Here’s How All The Royal Websites Were Ready For The Queen’s Passing
While most of the world wasn’t expecting Buckingham Palace to announce the passing of Queen Elizabeth II, it appears the vast swathes of royal websites were prepared for the eventuality, immediately switching into “mourning mode” once the news broke.
Most noticeably, the official royal website changed to a black background, displaying a picture of the Queen at her coronation, with a notice reminding users that information on the page could be out of date “following the recent announcement of the death of The Queen.”
As Gizmodo noted, the Royal Collection Trust website and Prince Charles’ page have followed with similar tributes, while the Royal Collection Shop has shuttered for the time being.
Notably, the only royal-affiliated site yet to offer a nod to the Queen’s passing is one belonging to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex—Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. The page still reflects the coupe’s usual introduction and posts, though it seems it may not belong to the official royal collective of websites.
The publication reported that even the shift on the websites was part of the secret plan for the Queen’s death, more commonly known by its code ‘London Bridge is down’, which involved the BBC’s announcement both on television and radio.
Here is the moment BBC Radio 1 entered The Protocol. pic.twitter.com/VdNnnvwgf1
— Timothy Burke (@bubbaprog) September 8, 2022
According to The Guardian’s extensive report on the matter, it was already known back in 2017 that should the Queen pass on, a footman would emerge from the palace in mourning clothes, pinning a black-edged notice to its gates.
Following this, the official palace website and its subsidiaries will “transform into a somber, single page,” all featuring the same text on a black background—which was exactly what happened.
Aside from webpages, the Royal Family has also taken to social media to mourn the loss of the Queen, with King Charles putting out a statement via the official Twitter page.
“The death of my beloved Mother, Her Majesty The Queen, is a moment of the greatest sadness for me and all members of my family. We mourn profoundly the passing of a cherished Sovereign and a much-loved Mother,” it read.
A statement from His Majesty The King: pic.twitter.com/AnBiyZCher
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) September 8, 2022
[via Gizmodo and The Guardian, cover image via The Royal Family]
