Royal funerals are usually planned years in advance, given the complexities which surround such a sombre state event.
Operation London Bridge was the codename for the late Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral in 2022, with each member of the royal family given a different bridge-themed codename.
Among the revelations in Robert Hardman’s latest version of his biography, Charles III: New King. New Court. The Inside Story, are the surprising updates to the royal family’s future funeral plans, including their codenames.
Speaking on the latest episode of HELLO!’s A Right Royal Podcast, Robert said: “The fact is anything that’s going to involve thousands of troops, a large part of the police and all the other services and all the broadcasters and media, you’ve got to have a few plans.”
He continued: “With Queen Elizabeth II, planning began in earnest for her farewell a good 20 years earlier with what was known as Operation London Bridge. That was the title that the previous Duke of Norfolk gave to the funeral plans for the monarch, with other funeral plans for other members of the family, given different bridge designations.
“So the Queen Mother, for example, was Operation Tay Bridge and the Prince of Wales [Charles] was Operation Menai Bridge. Menai Bridge being the bridge between Anglesey and Wales. And so that process has resumed, as one might expect.
“But it was quite interesting to discover that actually the designation for the monarch remains Operation London Bridge and for the Prince of Wales is Operation Menai Bridge still. Whereas previously for Prince William, it was Operation Clare Bridge because Clare Bridge is a famous bridge in Cambridge, and he was the Duke of Cambridge.”
Listen to the full episode here…
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Robert also explained that for each of Prince William’s family members, Menai would be the designated codename for his wife Kate and their three children: “That would be the plan that within each family you’d have Menai I, Menai II, Menai III.”
In the updated version of his new book Robert also shared his knowledge about the late Queen’s diaries and whether the King will reconcile with his youngest son, Prince Harry, in future.
Charles III: New King. New Court. The Inside Story by Robert Hardman
