior to her funeral. Barring any unexpected changes, the British public can likely expect King Charles's period of mourning to last about as long.
King Charles's Succession
This is the easiest aspect of Operation Menai Bridge to predict, as the British Crown's succession line has been established for decades by this point. Charles's eldest son, William, will immediately succeed his father upon his death unless Charles abdicates the throne before his passing, which will happen earlier.
According to Harper's Bazaar, Princess Catherine will become queen, and the top candidate for William's successor will be their eldest son, Prince George. The only part of this succession that remains unknown is whether William will be coronated as King William V or choose a different name altogether.
What Happens To Camilla?
Should Queen Consort Camilla survive King Charles, Harper's Bazaar reported that her title would likely change to Queen Dowager unless she's awarded some unprecedented title. The word "dowager" means "widow of a king" and differentiates her from previous royal spouses in her position due to Charles' complicated history before his coronation.
Although all surviving spouses of monarchs were technically dowagers, Charles's grandmother was known as the Queen Mother, and there's no way Camilla could hold the same title. That's because Camilla has no biological relation to William. If Princess Diana was still alive, she could potentially call herself the Queen Mother in this scenario.
What Will Camilla Actually Do?
Camilla's role as Queen Dowager in the reign of King William V would be difficult to determine from a practical standpoint. Although USA Today reported that King Charles was likely specific about his wishes for her role and responsibilities within the Royal Family, they're not publicly known.
However, it wouldn't necessarily make a difference for her, even if he announced them publicly. That's because the size and significance of her role in the royal court is ultimately up to King William. And if he hasn't already made his vision in this regard clear to her, nobody knows what he has in mind.
Where Will Camilla Live?
Another consideration that appears up in the air at this point in time is Queen Consort Camilla's residence after she becomes Queen Dowager. It could be anywhere from London's Kensington Palace to St James's Palace in Westminster to Gatcombe Park in Gloucestershire.
Since those are only a few of the many residences that the Royal Family has access to, it's hard to pick the most likely candidate among them. As historian Carolyn Harris told USA Today, her residence will be William's decision but he may very well have already received input from King Charles.
William's Coronation
Although William will become king as soon as his father passes away, that doesn't mean that's when he'll be coronated. In fact, it could take months before that official ceremony takes place. Nonetheless, any royal duties in that interim period would be his responsibility.
Cosmopolitan reported that there's a good chance that William will give a public address on the day Charles's death is made public, but it's even more likely that he'll quickly start meeting with government officials. Even the mostly ceremonial roles that monarchs have in the U.K. are a lot to prepare for.
Accession Council
According to the Royal Family's website, William's potential public statement will be followed by a ceremony that sees him officially proclaimed the new king before an Accession Council at St. James's Palace. However, he wouldn't attend this part, as it's just for a select group of Privy Counsellors, Great Officers of State, local authorities, and Realm High Commissioners.
William would enter the council's chamber after this, at which point he would read and sign a declaration while also taking an oath to preserve the Church of Scotland. After he does so, he'll prepare to swear another oath later.
A Ritual For The New Monarch
After William's status as the new sovereign is proclaimed and he deals with this declaration and oath, it's spread far and wide according to tradition. Specifically, the Royal Family's website notes that this proclamation is first read aloud at St. James's Palace. Reader's Digest added that other heralds are then designated to read it throughout London.
The proclamation is then publicly read out in Edinburgh, Scotland, Cardiff, Wales, and Belfast, Northern Ireland. As in London, it's read out in several different locations throughout these cities. According to Reader's Digest, this ritual also features blaring trumpets, a full raising of the flag, and cannons firing in a royal salute.
William's Further Travels
According to Reader's Digest, it's likely William will engage in a tour of each of the British Isles to cover all of the government officials he'll need to meet. Although the ones in England would probably confer with him in the most immediate days following King Charles's passing, further meetings will need to happen elsewhere before his father's funeral.
This means touring Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland to meet with leaders there. If William decides to follow in his father's footsteps, he won't limit his visits to government officials in these regions and will also meet the public. That's not necessarily an obligation, though.
Before The Funeral
Like his mother before him, King Charles will have a period before his funeral where his body is laid in state during the period of mourning. According to Cosmopolitan, this process will start at the throne room of Buckingham Palace, where his casket will begin its journey to Westminster Hall.
There, he will lie for several days as citizens line up to pay their respects. According to Forbes, these lines were long enough that it stretched five miles and a person joining the back could expect to wait 14 hours to see Queen Elizabeth's casket. Considering her legendary and lengthy reign, that staggering attendance may be an outlier.
The Funeral Itself
According to Reader's Digest, it's customary for the day of a monarch's funeral to be a national holiday, which means that will likely be true of King Charles's funeral. This is so everyone in the U.K. can have a chance to see it, if only through a televised broadcast.
The funeral would traditionally take place at Westminster Abbey, and the camera operators are usually careful not to show the Royal Family's faces during prayers to let them grieve with a modicum of privacy. As shown here, his coffin will then be placed on a gun carriage and pulled by members of the Royal Navy. This tradition has been in place since Queen Victoria's funeral, where the horses that normally would have done this work proved unreliable.
After The Funeral
According to Cosmopolitan, King Charles's funeral will take place at least nine days after his passing. Considering that Queen Elizabeth was laid in state for 10 days after her death, there doesn't appear to be a hard-and-fast rule for the maximum amount of time before the funeral.
But after what will almost certainly be a grand procession at his state funeral, King Charles's body will be transported to its final resting place. Specifically, it will end up in a special section of the King George VI Memorial Chapel at Windsor Castle reserved for members of the Royal Family.
Parliament Will Hold A Special Session
Although there aren't likely to be any serious issues complicating William's succession, the British Government still needs to recognize the new monarch for a smooth and peaceful transition of power to take place. That means that as soon as King Charles passes away, Parliament will convene.
According to Reader's Digest, all members of Parliament are supposed to attend this session whether they're in the House of Commons or the House of Lords. This special session is supposed to have each of them swear allegiance to William, just as they did to King Charles and Queen Elizabeth before him.
Processes For Loss Outside London
Although many of the provisions of plans like Operation London Bridge and Operation Menai Bridge concern what to do if their respective monarchs die in London, there are also procedures set aside in the event that this occurs abroad. Others are more simple and just concerned with travel within the U.K.
According to Reader's Digest, the Royal Air Force will prepare a plane for King Charles, where his remains will be escorted by royal undertakers back to Buckingham Palace. If he's still in the U.K. at the time of his passing, this process will happen by car instead. Either way, his coffin will be guarded by four grenadier guards (pictured) in the palace's throne room.
If It Happens At Balmoral
Queen Elizabeth passed away at Balmoral Castle in Scotland, which meant that another ritual specific to that location was added to her postmortem procedures. If King Charles were to meet his fate in the same location, the same thing would happen.
According to NPR, that means this scenario will see his body transported 100 miles to Edinburgh's Palace of Holyroodhouse. All the while, subjects would likely stand by the roadside and pay their respects. From there, he'll be moved to nearby St. Giles' Cathedral until his body is ready to return to London.
What Happens If Charles Becomes Incapacitated First?
Alongside protocols for King Charles's death and abdication, there's also a plan for what happens if the king falls into a coma or is otherwise incapacitated. And this plan is older than both Operation Menai Bridge and Operation London Bridge.
In fact, it's older than Queen Elizabeth's entire reign. According to Grazia, The Regency Act of 1937 holds that the next person in line for the throne will assume the monarch's powers without that monarch's abdication. Charles would remain king until his death in this case, but William would carry out his duties.
How To Invoke The Regency Act
Of course, determining the king's ability to carry out his duties isn't as easy as declaring him incapacitated and handing his powers over to his successor. According to Grazia, if The Regency Act were invoked today, it would happen as the result of consultations with Queen Consort Camilla, Lord Chancellor Alex Chalk, House of Commons Speaker Lindsay Hoyle, Chief Justice Sue Lascelles Carr, and Master of the Rolls Sir Geoffrey Dos.
Although not all of these people need to agree that King Charles is incapacitated, at least three of them need to come to that conclusion and do so in writing to invoke The Regency Act. King Charles also does not need to be unconscious to be considered incapacitated, which means The Regency Act can be invoked whether he agrees with it or not.
Another Regency Scenario
As the Royal Family's website explained, the only other scenario where the Regency Act would come into effect besides a monarch's incapacitation is if a king or queen accedes to the throne before they reach the age of 18. That's obviously not relevant to the succession to come, but that doesn't make it impossible in the near future.
After all, if unforeseen circumstances were to transpire that lead William to abdicate the throne (to use the least grisly example) before Prince George turns 18, his son will be legally considered ill-equipped to rule without a regent. Although it's hard to predict who his regent would be, their appointment would be decided through an Act of Parliament.
Accession Declaration
Although there isn't a static date for this, William will have another oath to make before his coronation. And he'll likely have a lot of time to do it as King Charles's coronation didn't take place until about eight months after Queen Elizabeth's death.
According to the Royal Family's website, William will swear an oath called the Accession Declaration, which will see him pledge to maintain Britain's traditions for Protestant succession. After all, the king is also the supreme governor of the Church of England. This oath takes place at the next State Opening of Parliament to follow his succession.
William's Eventual Coronation
Although there's no way to effectively predict how long William would need to wait for his Coronation, that ceremony is steeped in enough tradition that it's not as difficult to predict how it's likely to go down. That's especially true considering the nation has recently seen a new coronation.
As such, Charles's coronation provides an effective blueprint for how traditional and modern aspects of royalty will likely interweave by the time of William's coronation. And while he or the circumstances of the future could introduce their own changes, he's unlikely to break with many royal traditions.
The Old Traditions
According to PBS, King Charles's coronation was code-named Operation Golden Orb and that is indeed one of the traditional items that were involved in the ceremony. The golden orb was presented to Charles alongside a sword and scepter before St. Edward's famously golden and bejeweled crown was placed atop his head.
These ceremonial items were passed over to King Charles while he was seated in St. Edward's chair, an oak chair that has sat in Westminster Abbey for about 700 years. This took place amid a chorus of trumpets and the 2,000 people permitted inside shouting "God save the king."
The New Considerations
As is clear from the Accession Declaration that every new monarch is required to swear, a coronation is steeped in the traditions of the Anglican church. King Charles was expected to swear on the Bible that he is a "true Protestant" and was anointed with oil from the Mount of Olives in a ceremony so sacred that it was kept from public view behind a screen.
However, his coronation also showed signs that the Anglican church had changed a little with the times. According to PBS, Charles's coronation oath was preceded by a pledge to "foster an environment where people of all faiths and beliefs may live freely." It was also the first ceremony of its kind to feature female clergy members, as well as the first to invite Buddhist, Jewish, Muslim, Sikh, and Hindu representatives.
A Rising Complication
Since there isn't any indication that William will see any reason to change either the 700-year-old traditions or these new attempts at ecumenism, it seems likely that his coronation would proceed in a similar fashion to his father's. However, King Charles's coronation saw a growing reaction that has the potential to intensify as time goes on.
Although King Charles's coronation attracted hundreds of thousands of well-wishing spectators, PBS reported that it also attracted hundreds of protestors. They weren't there because they thought Charles's claim to the throne was illegitimate but because they thought the monarchy itself should be abolished. They believe it's an outdated institution that upholds the nation's inequality, and their views are considered far less fringe than they would have been when Queen Elizabeth took the throne.
The Monarchy Is Likely Here To Stay
Although this Republican view is more popular in the U.K. than it used to be, it would be misleading to act as if it's now the most popular opinion among the British public. For the most part, those who aren't staunchly pro-monarchy tend to be apathetic about it rather than actively campaigning against it.
According to Reader's Digest, a poll taken shortly before Queen Elizabeth's passing indicated that slightly below 70% of the British public remains in favor of having a monarchy. So, if the day should come when the monarchy is abolished, it seems unlikely that it will happen anytime soon.
However, The Kingdom Is Only Getting Smaller
Although the future of the monarchy is fairly secure, the future of the British Commonwealth is a different story. Although a country doesn't need to have a British monarch as their head of state to be considered part of the Commonwealth, that is nonetheless how the governments of 14 countries outside of the U.K. operate.
However, reports from Foreign Policy indicate that this number is likely to shrink within the near future. Indeed, it decreased by four to get to its current total, as Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, Dominica, and Barbados have all chosen to break this tie and become republics during the Queen's lifetime. In the case of Barbados, this happened as recently as 2021.
More Countries Could Become Republics Soon
Whether it happens during King Charles's reign or William's reign, the future monarchs of Britain can likely expect this trend to continue in more countries in which the king is currently the head of state. According to Foreign Policy, six of these 14 countries are already planning to become republics.
These six nations — Jamaica, Belize, Grenada, The Bahamas, St. Kitts and Nevis, and Antigua and Barbuda — share the belief that true independence is best achieved by severing that governmental tie with the British Crown. There's also a growing movement — particularly in Belize and Jamaica — calling for the Royal Family to formally apologize for their historic ties to the slave trade affecting these nations.
What About Harry?
Considering that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have famously distanced themselves in many ways from the Royal Family in recent years, it's understandable that considerations about the aftermath of King Charles's death would yield questions about his standing.
Although William's younger brother may not have as many royal titles as he used to, this does not exclude him from the line of succession. However, it has long been the case that his chances of seeing the throne are very remote whether he has any desire to be king or not.
Tradition Lights The Path For Future Successions
According to ABC News, British royal tradition holds that the right of succession falls to the firstborn child of an heir to the throne. This is why William is going to succeed Charles — barring any unexpected developments — and why Prince George will eventually succeed him.
If George decides he does not want the throne and refuses to budge on this position (again, assuming the least grisly possible scenario unfolds), royal tradition holds that succession would then pass to his next oldest sibling. However, the rules on this used to be more complicated.
Not All Traditions Need To Apply Anymore
ABC News explained that prior to 2013, royal tradition held that if Prince George were to marry a Roman Catholic after he came of age, he would be disqualified from the line of succession. And despite the age of his youngest brother Louis, that tradition would have given him the right of succession.
That's because those same pre-2013 traditions would have stated that the younger brother of an ineligible eldest child would be able to supercede his eldest sister in line for the throne. However, both of these traditions are based on the prejudices of centuries past and are now considered outdated and irrelevant in the eyes of the law.
The Real Possibility Of Queen Charlotte
ABC News reported that the provisions against future kings marrying Roman Catholics and the rules that favor male heirs regardless of age were replaced by the Succession to the Crown Act of 2013. The act applies to any royals born after 2011, which means that it applies to all of William and Harry's children.
As a result, if Prince George abdicated his position in line after the time in which King William's reign ended, Princess Charlotte of Wales would be able to accede to the throne and become Queen Charlotte. If she ends up deciding she doesn't want that either, then it would be her brother Louis's turn.
King Harry Is An Unlikely But Not Impossible Future
Although it's technically possible for Prince Harry to become king regardless of his rift with the rest of the Royal Family, there are multiple reasons why this isn't likely to ever happen. Most immediately, he's done little to indicate that he has any real desire to take the throne even if he was next in line.
But even if he grew to change his mind and decided his frustrations with his family and royal protocol at large were outweighed by the prestige of the crown, his shot at the throne would require either an extremely tragic disaster or a series of unprecedented rejections.
There's A Plan Beyond Him Too
In the extremely unlikely event that all of William's children run screaming from the throne, Prince Harry would be the next in line to hypothetically succeed his brother. Of course, barring a dramatic change of heart on his part, he's probably more likely to feel the same as his niece and nephews in this scenario than not.
However, that's not as much of a roadblock as it may seem. Although it's clear that Harry doesn't want the restrictive royal life for his children any more than for himself, Prince Archie would be free to take the throne once he came of age if his father refused to do so.
King Andrew Is Even Less Likely
If the astronomically unlikely scenario of neither William's children nor Harry succeeding him came to pass, Harry's children would be next in line. As stated before, Archie is the eldest among them and, thus, the first among them to be eligible. If he were to refuse the crown, his sister Lillibet would be next in line.
Only if she responded in kind would the widely dreaded scenario of the disgraced Prince Andrew becoming king have any chance of coming to pass. Not only would he need to outlive both his brother's reign and his nephew's reign, but see circumstances in which literally all of his nephews' children were unable or unwilling to take the throne themselves.