Queen Elizabeth II: Service of Prayer and Reflection to Air on BBC

By Stephen Andrew

Following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, a service of prayer and reflection will be aired on the BBC, as a memorial to the late British monarch. In a new message, St. Paul's Cathedral announced "The BBC is broadcasting the service live on BBC1 in the UK. If you are hoping to watch in a different country, please check the schedules of your national or regional broadcaster for information." The church added, "There will be no audio or video live relay of the service outside the Cathedral. It will be broadcast live on BBC1."

Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-reigning royal monarch of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms, died on Thursday at 96 years old. She died at Balmoral, her beloved palace in the Scottish Highlands, which was purchased by her great-great-grandfather Prince Albert for Queen Victoria in 1852. She was surrounded by her children and grandchildren. Her eldest son, Prince Charles, will succeed her as the new King of England.

Born on April 21, 1926, Elizabeth assumed the throne in 1953 after the death of her father, King George VI. She is survived by her four children: Charles, Prince of Wales; Anne, Princess Royal; Prince Andrew, Duke of York; and Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex. The Queen is also survived by many grandchildren, including Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Prince Harry. In addition, Elizabeth also had eight great-grandchildren.

Notably, reaction plans for the Queen's death have been in place since the 1960s. Dubbed "Operation London Bridge," according to Politico, the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms have a process in place for exactly how to handle things in the wake of the Queen's passing. It was previously reported that "London Bridge is down" was expected to be the phrase used to communicate to the prime minister of the United Kingdom — Boris Johnson —as well as key personnel, that the Queen has died.

Her death will be recognized across the world. As part of the plans in Canada, an official mourning period for Elizabeth II will take place. The length of said period will be determined by the federal government. All staff of the governor-general, territorial commissioners and provincial lieutenant governors will be immediately issued black ties and black armbands, during the official mourning period.

In Australia, a flag notice will be issued instructing flags to fly at half-mast for the next ten days. The one exception to this guideline is the day that Prince Charles is announced as the new King of England. Additionally, the Australian Defence Force will organize several gun salutes that coincide with events in London and will participate in ceremonies held throughout the United Kingdom.

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