7 ms·

Operation London Bridge: the secret plan for the days after the Queen’s death

57 points by lumisota 10y ago

JazCE 10y ago
So how can we disrupt this?
- celticninja 10y ago
  What exactly do you want to disrupt (her death or the pageantry following her death) and why do you want to disrupt it? The most obvious way would be to find a route to immortality and provide it to the Queen however I'm not sure of the value of that.
- ionised 10y ago
  Mass regicide.
  - LyndsySimon 10y ago
    Where will we find enough monarchs?
    - ionised 10y ago
      Europe has a few dotted around.
    - ferentchak 10y ago
      Fund a monarch bootcamp?
      - LyndsySimon 10y ago
        Genius!
- pjc50 10y ago
  It's a pity that HN can't appreciate self-deprecating humour like this.
relics443 10y ago
As an American I have no barometer for this. Anyone here from the UK, will the public at large really be as affected as the article claims?
- celticninja 10y ago
  It will be a big thing over here. A lot of the older generation (60+) will have strong positive feelings toward the monarchy, those in the 30-60 age range will not have known another monarch so even if they are not royalists i expect it will have some impact. She has not been a terrible monarch so in general there is little anti-royal sentiment. Personally I'm looking forward to an extra day off work (or 2 if possible). I expect the worst aspect for most people will be Charles becoming king.
- ionised 10y ago
  As a Brit, I personally would rather the UK were a republic. I have no love or even respect for the royal family and all they represent. When the queen snuffs it, I'll likely give it a few seconds of thought before going on with my day. Unfortunately there are a lot of royalists here even among the poorest in society who will no doubt be weeping in the streets as if aristocratic classes cared even one iota whether they lived or died. We are a bizarre country with a huge section of the population that cannot let go of our royal/imperial/colonial past and all the exceptionalism that connotates.
  - mwj 10y ago
    I'm no monarchist, but how exactly do you think an alternative head of state will be different from the current royal family? Effectively they are all ceremonial titles, who host other heads of state during grandiose state visits, do a bit of charity work and have the theoretical power to dismiss the government. At least the monarchy brings in a bit of tourist coin along the way
  - zigzigzag 10y ago
    Lots of people will be sad, but not because they're royalists or monarchists, just because the Queen has such a long and essentially spotless history. In a world where celebrities and politicians are all pretty much expected to have a lifetime of scandal and dishonour, she stands nearly alone in having managed to avoid controversy and dishonour for, well, at least as long as I've been alive. Very few people manage that, and in this, she represents a sort of British ideal. However, once the Queen is gone, the issue of whether to keep the Royal family will I'm sure become the next referendum issue (unless there's another scottish indyref first).
mino 10y ago
I'm curious about the technicalities of the “radio alert transmission system” (RATS), which indeed sounds like a cold war-era system, but I couldn't find much around. Any idea? You have to admit that a radio announcement that starts with “This is the BBC from London” is a creepy reminder of old times.
zigzigzag 10y ago
Ah the Guardian. Never missing a trick to slyly insert some anti-Brexit propaganda in unrelated stories: But her kingdom is in turmoil, and her subjects are in denial that her reign will ever end Her kingdom is not in turmoil unless, I suppose, you work for the Guardian in which case the one-two punch of Labour's credibility collapse and Brexit mean you think the world is ending. But lots of people don't see that as turmoil at all.
- lumisota 10y ago
  The Scottish government is seeking a second independence referendum, and Sinn Féin (Irish republican party) has gained its highest vote share in Northern Ireland -- is this not a kingdom in turmoil?
  - zigzigzag 10y ago
    No, not really. Sturgeon has to demand a second, and a third and a fourth referendum whenever she can as she defines herself as "independence or out" and that's what her most loyal supporters demand. But it's unlikely such a rerun would happen for several years, and things might be quite different by then. I guess it also depends on if you see devolution as turmoil. I wouldn't consider an independent Scotland or leaving the EU as "turmoil" - just a rearrangement of politics to be more local, which is likely good in the long run.
    - lumisota 10y ago
      If "kingdom" in your Guardian quote refers to the United Kingdom, then it is surely in turmoil when a non-trivial number of people (say ~50% in Scotland, ~25% in Northern Ireland) don't wish to be a part of it.
      - zigzigzag 10y ago
        44% in Scotland and not much appetite for a rerun according to the polls. But I suppose if you want to define it that way, you can, as long as you're consistent: by that definition virtually all of Europe is in turmoil (well, the EU). Not sure people living there would recognise the description though. Things feel quite calm really.
Kaibeezy 10y ago
Wow, that article just goes on and on and on and on. I tried to imagine the Queen herself reading it and being comfortable with the endless extravagance. Does she really see herself this way? Is it how she wants those resources to be used? "Leaders", you want to buy them a mirror. Earlier today I was reading about the shameful cost of Trump's Florida weekends and his family remaining in NYC. This after carping about Obama's occasional trips. Bleh.

57 points by lumisota 10y ago

JazCE 10y ago

So how can we disrupt this?

celticninja 10y ago
What exactly do you want to disrupt (her death or the pageantry following her death) and why do you want to disrupt it? The most obvious way would be to find a route to immortality and provide it to the Queen however I'm not sure of the value of that.
ionised 10y ago
Mass regicide.
- LyndsySimon 10y ago
  Where will we find enough monarchs?
  - ionised 10y ago
    Europe has a few dotted around.
  - ferentchak 10y ago
    Fund a monarch bootcamp?
    - LyndsySimon 10y ago
      Genius!
pjc50 10y ago
It's a pity that HN can't appreciate self-deprecating humour like this.

relics443 10y ago

As an American I have no barometer for this. Anyone here from the UK, will the public at large really be as affected as the article claims?

celticninja 10y ago
It will be a big thing over here. A lot of the older generation (60+) will have strong positive feelings toward the monarchy, those in the 30-60 age range will not have known another monarch so even if they are not royalists i expect it will have some impact. She has not been a terrible monarch so in general there is little anti-royal sentiment. Personally I'm looking forward to an extra day off work (or 2 if possible). I expect the worst aspect for most people will be Charles becoming king.
ionised 10y ago
As a Brit, I personally would rather the UK were a republic. I have no love or even respect for the royal family and all they represent. When the queen snuffs it, I'll likely give it a few seconds of thought before going on with my day. Unfortunately there are a lot of royalists here even among the poorest in society who will no doubt be weeping in the streets as if aristocratic classes cared even one iota whether they lived or died. We are a bizarre country with a huge section of the population that cannot let go of our royal/imperial/colonial past and all the exceptionalism that connotates.
- mwj 10y ago
  I'm no monarchist, but how exactly do you think an alternative head of state will be different from the current royal family? Effectively they are all ceremonial titles, who host other heads of state during grandiose state visits, do a bit of charity work and have the theoretical power to dismiss the government. At least the monarchy brings in a bit of tourist coin along the way
- zigzigzag 10y ago
  Lots of people will be sad, but not because they're royalists or monarchists, just because the Queen has such a long and essentially spotless history. In a world where celebrities and politicians are all pretty much expected to have a lifetime of scandal and dishonour, she stands nearly alone in having managed to avoid controversy and dishonour for, well, at least as long as I've been alive. Very few people manage that, and in this, she represents a sort of British ideal. However, once the Queen is gone, the issue of whether to keep the Royal family will I'm sure become the next referendum issue (unless there's another scottish indyref first).

mino 10y ago

I'm curious about the technicalities of the “radio alert transmission system” (RATS), which indeed sounds like a cold war-era system, but I couldn't find much around. Any idea? You have to admit that a radio announcement that starts with “This is the BBC from London” is a creepy reminder of old times.

zigzigzag 10y ago

Ah the Guardian. Never missing a trick to slyly insert some anti-Brexit propaganda in unrelated stories: But her kingdom is in turmoil, and her subjects are in denial that her reign will ever end Her kingdom is not in turmoil unless, I suppose, you work for the Guardian in which case the one-two punch of Labour's credibility collapse and Brexit mean you think the world is ending. But lots of people don't see that as turmoil at all.

lumisota 10y ago
The Scottish government is seeking a second independence referendum, and Sinn Féin (Irish republican party) has gained its highest vote share in Northern Ireland -- is this not a kingdom in turmoil?
- zigzigzag 10y ago
  No, not really. Sturgeon has to demand a second, and a third and a fourth referendum whenever she can as she defines herself as "independence or out" and that's what her most loyal supporters demand. But it's unlikely such a rerun would happen for several years, and things might be quite different by then. I guess it also depends on if you see devolution as turmoil. I wouldn't consider an independent Scotland or leaving the EU as "turmoil" - just a rearrangement of politics to be more local, which is likely good in the long run.
  - lumisota 10y ago
    If "kingdom" in your Guardian quote refers to the United Kingdom, then it is surely in turmoil when a non-trivial number of people (say ~50% in Scotland, ~25% in Northern Ireland) don't wish to be a part of it.
    - zigzigzag 10y ago
      44% in Scotland and not much appetite for a rerun according to the polls. But I suppose if you want to define it that way, you can, as long as you're consistent: by that definition virtually all of Europe is in turmoil (well, the EU). Not sure people living there would recognise the description though. Things feel quite calm really.

Kaibeezy 10y ago

Wow, that article just goes on and on and on and on. I tried to imagine the Queen herself reading it and being comfortable with the endless extravagance. Does she really see herself this way? Is it how she wants those resources to be used? "Leaders", you want to buy them a mirror. Earlier today I was reading about the shameful cost of Trump's Florida weekends and his family remaining in NYC. This after carping about Obama's occasional trips. Bleh.