Mourning in Britain

Queen Elizabeth II has died at Scotland’s Balmoral Castle at the age of 96, Buckingham Palace confirmed Thursday, signalling the end of a seven-decade reign longer than any in British history. She died surrounded by the Royal Family, who rushed to Balmoral when her doctors put her under medical supervision.

Britons will mourn the late monarch in a carefully scripted, and long-awaited, set of events called Operation Unicorn that include a lying-in-state and official funeral. The new King Charles III will stay in Balmoral on Thursday night before heading to London on Friday with his wife, Camilla, now Queen Consort.

Mourning in Canada

Rideau Hall, federal politicians and provincial premiers paid tribute to the late queen on Thursday as the nation prepared for its first official mourning of a Canadian head of state since 1952. Canadians will be able to share messages in condolence books at Rideau Hall and Parliament Hill, with other ceremonies to follow in Ottawa. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Governor-General Mary Simon plan to attend the funeral in London.

Royal mourning in Britain: What to expect

Commonwealth realms like Britain and Canada have strict protocols about what to do if a sovereign dies, and they’ve had decades to get them right: The last time it happened was when Elizabeth’s father, George VI, died in 1952.

In Britain, a plan (called Operation Unicorn in the event of her death in Scotland, and Operation London Bridge had she died in London) lays out exactly how the death is announced, what the Royal Family and prime minister will do and how security forces will deal with increased crowds and protect the new sovereign. The plan is roughly as follows, though arrangements may change depending on the circumstances.

First 24 hours

The death is announced publicly with a framed notice on the railing outside Buckingham Palace in London, as well as by e-mail and Royal Family websites.

Charles becomes king immediately. He pays his respects, records a speech for worldwide TV broadcast and meets key people such as the British prime minister, the Earl Marshal (a nobleman in charge of funeral plans) and the Accession Council, a ceremonial body that confirms he has taken the throne.

First week after

The coffin is taken to Westminster Hall five days after the death, where it lies in state for five more days.

The King travels to the parliaments in London, Edinburgh, Belfast and Cardiff to receive lawmakers’ formal condolences. Parliaments in Canada and the other Commonwealth realms will send their own condolences.

Second week after

Ten days after the death, the funeral is held at Westminster Abbey. Canada’s Governor-General Mary Simon and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau are expected to attend. The coffin goes to Windsor Castle for a committal service at St. George’s Chapel, where the Royal Family holds a private burial. The monarch’s final resting place is the King George VI Memorial Chapel, where her parents are buried.

Royal mourning in Canada: What to expect

The House of Commons and provincial legislatures have to set official mourning periods when public buildings will be closed and symbols of mourning, like black armbands and ribbons, will be used. The federal government’s plans so far include:

- Flags at half-mast at federal buildings and embassies.

- An electronic condolence book from Heritage Canada, with a paper book at Rideau Hall and Parliament Hill in Ottawa.

- A commemorative ceremony at Ottawa’s Christ Church Cathedral, with a parade past the National War Memorial.

Canada and the other Commonwealth realms also have to issue proclamations with the new sovereign’s title, which will be different depending on the country. These are only formalities, as is the coronation that comes later. The legal process of succession may be different in each realm, but the result is the same: Charles is automatically the new king.

Queen Elizabeth II at a glance

Age: 96

Reigned for: 70 years, seven months and three days. That’s a record for British sovereigns, though not for Canadian ones; Canada’s royal line includes the French kings who colonized Quebec, and one of them, Louis XIV, reigned for 72 years in the 17th and 18th centuries.

Role in Canada: Elizabeth’s reign, which covered the tenures of 12 prime ministers, was a time of massive change in Canada’s political status and relationship with the monarchy. She signed the Constitution Act of 1982 that introduced the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and gave Canada the power to change its founding documents without the involvement of Britain’s Parliament. She made 22 official visits to Canada before leaving overseas travel to her children and grandchildren.

Role in the Commonwealth: Elizabeth took the throne when the British Empire was waning and its former (and soon-to-be-former) colonies asserted themselves as equals. Many of those countries still co-operate through the Commonwealth, a voluntary association of which the monarch is the symbolic chief. It now has 54 member states, 15 of which are Commonwealth realms where the monarch is head of state: These include Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the Bahamas and Papua New Guinea. (Barbados became a republic in 2021, though it is still a Commonwealth member; Jamaica’s government aims to transition toward a republic in 2025.)

The Queen dies: More from The Globe and Mail

Obituary: Queen Elizabeth II, the monarch of modernity, is gone

Elizabeth Renzetti: When I met the Queen and Royal Family, I realized they’re just like us, except not

John Fraser: Queen Elizabeth II, a perfect and unobtrusive sovereign, subtly shaped Canada