Operation Menai Bridge, the code name for plans related to the king’s death, is well underway as “death is a possibility” for the 75-year-old ailing royal, who’s battling cancer.

Keep reading to learn why the king’s funeral plans are so urgent!

When Queen Elizabeth II ascended the royal throne in 1952, plans for Operation London Bridge started shortly after.

The plan, the codename for operations to take place after her death, included details like the announcement of her death, mourning, her state funeral and King Charles III ascension to the throne.

In January 2024, less than one year after his May 2023 coronation, Charles underwent a “corrective procedure” to treat benign prostate enlargement.

In February, only one month after his procedure, the palace announced that cancer – not prostate – was discovered.“

I would like to express my most heartfelt thanks for the many messages of support and good wishes…

As all those who have been affected by cancer will know, such kind thoughts are the greatest comfort and encouragement,”

Charles writes in a statement shared February 10, 2024, on the royal family’s social media accounts.

“It is equally heartening to hear how sharing my own diagnosis has helped promote public understanding and shine a light on the work of all those organisations which support cancer patients and their families across the UK and wider world.

My lifelong admiration for their tireless care and dedication is all the greater as a result of my own personal experience.”

While the king was being treated for an undisclosed type of cancer,

his eldest son Prince William took on more royal responsibilities, in addition to offering emotional support to his wife Kate, who announced she was also diagnosed with cancer in March 2024.