“Operation London Bridge”Ringing for Queen Elizabeth II
Bellringing is deeply embedded in British society, much more so than in the United States. Of all the occasions on which bells are rung, one of the most important is for the funeral of the monarch. Because of the complexity of this ringing, I asked Mark Regan, Ringing Master of Worchester Cathedral, to share his knowledge of the ringing rituals for the recent funeral of Queen Elizabeth II.
Queen Elizabeth II died quietly in Scotland on September 8th at the age of ninety-six, and her funeral was held on September 19th. Called “Operation London Bridge,” the national protocols for what would happen when the monarch died had been planned well before hand and included bellringing. These protocols were painstakingly written by the Lord Chamberlain’s Office, the Government, and the Church of England. Identical protocols applied in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Part of the instructions given to me as the Ringing Master at Worcester Cathedral were:
The ringing master is on standby to ring the bourdon bell (largest bell) for the number of years of the Sovereign’s life at 12 noon on the day of a death; a one-hour peal from 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm on the second day after the death; a half-muffled peal before the 10:30 am service and 4 pm service on the Sunday after the death; and a full peal in celebration of the sovereign’s life on the day after the funeral rung fully muffled. Explanations of what the bellringers are doing to be relayed via cathedral and bellringers’ websites and the local BBC radio.*
Following this plan, bells rang out all over the nation in memory of the Queen.
“Operation London Bridge” also included the protocols for the important role bellringing played in the funeral itself. The funeral procession, including the casket followed by the family, started at Westminster Hall and moved on to Westminster Cathedral where the actual funeral was held. After the Church of England liturgy, there was a two-minute silence at 11:58 observed all across the country in her honor. At noon, “God Save the King” was sung, heralding the change over to King Charles III. This was followed by the Queen’s piper playing the lament “Sleep, Dearie, Sleep,” which echoed into an earie silence. The procession then reformed and made it way through London and, eventually, to Windsor Castle, where the Queen was laid to rest in the St. George’s Chapel next to her husband.
According to the protocols, in London, the bells of Westminster Abbey rang out both before and after the State funeral. The great bells of St. Paul’s Cathedral rang when the coffin left Westminster Abbey for Windsor Castle. When the coffin arrived at Windsor Castle, the bells in the Curfew Tower there rang. And, Big Ben, the most famous of the British bells, tolled ninety-six times, one strike per minute, during the funeral procession.
The sound of bells ringing all over the UK for Queen Elizabeth II are now part of our national memory of her reign. On May 6, 2023, bells will ring out for the coronation of King Charles III, continuing the long tradition of royal bellringing in Britain.
*A muffled peal is when the clapper of a bell is wrapped so that, when it strikes the side of the bell, the sound is muffled, often creating a haunting sound. A half-muffled peal is when only one side of the clapper is wrapped, so the muffled sound alternates with the normal sound.
Share your own memories, thoughts, and stories about bells with Jaan at: jaan@thebellsbook.com