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Prince Philip
Photo: POOL New / REUTERS
"Operation Forth Bridge" follows the death of Prince Philip.
This term describes the already agreed process up to the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II's husband.
The protocol is named after the railway bridge of the same name over the Firth of Forth near the Scottish capital Edinburgh.
Prepared for a long time, the plan is now coming into effect.
The code for the Queen's death has also been known for years: "Operation London Bridge".
Until the funeral of the Duke of Edinburgh, there is a nationwide mourning period.
The Queen and other royals will not attend any appointments - this means that the Queen, as head of state, cannot enforce any laws with her signature during this time.
In Parliament in London, the royal baton is wrapped in black cloth, the MPs wear black ribbons on their left arm and male MPs wear black ties.
The royal family will only appear in mourning clothes and wear armbands during the entire time.
Flags fly at half mast.
As the Prince Consort, the Duke of Edinburgh is entitled to a state funeral.
However, the prince is said to have said that he did not want any fuss.
A more private ceremony, with a military touch, is therefore expected in St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle, where Philip has resided with the Queen since the beginning of the pandemic.
He will then be buried in Frogmore Gardens, where Queen Victoria's grave is also located.
Probably also because of the corona pandemic and the rules in force in the United Kingdom, the funeral will probably be smaller than in normal times.
It is also questionable whether foreign guests of honor can even come to the ceremony.
There are strict rules for entering Great Britain: those arriving have to go into self-isolation for ten days.
Anyone coming from a country designated as a high-risk area, such as South Africa, has to be in hotel quarantine.
The rule also applies to journalists who want to report on the funeral service.
Buckingham Palace had previously announced that Prince Philip had died "peacefully in Windsor Castle" on Friday morning.
The Queen was "deeply saddened".
Philip was 99 years old.
Read the obituary here: The prosaic prince.
Philip had had a heart operation a few weeks ago in a specialist clinic and had spent several weeks in the hospital.
He was released home in mid-March.
He would have celebrated his 100th birthday in June.
jpz / dpa
