King Charles restarts funeral plans amid cancer treatment

Amid his ongoing battle against cancer, it appears there have been very concrete steps taken to address King Charles’ funeral. 

The entire thing has been explained and dished on by royal commentator and author Robert Hardman.

In his book titled, Charles III: The Inside Story, the author talked at length about “a further positive indicator that the King's health was now much improved: planning had resumed for his funeral.”

His book, which is set to release its updated version, and is being sterilized by The Daily Mail claims, “All through 2024, officials had been considering when or even whether to summon those designated to participate in the next iteration of Operation London Bridge. 'In the end, we didn't do anything because of the cancer link'.”

It also claims, “Year after year during the reign of Elizabeth II, the current Duke of Norfolk, as Earl Marshal, would assemble officials from the Royal Household, civil service, military and police to run through what would be expected of them when the dark day dawned.”

For those unversed, “The meeting would usually be held at Buckingham Palace (on a day when the Queen was not in) and had grown so large over time that they would all have to meet in the Ballroom.”

Mr Hardman also added, “on the last annual run-through before the plan was finally enacted in 2022, the total number present had reached 282.” But, “following the King's cancer diagnosis, however, it had seemed inappropriate, to say the least, to reinstate this fixture, however sensible and practical it might be.”

A source was also referenced and asked about the reasons for pressing pause. According to them, given the King's cancer diagnosis “you can imagine the sort of rumours if word got out.”

In his book he also pointed readers to some issues that arose during Queen Elizabeth’s funeral, when the guards were walking at thirty paces per minute but the gun carriage, featuring the coffin was only moving at twenty paces.

For those unaware this made the procession late and also elongated it.

It was only near the end that Mr Hardman is quoted to have circled back around to King Charles and admitted, “none of this had anything to do with the King’s diagnosis, but was simply a case of being prepared, as in years gone by.”

But “it was only by the late summer of 2025 that senior officials felt comfortable enough to contemplate a full London Bridge run-through at senior level (and even then, it would have to be organised far away from Buckingham Palace)."