Operation Menai Bridge is code for the plans related to King Charles' death. Though details about the plan are tightly guarded, his passing will trigger immediate changes in both the monarchy and the UK. Here's what will happen.
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00:00 (gentle music)
00:03 Operation Manai Bridge.
00:05 That's the code name for when King Charles dies.
00:08 King Charles took the throne
00:09 immediately following his mother's death,
00:11 Queen Elizabeth II, in 2022.
00:15 At age 73, he became the oldest person
00:18 in British history to do so.
00:21 But planning for his death had already begun
00:23 way before he was officially crowned in 2023.
00:27 I'm Joy Marie McKenzie,
00:28 Business Insider's Editor-in-Chief of our Life Division.
00:31 Operation Manai Bridge refers to the suspension bridge
00:34 built in Wales in 1826.
00:37 The location holds real significance for Charles.
00:39 He's the longest serving Prince of Wales.
00:42 Details about the plan have been kept really under wraps,
00:48 but it's expected to be a rerun of what happened
00:50 when Queen Elizabeth died.
00:52 So here's what's gonna happen.
00:57 As soon as the King dies,
00:58 the palace will promptly notify British officials
01:01 from the Prime Minister to government members.
01:04 Then the Foreign Office will tell the governments
01:06 where King Charles is head of state
01:08 and inform the nations within the Commonwealth
01:10 where he holds a symbolic role.
01:11 Then the royal household will issue
01:14 an official notification to the public.
01:17 There'll also be a notice on the gates
01:19 right outside at Buckingham Palace.
01:21 Then the news will be spread throughout the palace.
01:26 When King Charles dies,
01:27 the Union Jack will be lowered at half-mass.
01:30 It'll happen in places with significance,
01:32 like Whitehall, where most government offices are located,
01:35 as well as Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle.
01:38 His death will put an immediate halt
01:40 to parliamentary proceedings, not just in England,
01:43 but also in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
01:47 Many businesses will suspend operations, too.
01:50 As the nation enters a period of mourning,
01:53 Buckingham Palace will become the central place
01:55 for people to express their condolences.
01:57 The most devoted royal fans will make their way
02:00 from far around the country and even all over the world
02:03 as they pay their respects to King Charles.
02:06 It's exactly what happened when Queen Elizabeth passed away.
02:09 Charles' coffin will lie in state at Westminster Hall
02:11 for the public to pay their respects.
02:13 When the Queen's coffin was there,
02:15 around 250,000 people waited for hours in line
02:19 to send their condolences.
02:24 The funeral will probably take place
02:26 around 10 days after his death.
02:28 Given that the funerals for the Queen, Princess Diana,
02:32 and the Queen Mother all happen at Westminster Abbey,
02:35 it's likely that Charles' funeral will be there, too.
02:38 The UK Treasury said that the British government
02:40 spent roughly £160 million on the Queen's funeral
02:44 and the surrounding events.
02:46 Even if Charles does opt for a smaller funeral,
02:49 it'll probably still cost millions.
02:51 After the service, a procession will take
02:53 Charles' coffin from London to Windsor Castle.
02:56 That's the place where Charles will be laid to rest.
02:59 The minute King Charles dies,
03:02 his son, Prince William, immediately becomes king.
03:05 Royal experts say that one of William's
03:08 first official duties will be to address the nation.
03:11 In his address, it's expected that he will, of course,
03:14 acknowledge his father, but also acknowledge his role
03:17 as the new head of the monarchy.
03:20 Within 24 hours, the accession council will meet
03:23 to officially make William king.
03:25 Shortly after, he'll swear his loyalty
03:29 to Parliament, to the Church,
03:31 and then he'll become the Supreme Governor
03:33 of the Church of England.
03:35 The oaths go both ways, though.
03:37 After William ascends the throne,
03:39 the members of both houses of Parliament
03:41 must also swear their loyalty to him.
03:43 While he immediately becomes king,
03:47 William probably won't be coronated right away.
03:49 That'll happen a few months later.
03:51 He'll be crowned at Westminster Abbey,
03:53 a tradition that's been held for the last 900 years.
03:57 Meanwhile, the wife of the new king, Kate,
03:59 will become queen consort.
04:01 She won't be known as queen regent, like Queen Elizabeth,
04:04 since she's not head of a monarchy.
04:07 If King Charles' wife, Camilla, outlives him,
04:10 she'll then be known as the Queen Dowager.
04:12 That's typically the title given to the widow of a king.
04:16 Kate and William's son, Prince George,
04:18 will then be next in line to the throne.
04:20 He'll automatically receive two titles,
04:23 Duke of Cornwall and Roxy,
04:25 but he may only hold those titles briefly.
04:27 Typically, the monarch's heir
04:28 is known as the Prince of Wales.
04:31 Meanwhile, George's siblings and the rest in line
04:34 for the royal throne will each move up a rank.
04:37 A royal expert told us that Princess Charlotte
04:39 and Prince Louis may no longer carry the title of Wales.
04:42 Instead, they'll be addressed as the Princess Charlotte
04:46 and Prince Louis.
04:47 (gentle music)
04:49 With the succession,
04:53 the Bank of England will print new currency.
04:55 British banknotes always bear the likeness
04:57 of the current monarch,
04:59 so Charles' image will be phased out
05:01 and replaced by William's.
05:02 But it may take several years
05:04 before we see Charles completely gone
05:06 from everyday coins and banknotes.
05:09 Passports and stamps will also be updated
05:11 with the new monarch,
05:12 but that will probably happen slowly, too.
05:14 In the course of William's reign,
05:15 if there's any new mailboxes installed, for instance,
05:18 those will bear his personal emblem, too.
05:21 Police officers and even soldiers
05:23 will eventually receive updated uniforms
05:25 with William's insignia,
05:27 but that may take some time as well.
05:29 Although the monarchy is waning in popularity,
05:31 there's no doubt that King Charles
05:33 dedicated his life to the monarchy,
05:36 and in his death,
05:37 the monarchy will pay their respects to him.
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