International Insider: Rest In Peace, Queen Elizabeth II

Welcome back to Insider, Jesse Whittock here in the UK. You’ll find this week’s newsletter a bit different to the usual format. With emotions pouring out around the world following the passing of Queen Elizabeth II, we’re focusing only on coverage of the sadly historic event this week. You can still find our fantastic coverage from Venice, Telluride and Toronto by clicking the links, or search the International page for more exclusive stories and analysis. Normal service resumes next week.

Reaction As Queen Elizabeth II Passes

Queen Elizabeth greets Liz Truss at Balmoral Castle Jane Barlow – WPA Pool/Getty Images

How the week began: Queen Elizabeth II’s health had been deteriorating for some time, with the monarch looking notably frailer with each public appearance in the past year. On Tuesday, the incoming UK Prime Minister Liz Truss travelled up to her home in Balmoral, Scotland so the Queen could ask her to formally succeed Boris Johnson and form a new government. This was after Truss comfortably defeated Rishi Sunak in the run off to become the new Tory leader. While it seems glib to speculate, the fact Her Majesty had not made the journey south to Buckingham Palace for the formality as is traditional (Buckingham Palace cited “mobility” issues) was a sign of her growing frailty. Truss then returned to London to face her first Prime Minister’s Questions, completely unaware she was about to become the first leader of the UK to serve under two monarchs since Sir Winston Churchill in the 1950s.

‘Under medical supervision’: The protective unit that surrounds the Royal Family in the UK means there are almost never any official updates around the Queen’s health (though they have occasionally done so, such as when she contracted coronavirus earlier this year). That’s why every journalist in the country was immediately on alert when a Buckingham Palace statement was released around midday British local time. Though the statement noted she was “comfortable,” the very fact they were acknowledging concern for the beloved royal without any indication she would be taken to a hospital for treatment spoke volumes. The BBC immediately broke off into a rolling news cycle that hasn’t yet ended and eagle-eyed social media users quickly noted its presenters had changed into black clothing – a sign ‘Operation London Bridge’ (more on that later) was underway and that the country’s biggest broadcaster believed the worst was set to happen. The Royal Family, including Princes Harry and William and soon-to-King Charles, all headed to Scotland as public concern grew.

King Charles III is driven away from Balmoral Castle after Queen Elizabeth II died at the age of 96 ANDY BUCHANAN/AFP via Getty Images

The Queen passes: As the UK moved into the evening, the BBC’s Huw Edwards relayed the news that Queen Elizabeth had died aged 96 after 70 years as the British monarch, during which time she has overseen 15 Prime Ministers and countless historic moments. Her oldest son, Charles, immediately became King, though it will be some months before his coronation takes place. By this point the news became official, the main British terrestrial broadcasters had scrapped their schedules, with a series of news programs and documentaries on Elizabeth’s life replacing the planned shows. Over in the U.S., cable news was running blanket coverage of events, while several news anchors jumped on planes to head to the UK’s capital for on the ground reaction. Days of programs on Her Majesty are coming. News teams on both sides of the Atlantic have been planning for the Queen’s passing in forensic detail, and you can read more about how they made their decisions here and here.

‘Epitome of nobility’: Literally thousands of tributes poured in for the royal, whose quiet poise and dignity in a world of increasing polarity have been heralded many times over the past 24 hours, many from the film, TV and wider entertainment worlds. While U.S. President Joe Biden said she had “defined an era,” Helen Mirren — who memorably played Elizabeth in Peter Morgan’s 2006 biographical film The Queen — wrote: “If there was a definition of nobility, Elizabeth Windsor embodied it.” Elizabeth is believed to have bypassed that film, which depicts events following the tragic death of Princess Diana and the reputational damage it did to the Royal Family, and has never commented publicly on screenwriter Morgan’s era-defining Netflix drama The Crown. Morgan last night told Deadline’s Baz Bamigboye that filming on the show’s fifth season would be suspended out of respect and said the series is “a love letter” to Elizabeth, despite often covering the more controversial parts of her and her family’s lives. Over in Canada, one of the many countries of which the British monarch is still technically head of state, a statement of condolence from the Toronto International Film Festival’s Cameron Bailey preceded the opening night premiere of The Swimmers. In LA, the Canadian Consulate postponed its celebratory Emmys party. BAFTA has also called off its traditional pre-Emmy Tea Party, as it President, the Duke of Cambridge Prince William, mourns his grandmother.

Buckingham Palace with the flag at half mast Neil Mockford/Getty Images

What next?: Britain has officially entered 10 days of mourning, ahead of a state funeral held at Westminster Abbey. The Queen’s coffin is expected to lie in state for three days before the ceremony and thousands of mourners will line up at Westminster Hall to pay respects. This is all part of the aforementioned Operation London Bridge (aka ‘London Bridge Is Down’) — a set of detailed and intricate protocols impacting everyone from government ministers to broadcasters, dictating how to react in the event of the Queen’s passing. Newspapers have been quietly working with Buckingham Palace officials and will have several days’ worth of content ready, while broadcasters will continue to fill schedules with Elizabeth-related content, with previously planned show launches now up in the air. One source told Max Goldbart that many producers were contacted yesterday to inform them their shows will likely be pulled and promotional adverts and tweets will cease. Over in streamerville, Netflix can expect a pretty hefty spike in first-time viewers of The Crown. With so many overseas journalists and news crews flying into London, one thing is a certainty: Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral will be one of the biggest televised events of all time. While record ratings might not be the most important thing right now, the numbers will reflect a once-in-a-lifetime occasion that brings together hundreds of countries and hundreds of millions of viewers globally.

Insider will return to its standard format next week