What happens to The Crown following the Queen's death

Today, Thursday 8 September, it was announced by Buckingham Palace that Her Majesty the Queen had died at the age of 96, following a 70-year reign.

It just so happens that The Crown, Netflix’s dramatisation of Queen Elizabeth II’s reign, is currently filming its sixth and final season. 

Earlier this summer, it was confirmed that the show has its own protocol in place should the Queen die - essentially its own Operation London Bridge.

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Operation London Bridge is the name given to an annually-updated plan that’s been around since the 1960s and details what will happen after the Queen’s death, from funeral arrangements to the crowning of Her Majesty’s son, Charles. 

Speaking to the New York Post, a show insider confirmed: “We have our own version of Operation London Bridge.

“This is particularly pertinent for if we are filming. Filming will shut down immediately if we are in production, for at least a week. There would also be lots of discussion about when to restart.”

The Crown series five - starring Imelda Staunton as Queen Elizabeth - will hit Netflix in November, while the sixth season is set to premier in 2023.

Season six of the show was originally supposed to end in 2002, which is the same year the queen lost her mother and sister, however, the Post notes that creator Peter Morgan will now wrap the show up with the marriage of Charles and Camilla, which took place in 2005. 

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The royal family announced on Thursday that the Queen had died aged 96 in a Twitter statement, and soon after, Buckingham Palace confirmed the news, writing: “The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon. The King and Queen consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and return to London tomorrow.”

It was dated ‘Thursday, 8th September 2022’.

King Charles also shared a heartbreaking statement: “The death of my beloved Mother, Her Majesty The Queen, is a moment of the greatest sadness for me and all my family members.

“We mourn profoundly the passing of a cherished Sovereign and a much-loved Mother. I know her loss will be deeply felt throughout the country, the Realms and the Commonwealth, and by countless people around the world.

“During this period of mourning and change, my family and I will be comforted and sustained by our knowledge of the respect and deep affection in which The Queen was so widely held.”