The death of Queen Elizabeth II was a tragedy all around, but that doesn’t mean British officials weren’t ready for it to happen. In fact, there are contingency plans in place for the death of each of royal family member – with code names to go along in the unfortunate event they pass away.
In the Netflix show The Crown, the Queen’s secretary mentions: “We have contingency plans in place for all members of the royal family.”
“We’re all bridges, the choice of name was to suggest a link between this life and the next,” she said. And she’s right. This intricate system described in the show is exactly what happens in real life. For example, when Prince Philip died, the code word Forth Bridge was used. The code word is the impetus for a set of procedures that are immediately put into place following the death.
All of the royal death code names
Like many things involving the royal family, people are fascinated with what these code names are and how they work. It has been discovered that all of the code names for a royal’s death is that of a bridge. There has been no indication as to why this is, but we do know which family members have which names.
- The Queen: London Bridge
- Prince Philip: Forth Bridge
- Prince Charles: Menai Bridge
- The Queen Mother: Tay Bridge
- William, Kate, Harry, and Meghan: They don’t have death code names but they do have Royal Code Names
What do all the Royal death codes mean?
Let’s start with the Queen. Her death code London Bridge was used to invoke the next steps after her death. This means that the new monarch King Charles will meet with the Prime Minister and other important officials in the country, according to W Magazine.
All TV channels in the country switch to tributes and videos covering the news. Newspapers will know to move forward with the printing of obituaries that were prepared far in advance save the details like time of death. The country will mourn for a period of 12 days.
After the Accession Council convenes, he meets the cabinet again as King. Finally, he’ll go on a tour of the UK with a pause in the middle for his mother’s funeral.
Prince Philip’s codename, Forth Bridge, was put in place after he died last year at 99. The first part was the official announcement, then a speech by the prime minister. After that, the country went into mourning, and flags were lowered to half-mast as newscasters and other TV professionals wore black to mark the somber occasion.
Of course, the coronavirus pandemic meant that only 30 people were allowed to view the funeral in person.
What happens next?
As for Prince Charles, his death codename is Menai Bridge. The Queen’s private secretary picked the name and the name has a special meaning. Prince Charles is the Prince of Wales and the Menai Bridge connects the Island of Anglesey with the Welsh Mainland.
The Queen Mother’s codename, Tay Bridge, was used in 2002 when she passed away. Almost 1 million people took to the streets to mourn her passing. Tay Bridge operations were apparently rehearsed regularly in the 22 years before the Queen Mother died. Turns out that Tay Bridge procedures were used when Princess Diana died because it happened so suddenly.
As for the two princes and their wives, they have royal code names but not death ones, according to the Daily Star. Prince William is “Danny Collins;” his wife Kate Middleton is “Daphne Clark;” Prince Harry is “David Stevens” and his wife Meghan Markle is “Davina Scott.”
However, the code names are regularly changed for obvious reasons.