Queen Elizabeth’s death set Operation London Bridge into motion. But what is it?
Queen Elizabeth II died at the age of 96 on Thursday, Buckingham Palace confirmed. Her death marks the end of a reign that lasted for seven decades. She was the world’s oldest head of state and the longest reigning monarch in British history.
The historic death now catalyzes a meticulously organized plan of action known as “Operation London Bridge,” named after the famous British nursery rhyme, “London Bridge is Falling Down.”
Operation London Bridge has been in preparation since the 1960s, The Guardian reported in 2017.
Here’s what to expect following the Queen’s death.
A transition of power from the Queen to the new King of England
After a series of planned phone calls to important leaders and near-immediate alerts to the BBC, flags were lowered to half-mast and Prince Charles immediately assumed the British throne, albeit unofficial at the time, AP reported.
Charles released a statement Thursday evening addressing the death of his mother, the Queen. The statement was delivered under Prince Charles’ new title as King.
The day after the Queen’s death, in this case, Friday, flags will be raised back up promptly at 11:00 a.m. GMT and Prince Charles will officially become King Charles III, according to the plan. His wife, Camilla, will be the Queen Consort of the United Kingdom.
According to the line of succession, Prince William and his wife, Kate Middleton, are now next in line for the throne after King Charles III, as the future King and Queen Consort, respectively.
The duties of King Charles III
Following the Queen’s death, King Charles III will make a grand tour of the United Kingdom, during which preparations for Queen Elizabeth’s funeral will take place.
The Crown’s duties have much less to do with actual governmental work than most people, especially those outside of the United Kingdom, realize.
Once he is settled into his new role, the King will be tasked with a multitude of duties that are more or less ceremonial, according to BBC.
Those duties include dissolving a government before a general election takes place, meeting with newly elected leaders, and leading the State Opening ceremony at the beginning of each Parliamentary year. The role also includes giving speeches and approving laws that have passed through Parliament.
The throne also has the power to refuse laws passed through Parliament, although that hasn’t happened since 1708, BBC reported.
How England’s monarchy differs from the American government
The main difference between the British government and the American government is structure.
The United States is a republic with an elected president as its leader. The United Kingdom is considered a constitutional monarchy.
That means the U.K. has a queen or a king as its head of state accompanied by the prime minister, who retains most power. The current prime minister is Liz Truss of the nation’s Conservative Party.
King Charles III will be what is called a “constitutional monarch.” This means that the King is seen as the “head of state” throughout the United Kingdom and other countries where the British throne reigns. The position, though, is essentially symbolic.
In stark contrast to American politics, King Charles III, as well as anyone who rises to the throne, must maintain a position of political neutrality.
Additionally, monarchs are not elected officials — another major difference between the British and United States governments. They are placed into the line of succession by blood or marriage only.
Differences in role between an American president and British prime minister
The President of the United States and the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom are both elected leaders, but not through direct vote.
In America, citizens can vote to elect a president, but in the United Kingdom, citizens must first elect Members of Parliament who will go on to cast votes for the next prime minister.
The model is similar to the American government’s Electoral College, but unlike British citizens, Americans can cast a direct vote for the presidential candidate of their choice.
The President of the United States is not elected by popular vote, however. Chosen electors from each state are appointed to do that.
In return, democratically appointed electors typically vow to make their presidential vote a reflection of their state’s majority vote, although that is not a constitutional requirement, according to the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration.
An American presidential candidate needs 270 electoral votes to win an election. In contrast, the leader of the party that takes the majority of the British Parliament assumes the role of prime minister in the United Kingdom.
This story was originally published September 8, 2022 at 5:21 PM.
