Elizabeth Alexandra Maria Windsor, better known as Elizabeth II, holds the record for the longest reign in British history. The Queen is already 91 years old, and it is not a secret for anyone, including Elizabeth herself, that she will not reign long.
But what will happen when the throne of Great Britain is vacated?
Elizabeth II has been on the British throne for 65 years. It's like Brezhnev, only three and a half times more. Millions of Britons were born, lived, lived and passed away, seeing no one else at the head of state. Accordingly, the impending shock will cover all subjects of the British crown headlong, and even this news will not pass us by.
What exactly will happen after the death of Elizabeth II?
Everything in the UK will stop
Immediately after the death of the queen, the country will literally stand up. Classes in schools will cease, offices will be closed, office workers will go into mourning, something like "Swan Lake" will start on TV, but in a British way, the stock exchange and banks will stop working. And not for an hour or a day: for at least 12 days of mourning, the measured life of the British will cease to be.
Promotional video:
Obituaries already prepared
News agencies in the UK and all other Commonwealth countries have already prepared worthy obituaries. No self-respecting news outlet can afford to let this take its course: too significant an event for the whole world. Of course, when it happens, the necessary changes will be made to the template, but now everything is ready to press a button and publish the sad news on all channels - be it print media or the Internet.
The best media outlets prepared for the event in the cult newspaper The Times - they stocked materials for the first 11 (!) Days after Elizabeth's death: while the journalists of other publications knock down, the Times will be able to have a good rest.
The queen is dead, long live the king
There is an old tradition that royalty is never interrupted. As soon as one monarch gives up the spirit, his successor immediately takes his place. For this reason, the Royal Standard (that is, the flag) is never lowered like other flags during mourning. Those rare cases where this rule of succession was violated are known in history as "times of trouble."
So at the moment the Queen's death is announced, the United Kingdom will already have a new monarch. And they are 100% likely to become Crown Prince Charles (and not William, as some media often write), because there is simply no other option for inheriting the throne.
When Charles becomes king, his brothers and sisters will kiss his hands. In this case, Prince Charles does not necessarily become "King Charles / Karl". When ascending to the throne, members of the royal family can choose their throne name from any of their Christian middle names. Thus, Prince Charles Philip Arthur George can take the names "King Philip", "King Arthur" or "King George / George".
There will be nothing to laugh about … literally
The British take the monarchy very seriously! So much so that after the death of Queen Elizabeth, all comedy programs on the BBC will be removed from the broadcasting grid, and no stand-up performances in clubs around the country are expected - until the mourning ends. Yes, the British really adore their comedians and are known for their sense of humor, but in the days of grief, things will be serious and grown-up. All entertainment programs will be canceled, and this is just a tribute to the Queen.
Mourning will cost a pretty penny
So, the mourning will last at least 12 days. It hardly needs explaining that in the modern world such a stop means huge financial losses. London is one of the world's financial centers, and the closure of the London Stock Exchange will result in a huge loss of money. In fact, billions will be lost.
Kate may not receive the title of Princess of Wales
The closest contender for the throne automatically receives the title "Prince of Wales". His wife becomes Princess of Wales. Prince William will indeed become Prince of Wales when his father ascends the throne, but given the fact that William's mother is Princess Diana, whom the people adored and who died tragically in 1997, William's wife Kate was advised to consider giving up the title of Princess of Wales. … This is just a guess, of course. Will Kate become the Princess of Wales or not - time will tell.
By the way, Camilla Parker-Bowles - the wife of Prince Charles - decided not to take this title and cost another - "Duchess of Kornul". The title "Princess of Wales" is too strongly associated with the deceased Diana to claim it.
A secret code is used to announce the death of the queen
The death of the queen is an event that must be kept under control, and all subsequent steps must be taken clearly and quickly. The prime minister and other leaders of the country should be the first to know about everything. An action plan and a secret code for notification have already been developed. It sounds like "London Bridge is down" - "London Bridge is down." Well, that is, this code is no longer so secret, since they write about it everywhere. You may have to come up with another phrase.
We'll have to change the words of the UK national anthem, and more
Let's start with the national anthem, the words of which “God save the queen” will have to be replaced with “God save the king”. Surely those who sang this hymn all their lives will not be easy to retrain. Also, new coins and banknotes will be issued, for which the British mint has already prepared the corresponding blanks with the portrait of Charles. A new inscription will appear on the helmets of British police officers, because now they bear the Queen's initials. An update to British military insignia will also be required. Postage stamps featuring the Queen will be phased out.
Oath of Members of Parliament
All members of parliament must take an oath or oath of allegiance to the monarch, for which they are given several days. Without doing this, no parliamentarian receives a salary and has no right to attend meetings or vote. After the Queen's death, all members of the British Parliament will have to re-conduct the ceremony of taking the oath of allegiance to the new king.
It's funny, but true: the small republicans, who advocate the abolition of the monarchy in the country, swear allegiance with crossed fingers. So serious politicians are trying to convince themselves of the insolvency of what is happening.
Possible problems in the Commonwealth of Nations
The Queen's death will have deeper consequences than the new postage stamps. Now the British monarchy is headed not only by Great Britain, but also Elizabeth II is the official head of 52 countries of the Commonwealth of Nations, including Australia, Canada, Jamaica, New Zealand and Barbados. The Commonwealth represents the remnants of the British Empire, which in the modern world has remained in the form of trade and political relations between the former colonies of Britain. Many of these countries became part of the British Empire against their will, and almost all of them have long since declared their independence.
Each country of the Commonwealth has the unconditional right to unilaterally withdraw from it. And the death of the queen could be a reason for some Commonwealth countries to end their alliance with Great Britain once and for all. The British Crown will, of course, make every effort to avoid such a turn of events. And for the future monarch, this can be a serious task.
All roads lead to Buckingham Palace
Regardless of where the queen meets her death, her body will first be taken to Buckingham Palace. If at that moment she is on an overseas trip, the body will immediately be taken to London by plane. The royal coffin will be on display at Buckingham Palace for several days. People will be able to come to say goodbye to Queen Elizabeth and pay their respects.
The British could end the monarchy with a regular referendum
The British really love their queen. Its ratings among the population have always been high, and they remain so to this day. It is not difficult to achieve such ratings, because the monarch in Great Britain has no real power and does not rule the country. And the people, if they wanted, could get rid of the monarchy very simply - by an ordinary referendum. In much the same way as the British left the European Union, they could have abolished the monarchy. But hardly anyone will want this in the near future.
The royal physician and his duties
According to analysts, it is most likely that Queen Elizabeth II will die after a short illness, with her family. In the last hours of the monarch's life, the royal physician, professor of medicine Hugh Thomas will become the main person. It is he who will decide who can be allowed into the queen's chambers and what the subjects will learn about her state of health.
For example, a few hours before the death of King George V, who died in 1936, His Majesty's attending physician published a bulletin: "The King's Life Moves Peacefully to an End", after which he injected George with 750 milligrams of morphine and a gram of cocaine, which is enough to kill two people.
Announcement at the gates of Buckingham Palace
When the queen leaves this world and the time comes to inform people about this sad news, a footman in mourning livery will come out of the doors of Buckingham Palace, cross the courtyard and, without saying a single word, will hang an ad in a mourning frame on the gate. This is an old and beautiful tradition.
Activating the RATS system
In the event of the Queen's death, the BBC will activate the RATS (Radio Alert Transmission System), which will notify everyone on the radio. This is a secret protocol used to report the death of high-ranking royals. It began to be used in the 30s and is still supported today. Few people know about him. A signal from this system is enough - and the plan of action developed by the BBC to the smallest subtleties in case of the death of the queen will be carried out.
***
And although analysts suggest that the queen will live for about four more years, let's better wish Baba Lisa to celebrate her centenary in 2026. Which is quite real, considering that her mother lived 101 years.