A Look At The Royal Family's Secret Code-Word System

Aug 06, 2021 by apost team

The royal family spends much of their time in the public eye. This kind of publicity can have drawbacks when it comes to serious or devastating events that require privacy. This is why they have developed a system of code-words and code names to pass secret information amongst one another, to police, and to other officials in times of need. One event of that nature that has been planned for since the 1960s is the Queen's funeral. In fact, there are code words for funerals of many members of the royal family. 

Fans of 'The Crown' are probably already familiar with some of the code names that are used to break the news of a death, which usually comes from a private secretary on the show. In one episode in season 4, there is a dramatized portrayal of Prince Charles' near-death experience while skiing when an avalanche strikes and the audience hears his code name, "Operation Menai Bridge," for the first time when he's presumed dead. 

Every code-word when it comes to death is a bridge to keep things simple and quickly share important information. Not all of the code names are used for death scenarios; others are used when members of the royal family are out on tours or other engagements. Here is a look inside the royal family's secret code-word system. 

The Queen

Any time the Queen is out in public, the police and other officials are doing everything in their power to keep her safe. When she's going out and about, the Queen is referred to as Sharon, so she doesn't draw attention. 

When it comes to a death situation, the Queen's code name is the powerful: Operation London Bridge. The Queen'sQueen's private secretary is the one responsible for informing others of the monarch's condition by declaring, "London Bridge is down."

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge

William and Kate don't have funeral code names, but they do have aliases that they use when they go on royal tours or vacations. In an attempt to make them sound plainer than a Duke and Duchess, they're otherwise known as Daphne Clark and Danny Collins. These names have the initials "DC," which stands for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle

Even though they are no longer working members of the royal family, Prince Harry and Meghan did have code names before they left. They were: Davina Scott and David Stevens. The initials "DS" refer to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. 

Prince Charles

The heir to the throne actually has three code names. The first and most unexpected is Unicorn. This was the nickname of Prince Charles when he visited the United States in 1971. Apparently, there is no official reasoning behind the name, but we still think it suits him. 

When the time comes for Prince Charles to become the King, he will make his vow to God using a gold ball topped with a cross, which resembles an orb. For this reason, his coronation is referred to as Operation Golden Orb. 

We already covered his funeral announcement code-word, which is Operation Menai Bridge. Menai Bridge is the name of a bridge in Wales, and because Charles is the Prince of Wales, it was chosen as his code-word.

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What do you think of the royal family's use of code-words? What would you choose to be your code name? Let us know, and be sure to pass this along to your friends interested in the royal family!