"Operation Forth Bridge" - What happens now after Prince Philips' death

Prince Philip died at the age of 99.

Now the rules after "Operation Forth Bridge" come into force.

What does that mean?

London - "Opertion Forth Bridge", that is the code term that sets off a chain of events after the death of Prince Philip.

Now the sad moment has come: Prince Philip, the husband of Queen Elizabeth II, passed away on Friday, April 9th, at the age of 99.

In a statement from the palace it is said that the Queen is "in deep mourning".

Prince Philip died "peacefully in Windsor Castle".

He would have celebrated his 100th birthday in June.

Prince Philip was only released from the clinic in March after a heart operation and a subsequent long hospital stay.

Now the world is in mourning.

Prince Philip is dead: mourning all over the world

Heads of state from all over the world, well-known personalities, fans and other royal families express their condolences.

The BBC played the national anthem in honor of the late Queen's husband and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson gave a speech.

The British Parliament in London is also called back prematurely from the Easter break due to the events.

The aim is to give MPs the opportunity to pay tribute to Queen Elizabeth II's deceased husband.

Prince Philip is dead: Now "Operation Forth Bridge" comes into force - meaning for Parliament and the Royal Family

Now the so-called "Operation Forth Bridge" follows.

A code term named after the railway bridge of the same name over the "Firth of Forth" near the Scottish capital Edinburgh.

Behind this is a precise schedule up to the funeral of Prince Philips.

The whole procedure has been prepared for a long time and is now coming into effect.

For the Parliament in London, which is now reassembling earlier, this means that the royal ceremonial staff is wrapped in a black cloth.

All MPs also wear black ribbons on their left arm, and men also wear a black tie.

The royal family themselves will only appear in mourning clothes and wear armbands during the entire time.

All flags fly at half mast.

Operation Forth Bridge also has an impact on the Royal Family themselves.

According to the procedure, there is a national mourning period until the funeral of the Duke of Edinburgh.

The Royals, including of course the Queen herself, will not keep any appointments during this time.

This also means that the queen, in her capacity as head of state, cannot put any laws into force with her signature during this time.

Prince Philip is dead: this is how the funeral could go

The prince consort should actually have an official state funeral.

But since he once said he didn't want a fuss, a more private ceremony is expected.

It should have a military touch and in the “St.

George's Chapel ”at Windsor Castle.

The place where Prince Philip spent his last days at the side of the Queen.

The monarch couple have resided here together since the beginning of the pandemic, largely isolated from the general public.

Precisely because of the pandemic and the contact regulations in place in the United Kingdom, the funeral will have to take place on a small scale anyway.

It is also questionable whether foreign guests of honor can even come to the ceremony.

There are currently strict rules for entering Great Britain: those entering the UK have to go into self-isolation for ten days.

Anyone who comes from a country designated as a high-risk area, such as South Africa or South America, even has to be in hotel quarantine.

A place where Prince Philip is to be buried has also already been determined.

It is believed that “Frogmore Gardens” is where Queen Victoria's grave is located.

By the way: There is also a protocol that comes into force in the event of the Queen's death.

It has also been known for years and is called "Operation London Bridge".

(dpa / jh)