King Charles Just Updated His Funeral Plans. Here's What We Know
Royal funerals are complex events that take years of planning to pull off successfully. Will the royal family be ready when King Charles III inevitably passes away?
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00:00 Royal funerals are complex events that take years of planning to pull off successfully.
00:05 Will the royal family be ready when King Charles III inevitably passes away? Being a British
00:10 monarch comes with the somber responsibility of preparing for the day one is no longer
00:15 on the throne. While supporters hope his reign will be a long one, Charles' health issues
00:20 have made the public keenly aware that another royal funeral may be on the horizon even sooner
00:26 than expected.
00:27 On April 25, 2024, the Daily Beast quoted an insider who claimed,
00:31 "Everyone is staying optimistic, but he really is very unwell — more than they are letting
00:36 on."
00:37 Charles' funeral plans actually began long before his coronation. Events like this aren't
00:42 just something one can throw together at the last minute. There are protocols to follow,
00:46 guests to invite, security to arrange, and military drills to practice. The Operation
00:51 Manai Bridge plan, as Charles' funeral is codenamed, was already hundreds of pages long
00:56 when Queen Elizabeth II died, the very day after her own service officials began reviewing
01:01 the document and making revisions. Chief among the concerns is ensuring a strong police presence.
01:07 A military source told the Daily Beast,
01:09 "You need a giant security operation because every VVIP on the planet is there. The whole
01:14 thing goes from flash to bang in under two weeks, which means every aspect of it needs
01:19 to be meticulously planned in advance."
01:22 Because the queen's ceremony went well, the pressure is on to ensure the same will hold
01:26 true for her eldest son. Queen Elizabeth had a heavy hand in planning her own funeral,
01:31 and she had plenty of time to do so. A staff of nearly 300 people began planning Operation
01:36 London Bridge in 2002, 20 years before her death in September 2022, virtually guaranteeing
01:42 it would go off without a hitch.
01:44 "The royal family watched as the bearer party placed the coffin in the state hearse."
01:51 Though Charles will likely have less time to sign off on his own plans, there are certain
01:55 traditional aspects already in place we can expect to see. Operation Manai Bridge is named
02:00 for a suspension bridge in Wales, befitting Charles' long tenure as Prince of Wales. At
02:05 the confirmation of his death, the palace will alert the prime minister and other government
02:09 officials, followed by notifications to Commonwealth nations, before announcing the news to the
02:14 general public.
02:15 As with his mother before him, Charles' coffin will lie in state at Westminster Hall for
02:20 some time, and members of the royal family will stand watch along with military guards.
02:25 The funeral will take place some days later, with a solemn procession to Westminster Abbey,
02:29 flanked by members of various military units. The Daily Beast source noted that Charles'
02:34 guards will likely include the Parachute Regiment, a division with which he was closely involved.
02:40 This is just one of the personal touches he may include at his service.
02:44 Just as Charles included some unusual details in his coronation, he may opt to put his own
02:48 personal stamp on certain aspects of his funeral service, such as the readings from the Bible
02:53 and other sources. Royals are allowed to select the music at the ceremony, so he may have
02:58 already commissioned pieces from contemporary composers, such as Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber,
03:02 who wrote a special anthem for the coronation. Expect to see the garden-loving king's favorite
03:07 blooms, delphiniums, either in the cathedral or the coffin arrangement.
03:11 The guest list for Charles' funeral won't be as small as the one for his father. Prince
03:15 Phillips took place during the pandemic, so his service featured just 30 mourners. But
03:20 in keeping with his desire for a more modern monarchy, he might well trim the total to
03:24 a considerably smaller number than the 2,000 heads of state and other guests featured at
03:28 the Queen's service. Of course, his family will be front and center in the funeral procession,
03:33 with Prince William, or rather King William, leading the way. This time, there will be
03:37 no question about Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, staying several steps behind his brother.
03:42 [music]