Every single question you’ve had about the Queen since her death, answered

Literally, every single one

2 years ago

Ever since the Queen passed away last week, you’ve probably been scrambling from article-to-article to try and get as much info as you can on what happens next. It seems like just yesterday you were googling “how did the queen die,” now you’re thinking about regnal numbers, consorts vs. regents, bank holidays and state counsellors and your head feels like it’s BURNING.

Or, you know, I could just be projecting.

So – how about we try and answer each of these things all in one place. With thanks to Google Trends and our *very scientific* way of finding out these things, here’s every single question you’ve had about the Queen since her death, answered:

How did the Queen die?

No-one’s had official word on the Queen’s actual cause of death yet. But, at 96, she was dealing with a lot of health problems – including having Covid in February this year.

Why did the Queen’s coffin travel to Edinburgh?

Photo by Lafargue Raphael/ABACA/Shutterstock

Operation London Bridge was put into place when the Queen dies – the common phrase “London Bridge is down” was used to inform officals (including Prime Minister Liz Truss) that the Queen had passed away. But, running at the same time as Operation London Bridge, was Operation Unicorn.

It was always known that if the Queen dies in Scotland, Operation Unicorn would also come into effect. This included a service in Edinburgh, plus the Queen’s coffin being put on display at Holyrood Palace. And, since the Queen died at Balmoral, her Scotland home, Operation Unicorn was triggered.

‘Wait… I heard the Queen’s body isn’t actually in the coffin’

Okay, so a lot of people have been asking this question. And, apparently, the answer is she is. You see, the coffin isn’t just some run-of-the-mill wooden box. It’s lined with lead to keep the body inside it preserved for longer. The lead makes the coffin air-tight, preventing the air from reaching the body and speeding up the decomposition process. Nice.

Do we get a bank holiday for the Coronation?

It hasn’t been announced by King Charles or the Privy Council whether we’ll get a bank holiday for the Coronation. But, we’ll definitely have one for the Queen’s funeral on Monday 19th September.

Where will the Queen be buried?

Despite the rumours, the Queen won’t be buried in or around London. After funeral, her coffin will be taken to St George’s Chapel, which is on the grounds of Windsor Castle, to be buried alongside Prince Phillip.

Who’s the Queen now?

Photo via James Pearce on Shutterstock

So, technically there is no queen like *the* Queen. Queen Elizabeth was the Queen Regnant, which means she inherited the title through her bloodline. She was the UK’s reigning monarch, and that would’ve been the case even if she hadn’t married.

Camilla, however, is now our Queen Consort. This means she married into the sovereign and is the reigning monarch’s wife. After King Charles divorced from Princess Diana in 1996, tradition meant that if he married again, his wife wouldn’t have become Queen Consort. Camilla was destined to become Princess Consort up until earlier this year, when the Queen decided to change her title.

Obviously, none of this is to be confused with Queen Regent – the mother of the reigning monarch. And definitely none of this seems arbitrary at all.

Where will the Queen’s funeral be held?

After five days of lying in state, the Queen’s coffin will be taken across the road to Westminster Abbey, where her funeral will be held. Princess Diana and the Queen Mother also had their funerals in the Abbey, following in royal tradition.

Which shops will be closed for the funeral?

To allow our colleagues and customers across the UK to pay their respects to Her Majesty The Queen, on Monday 19 September our large stores will be closed all day and our Express stores will open from 5pm-10pm. Visit https://t.co/YOxG9g8HLW for details. pic.twitter.com/A5OUbH415V

— Tesco (@Tesco) September 13, 2022

Lidl, Tesco, Aldi and ASDA are among the big supermarkets closing down on Monday (19th September). Waitrose, Sainsbury’s and M&S will also be closing down, for all you bougie shoppers out there. Primark, Zara, Next, Matalan and Harrods look to be the only clothing stores closing, while Homebase, Home Bargains, Poundland, Wilkos and Dunelm will also be shutting their doors.

Will Prince Andrew still be ‘retired’ from royal duties?

Photo via BBC

According to ITV’s Political Editor Robert Peston, Prince Andrew has been made a Counsellor of State, meaning he can take over as caretaker king if King Charles falls ill, or leaves the country. This is in spite of the fact Andrew has been stripped of his HRH title, as well as all 230 of his patronages.

His daughter, Princess Beatrice, has been given the same title.

What on earth is happening with the corgis?!

Photo by Maksym Tymchyk 🇺🇦 on Unsplash

It’s been a cause of MAJOR controversy over the last few days – but the Queen’s corgis will be going (back) to Prince Andrew and his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson. A source told The Cut “the corgis will return to the Royal Lodge,” which is where Prince Andrew lives with Sarah Ferguson, his ex-wife. This is down to the fact that the pair gave the corgis to the Queen in the first place, and it was always understood that either “Andrew or Beatrice (his daughter)” would have them back, one day.

Will anything else be closed on Monday?

All cinemas will close down for the funeral, as well as cafes like Costa. So far, McDonald’s and Greggs have been the only takeaways to announce they’re closing, too.