King Charles III: ‘Operation Menai Bridge’ death rehearsals underway as monarch fights cancer battle

In the most concerning sign yet that King Charles may be fighting a losing cancer battle, troops of Buckingham Palace staff and advisers have begun rehearsing preparations for his death in an operation codenamed ‘Menai Bridge’.

King Charles III, like his mother Queen Elizabeth, who reigned for 70 years, has no intention of standing down as ruling monarch amid his health concerns and has stated he intends to remain on the throne until he dies.

But Operation Menai Bridge, which will be enacted in the hours, days and weeks following the King’s death, is under constant review, with palace insiders saying there have already been rehearsals in case the 76-year-old dies suddenly.

Multiple bodies associated with the monarchy and UK government have reportedly been involved in developing the plans, much like Operation London Bridge, which was triggered following the passing of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022.

Operation London Bridge was present for decades ahead of QEII’s death, and the planning and lessons learned have been passed on as the military-style operation pre-empting King Charles’ death ramps up.

“Even the king said in his acceptance that he will take this role for as long as life allows him to ... it’s got to be in the back of your mind, and from the police, we’ve got to start planning again for the future.” Royal Protection Officer Simon Morgan, 52, who served in the Queen’s security detail, told Radaronline.

Decision-making in the moments after King Charles’ passing is crucial, with certain protocols dictating the timeline of events.

“These are rehearsals no one wants to do, but everyone has to be ready. Every detail is planned – from who calls whom to how flags are lowered,” an insider said.

Crucially, Prince William will immediately ascend to take his father’s role as King, with a coronation to follow as soon as preparations can be finalised following the King’s state burial.

Radaronline says the king’s private secretary will be the first to notify the British PM and the Privy Council Office.

From there, a series of calls – known as the “call cascade” – will inform cabinet secretaries, ministers, and senior civil servants.

Once the cascade is complete, flags across Whitehall will be lowered to half-mast and a statement will be issued by Buckingham Palace.

As with Queen Elizabeth’s death, the day Charles dies will be referred to as D-Day, followed by D+1, D+2 and so on.

Prince William, 42, will then be referred to as King, and his wife Catherine, Princess of Wales, 43, will become Queen.

Charles’ wife Camilla, 77, who currently holds the title Queen Consort, will assume the role of Queen Dowager – a tradition that echoes historic royal customs.

The Menai Bridge codename is derived from a suspension bridge connecting the island of Anglesey to mainland Wales, which is an acknowledgement of King Charles’s lengthy stint as the Prince of Wales.

The name follows a royal tradition of using bridge-related codenames for death plans.

The practice of using bridge-related codenames for royal deaths has been used for decades to avoid the information being leaked.

Aides once relied on switchboard operators, and the codenames were used to ensure the information was protected as it passed between sources.