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Amid the sad news of Queen Elizabeth‘s death on Thursday, many are wondering when her funeral will take place — and when her successor, King Charles III, will be officially crowned.
The Queen dying kicks off Operation London Bridge, the plan that reportedly lists what will happen in the United Kingdom following the monarch’s death, including how it will be announced to the public. Queen Elizabeth‘s private secretary, Sir Edward Young, was the first official to convey the news (apart from her relatives and medical team), per The Guardian. From there, Young, 55, contacted the prime minister, Elizabeth Truss, giving the code phrase “London Bridge is down” to signal the Queen’s death.
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Following the public news of the Queen's death, the U.K. will go into a period of mourning over the next 10 days as her funeral arrangements are made.
While it’s unknown exactly when the Queen’s funeral will commence, it’s likely to occur about 10 days from now. Services for Queen Elizabeth’s husband, Prince Philip, were held eight days after his death back in April 2021 at 99 years old.
The longest-reigning British monarch in history, Elizabeth became queen on Feb. 6, 1952, upon the death of her father King George VI, but did not have her official coronation until June 1953.
In the case of King Charles, 73, his coronation will likely take place in the spring to allow some mourning time after the death of the Queen.
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Ahead of Buckingham Palace sharing the news of the Queen's death Thursday, they announced earlier in the day that the monarch's doctors were "concerned" for her health.
“Following further evaluation this morning, The Queen’s doctors are concerned for Her Majesty’s health and have recommended she remain under medical supervision,” the statement read. “The Queen remains comfortable and at Balmoral [Castle].”
The Queen was last seen in photos on Tuesday, where she appointed Conservative Party leader Truss, 47, as the new prime minister of the United Kingdom at Balmoral — a historic first.
The monarch had been experiencing episodic mobility issues, and a source told PEOPLE that the decision was made to host the audience at Balmoral to provide certainty for schedules.
Responding to the palace's statement on the news of the Queen's health Thursday, Truss shared words of support.
“The whole country will be deeply concerned by the news from Buckingham Palace this lunchtime. My thoughts — and the thoughts of people across our United Kingdom — are with Her Majesty The Queen and her family at this time,” the new premier tweeted.
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