King Charles funeral plans leak: What will his final service entail?

Funeral arrangements for King Charles have reportedly undergone various updates and renewed over time, in light of his ongoing cancer treatment.

Reports of leaks regarding the plans further sent the Palace into a frenzy as recently as this year’s June.

The leak was first discovered when The Telegraph ran the headline “Prince Harry and Meghan at heart of King’s funeral plans”.

What was reported as brand new information later came to cause chaos as the information was never meant for be for public consumption.

“Indeed, The Telegraph can reveal that the King has factored not only the Duke but the Duchess of Sussex and their two children, Prince Archie, six, and Princess Lilibet, three, into the heart of his funeral plans,” the outlet had claimed.

While the online newspaper further took the liberty of not quoting their sources directly, or even revealing who they happened to be, opting to report the article under its own name.

This development sent Palace officials into a complete “meltdown”, per The Daily Beast, who also reported on “a huge censorship operation to ‘contain the spill’”.

Moreover, it was revealed that the leak “originated from within Buckingham Palace’s planning operation.”

Though the recent details were spilled against the royal establishment’s wishes, there are a few set protocols to follow when a monarch passes away. 

Have a look at what those are down below:

What will happen once King Charles breathes his last?

As soon as the King’s death may occur, his private secretary will ring Downing Street and inform the British Prime Minister first and foremost.

The UK Foreign Office will then be responsible for communicating His Majesty’s demise to the 15 countries where he is the head of state, as well as the 39 nations among the Commonwealth.

The BBC shall also be notified of the monarch’s death soon enough, as the national broadcast company are assigned protocols of their own in such case.

However, the royal family members obviously take precedence here and will be made aware of the monarch’s passing before the media is allowed to issue the news.

All of the flags around the nation will be flown at half mast, until the morning after the funeral, while church bells will be tolled to signal the death — the official signals for a period of national mourning.

It is important to note that the royal flag — known as the Royal Standard — is the only banner which is never flown at half mast, as confirmation that a monarch is always in place to inherit the Crown and the throne is technically never vacant.

The D-Day protocol

Interestingly enough, the day of the monarch’s death carries another special alias, known as the D-Day.

“The day after the monarch’s death is D-Day +1, followed by D-Day +2 and so on,” royal expert Marlene Koenig told Reader’s Digest.

The matter of ascension

It is understood that as soon as King Charles passes away, Prince William will immediately become Britain’s new sovereign.

As another royal expert and associate professor at University of New Hampshire, Nicoletta Gullace, further shared with the Digest, “The minute his father dies, William is king. The spirit of kingship descends upon him and the weight of the crown shifts to him, while the rituals will later affirm it.”

The day after his father’s death, the current Prince of Wales will meet with the Ascension Council and sign all of the necessary documents, swear an oath to the throne, and will be named King William V.

“He will then go out on the balcony of St. James’s Palace to address the public for the first time as the new king,” added Koenig.

Queen Camilla’s fate

In the matter of her husband’s demise, Queen Camilla will become queen dowager – a title which is supposed to denote her status as a widow of the previous king.

“She will always remain a queen and ‘Her Royal Highness’, but she will no longer be the queen,” the expert and professor of history shared.

The King’s final resting place

According to tradition, King Charles will be interred at Windsor Castle, following his funeral at Westminster Abbey.

Furthermore, it is expected the King will also be put to rest in St George’s Chapel, right alongside other senior royals like his parents, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, as well as his grandmother and aunt, the Queen Mother and Princess Margaret.