Queen Elizabeth II, an exceptionally long-lived monarch, died “peacefully” at her residence in Balmoral, Scotland, on Thursday, September 8.
If Buckingham announced the queen’s death around 7:30 p.m. (French time), many British media reveal that the queen really died in the early afternoon. A retrospective look at the last few hours that have kept the whole world on edge.
Riots in the British Parliament
It was past noon in London (1pm in France) when Nadhim Zahawi, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, rushed to the House of Commons, then in the midst of a debate over energy price caps, to deliver a note to Prime Minister Liz. Truss, newly appointed by the Queen.
This note, written on a sheet of paper, reports the doctors’ concerns about the Queen’s health. Information becomes public quickly. Shortly after 12:30 p.m., Buckingham Palace issued the following statement: “The Queen’s doctors are concerned about Her Majesty’s condition and have recommended that she remain under medical supervision.”
Speaker of the House of Commons Lindsay Hoyle then intervened briefly to send “best wishes” to the Queen. In Westminster, ‘people with constitutional roles’ are told to prepare for the worst, reports the guardian.
Around 12:40 pm, black screen on the BBC, which interrupts the usual course of its programs to read the press release from the palace and launch a special edition. The presenters take out the black ties.
Family run to Balmoral
From 12:45 p.m. (1:45 p.m. French time) members of the royal family rush to Balmoral Castle. Prince Charles, his eldest son and heir, who is staying not far from there with his wife in Birkhall, is one of the first to arrive at his bedside.
Princess Anne, also in Scotland, quickly joins Balmoral. Shortly after, Prince William and Prince Andrew take a plane from Northolt (northwest London) to Aberdeen to be with the monarch at around 5:00 p.m. (UK time).
Princes Andrew and Edward, the queen’s two youngest children, also land at 5pm in Aberdeen.
For his part, Prince Harry, who was to attend a charity event in London on Thursday night, also boarded a plane to go to the Queen, without his wife Meghan. Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge and wife of Prince William, is also staying in Windsor to care for George, Charlotte and Louis, who returned to school that same morning.
Private announcement of the Queen’s death
Pending further information on the queen’s health, Britons and newsrooms around the world are holding their breath and preparing for the worst. The unprecedented candor of Buckingham’s press release seems to be preparing the public for bad news. The British begin to flock to Buckingham despite the rain.
The world doesn’t know it yet, but the Queen has just passed away, at Balmoral, around 4pm UK time.
As is the protocol of the London Bridge operation, Prime Minister Liz Truss is the first person to be informed of his death. It’s 4:30 p.m. local time when Cabinet Secretary of State Simon Case sends him the famous “London Bridge is down” code. Charles and Anne are then the only two children present at the queen’s bedside during the announcement, specifies the daily mail.
Two hours later, at 7:25 p.m. French time, while all the children and grandchildren of the family are with the Queen, the information is made public: “A few moments ago, Buckingham Palace announced the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth I”. , says the BBC presenter with emotion, dressed in black as a sign of mourning, under the first notes of the British anthem. God save the Queen.
At 7:30pm, the royal family’s Twitter account reads: “The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon. The King and Queen consort will stay at Balmoral tonight and return to London tomorrow.”
Prince Carlos automatically became king, under the name of Carlos III. The crowd gathered in Buckingham then chanted the traditional “God save the King!” (“God save the king!”).
Source: BFM TV
