Buckingham Palace, London (Agencies): In the wake of his recent health issues, Buckingham Palace officials are reportedly updating plans for King Charles’ funeral. The 75-year-old British monarch has been largely out of the public eye since his cancer diagnosis in February.
According to a report published in The Daily Beast, multiple sources have indicated that the monarch’s condition is “not good”. An old friend of the royal family was quoted as saying, “Of course, he is determined to beat it and they are throwing everything at it. Everyone is staying optimistic, but he is really very unwell. More than they are letting on.”
While it has not been revealed what type of cancer King Charles has been diagnosed with, it has been clarified that it is not prostate cancer. The royal family has maintained that the King is “responding really well” to treatment.
- Regular Review of ‘Operation Menai Bridge’
Reports suggest that King Charles’ aides are regularly reviewing copies of his royal funeral plans, codenamed “Operation Menai Bridge”. This several-hundred-page document was created a day after the burial of Queen Elizabeth on September 8, 2022.
A former staffer, speaking to The Daily Beast, said, “The plans have been dusted off and are actively being kept up to date. It’s no more than what you would expect given the king has been diagnosed with cancer. But the circulation of them has certainly focused minds.”
Military officials have clarified that Operation Menai Bridge is being updated regularly, but added that it was standard procedure and that it would be “absurd to read anything into” that fact.
Funeral plans for British monarchs are nothing new. In fact, all members of the UK’s royal family have such plans which are periodically updated. These plans are categorised by bridge-based codewords. For instance, Queen Elizabeth’s was famously named “Operation London Bridge.”
The death plan of King Charles has been named after the suspension bridge which connects the island of Anglesey with the Welsh mainland. A senior official, who has been involved in the planning of royal funerals, said, “The whole thing goes from flash to bang in under two weeks which means every aspect of it needs to be meticulously planned in advance. Serious planning for Charles’ funeral began the day after they buried the queen.”