New details about what will happen when the Queen passes away have been revealed. Known as ‘Operation London Bridge’, there’s a number of measures which will come into effect once Her Majesty dies. As part of this, muffles will be created for bells, with leatherworks across Britain making more for the church bells that will toll after her death. Operation London Bridge will see an hour’s muted chimes ringing out on the Queen’s funeral and her death.
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Most of Britain’s 16,000 churches haven’t rung fully muffled bells since King George VI, the Queen’s father, passed away.
Vicki Chapman, spokeswoman for the Central Council of Church Bell Ringers, told the Mail on Sunday: “We have spent a lot of time talking to the Royal Household and Lambeth Palace about the day the Monarch passes, which we hope will not be any time soon.
“Adding muffles makes bells sound mournful, more like a hum –so they will sound like thud, thud, thud rather than dong, dong, dong.
“It is about paying due reverence to the service of the Monarch and commemorating her life.” When a bell is fully muffled it dampens the sound of both strokes of its clapper, and its use is reserved only for the Monarch’s death.
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Operation London Bridge’s secret blueprint has a detailed plan for everything, from heightened security to the Royal Family’s social media accounts.
The 10 days from the Queen’s death to the state funeral at Westminster Abbey are all planned out, with flags lowered to half-mast across Government buildings and Parliament adjourned. The plan for Charles’ succession will be called Operation Spring Tide, with Prince Charles addressing the nation the night his mother dies, before going on a mourning tour of Britain, visiting Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
The Queen’s coffin will lie in state before her funeral so the public can see her.