Charles is “still very sick,” according to royal specialists, despite the appearance that he “is on the mend.” The palace is preparing a fitting funeral for the monarch.
Plans for the king’s death, known as Operation Menai Bridge, are well under way, with the 75-year-old royal battling cancer and “death being a possibility.”
Find out why the king’s funeral arrangements are so critical by reading on!
Soon after Queen Elizabeth II took the throne in 1952, preparations for Operation London Bridge began.
Details such as her death announcement, sorrow, state funeral, and King Charles III’s accession to the throne were all part of the plan, which served as a codename for the operations that would transpire following her passing.
The former Prince of Wales, who ascended to the throne after more than 70 years, became the oldest person in British history after the queen passed away in 2022.
Furthermore, he was unable to relish his new position for very long.
Less than a year after being crowned in May 2023, in January 2024, Charles had a “corrective procedure” to cure a benign enlargement of his prostate.
Just one month following his surgery, in February, the palace said that the cancer, not the prostate, had been found.
“I would like to express my most heartfelt thanks for the many messages of support and good wishes…As all those who have been affected by cancer will know, such kind thoughts are the greatest comfort and encouragement,” Charles writes in a statement shared February 10, 2024, on the royal family’s social media accounts.
“It is equally heartening to hear how sharing my own diagnosis has helped promote public understanding and shine a light on the work of all those organisations which support cancer patients and their families across the UK and wider world. My lifelong admiration for their tireless care and dedication is all the greater as a result of my own personal experience.”
As the monarch underwent treatment for an undiscovered kind of cancer, his eldest son Prince William assumed more royal duties and provided emotional support to his wife Kate, who revealed her own illness diagnosis in March 2024.
“William has taken on a bigger role, and Charles has drawn him in on much of the decision-making,” a source says.
The king has resumed his public duties, although reports indicate that he is having serious difficulties.
“He’s making public appearances, but they’re for shorter periods of time,” the anonymous person says. ” He’s often whisked in by helicopter and then whisked out. After an engagement, he needs a good rest.”
As “unpleasant as it seems,” the insider also says that because of Charles’ failing health, the funeral arrangements are more urgent.
Confirming these claims, the Daily Beast reports that doom is compounding in the palace and that friends are struggling to stay optimistic. “Of course, he is determined to beat it and they are throwing everything at it,” the close friend shares. “Everyone is staying optimistic, but he is really very unwell. More than they are letting on.”
Operation Menai Bridge
The king has his own 10-day plan, code-named Operation Menai Bridge, which is “regularly updated,” much as the 10-day plan that detailed procedures connected to the queen’s death.
Every member of the royal family has a codeword they can use in the event of their passing, and the arrangements are made to facilitate a seamless handover of power.
Charles’s former position as the Prince of Wales is referenced in the king’s Operation Menai Bridge, a suspension bridge that links the island of Anglesey with the Welsh mainland.
The Independent claims that code names were implemented before an official statement was made in order to stop Buckingham Palace switchboard operators from finding out about and disseminating information about royal deaths.
What happens when he dies?
Prince William, the presumed heir to the British throne, will succeed his father Charles as king, and his bride Kate Middleton will serve as queen consort.
Like Charles did when his mother passed away, the new king will address the country by broadcast after an official proclamation to the people.
The late monarch will most likely be laid to rest in the royal vault in the monarch George VI Memorial Chapel at Windsor Castle, where he will lay in state throughout the period of mourning at the Palace of Westminster.
The royal family will be prepared for a fitting funeral when the time comes.
“The palace is giving the impression that Charles is on the mend, but he’s still very sick,” an insider tells In Touch in an August 2024 interview. “Officials will make sure a funeral for the king meets his wishes and expectations while following proper protocol.”
