Ministers rehearse for death of Queen in secret exercise as she refuses to undergo knee surgery
Things may not be looking too good in the case of the royal family of England as it has been reported by The Times that the ministers have been preparing for ten days of national mourning in the aftermath of the monarch's passing in a secret exercise. The tabloid reports that Cabinet minister David Lidington chaired a meeting on Thursday (June 28). Home secretary Sajid Javid and leader of the Commons Andrea Leadsom were reportedly present at the meeting.
The exercise which has been dubbed 'Castle Dove' focused on the day after the Queen's death and when Prime Minister Theresa May would make the official public statements regarding the same. The exercise was prompted after the 92-year-old monarch missed a service at St Paul's Cathedral because she was unwell. Previously, a plan called 'London Bridge' has been discussed with regard to the death of Queen Elizabeth but this week's exercise is said to have been on an 'unprecedented' scale.
A Whitehall source told the tabloid, "This is the first time different ministers have come together in one room. Previously it has only been officials." Meanwhile, a cabinet minister reportedly added, “Things have clearly been stepped up because of the aging process.” It has been reported that upon the death of the majesty, the Prime Minister will be the first person to be informed.
It is believed that the Queen's private secretary will be the one to take the news to the Prime Minister. The news will be broken to the Prime Minister via a secure line and then utter the code, "London Bridge is down." These reports come after it has been revealed that Queen Elizabeth has been refusing to get a knee surgery done as she does not want to cancel the prior commitments made by her.
A Palace source told The Sun, "She was talking to friends at the Chelsea Flower Show and said her knees were playing up. But she is reluctant to have an op due to the time it would take to recover. She is incredibly brave. People from her and Philip’s generation battle through problems and carry on. And Her Majesty doesn’t like to cause any fuss.” Queen Elizabeth has a number of engagements that she needs to fulfill every year.
It has been reported that The Queen attends nearly 200 engagements a year. As of now, she has made nine appearances in ten days before it was announced that she will not be attending a ceremony at St Paul’s Cathedral. "The Queen is feeling under the weather today and has decided not to attend this morning's service at St Paul's Cathedral marking the 200th anniversary of the Order of St Michael and St George," the statement from the palace read at that time. However, she is set to continue with her other engagements as per her schedule.
