The Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Philip, has died at the age of 99.
The Duke passed away peacefully this morning at Windsor Castle, Buckingham Palace said in a statement.
Buckingham Palace's plan for when Prince Philip dies is named Operation Forth Bridge, which will now begin immediately, meaning the country enters a period of national mourning.
Flags above public buildings are to be lowered to half-mast, and all royal public appearances are cancelled until further notice. Television newsreaders will wear black as a mark of respect., and MPs will wear black armbands in parliament. This lasts until the funeral.
For around eight days, the Queen is not expected to perform any of her constitutional affairs, meaning no new laws will be passed, for example.
As the Queen's husband, Prince Philip would ordinarily be expected to receive a state funeral, meaning he would be "lying in state" at Westminster Abbey, before being buried in St George's Chapel. However, the duke has previously said he didn't "want the fuss".
According to Sky News, Prince Philip will lie in rest at Windsor Castle in line with his wishes. The funeral will indeed be held at St George's Castle.
This is also, of course, the first major royal in modern memory to die during a global pandemic. The last state funeral, for the Queen Mother, attracted a crowd of over one million people from all over the globe, and one for Prince Philip would likely have attracted people from all over, too.
Unlike when the Queen dies, a bank holiday is not expected to be called for Prince Philip's death. When the monarch passes, workers across the country will be sent home from work early and a bank holiday will be held on the day of her funeral. However, this is not the case for other members of the royal family.
