I saw some of these headlines over the weekend, when I was sick as a dog with a really rough 48-hour stomach bug. I thought I was hallucinating the headlines, or that they were parody headlines. But no, it’s true: there’s an honest-to-God plan to evacuate Queen Elizabeth II from London in the case of a “hard Brexit.” The reason I’m still feeling like “is this really a thing?” is because here in America, the Russians installed a fascist, white supremacist puppet of Vladimir Putin and half of us just had a good cry and went back to work. Like, we weren’t looting sh-t. There weren’t emergency evacuations. The stock market still opened the next day. But sure, the Queen is going to need to be evacuated from London if and when a hard Brexit happens??
It remains to be seen, of course, whether or not a deal will come together, with 53 days remaining until Britain is set to withdraw from the European Union. But The New York Times notes in a new report that while “the country has been flooded with news of emergency preparations,” in case of a no-deal Brexit, it now seems likely at least one individual is going to be getting out of dodge, so to speak.
A Sunday Times report, cited by the Times, has claimed that the Queen would be evacuated from London if there is no deal. The outlet said the game plan was put in place long ago, for any situation that could potentially put the 92-year-old monarch in danger. “These emergency evacuation plans have been in existence since the Cold War, but have now been repurposed in the event of civil disorder following a no-deal Brexit,” an unidentified Cabinet Office official told the Sunday Times. (A Buckingham Palace spokesman told the Times, “We’re not commenting on that at all.”)
Various corporations have already announced they will be moving their European headquarters out of the U.K., in anticipation of the unrest, and there are also “reports of Britons stockpiling groceries, medicines and other supplies,” in increasing numbers. The Times points out that the evacuation plan may be somewhat drastic or overblown, as several commentators doubted whether or not there would be actual riots on the street if there is no deal. (One Conservative lawmaker told the Mail on Sunday that the idea of evacuating the Queen is a “wartime fantasy.”)
The initial design of an evacuation plan for the Queen was drawn up after the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962, per the Sunday Times, when there were fears of a nuclear attack by the Soviet Union.
Yeah, the evacuation plans sound like a Cold War remnant, much like our American continuity-of-government plans about bunkers, first-strike launch codes, etc. Maybe I’m completely missing why there would be utter chaos if a no-deal Brexit happened? It would be a difficult time, I’m sure, but wouldn’t the trains still run? Wouldn’t people still get up and go to work? Wouldn’t the flags still fly? *shrug*
Photos courtesy of WENN.
Perhaps I don’t understand, the queen doesn’t even live in London does she? I thought she lived in Windsor Castle which is outside of London? And in any case, why does there need to be in an evacuation plan – – she could just take another long vacation to Scotland over that time so she’s out of town when Brexit happens. Couldn’t she?
She lives at Buckingham Palace most of the week, Windsor for 2-3 days for the weekend. Once the renovation of Buckingham Palace gets closer to her private rooms, the plan is for her to move to Windsor full-time.
Scotland could be angrier – and rightfully so. They voted to Remain in huge numbers and the situation there after a no deal Brexit would be seriously grim and much deadlier (yes, actually, that’s not hyperbole) than in England.
I suspect there are contingency plans to evacuate the Queen for every major event that could result in chaos. Security forces aren’t doing their job if they aren’t constantly preparing what to do in case of riots and attempted coups
Agreed. So I’m sure there is an evacuation plan in place for “civil unrest” after Brexit, but I’m sure there is always a general evacuation plan in place for her and more specific ones for major events.
Maybe Britons expect more reason, common sense and preparation from their government? Who knows 🤷♀️
Kaiser, please.
Come on.
First of all, you’re still mixing up the terms like hard Brexit and no Deal Brexit.
There is every possibility that a no Deal Brexit would mean food could not get into the country. Medicine, like insulin, would not be able to get it. You don’t think people would riot rather quickly if the store shelves were bare?
Wow. Thanks. I had no idea. I am amazed how much I learn here at a gossip site.
This is really horrifying. My gawd.
This puts into perspective how unreasonable politicians are. They want to put May in her place at the cost of a whole country? That’s borderline treason.
Yep @Galanawana.
In contrast to ‘No Deal Brexit’ (ie can’t get it together to sort the agreement before the deadline, hence chaos ensues), ‘Hard Brexit’ is the isolationist Brexiters’ dream — out of the EU Customs Union, end of free movement of EU citizens to the UK (but they often forget, it’s also the end of UK citizens’ free movement in the EU), etc. A minority of Tory MPs are hard core Hard Brexit and trying to provoke a No Deal Brexit to get their way. Can’t see how Hard Brexit can happen, though, as it’s very clear the economy will tank (heck, it will still probably tank with a Soft Brexit). But if we’re lucky, Bexit itself will crash and burn in the end.
Yet the consequences of losing EU rights will not be felt by most of the leaders who campaigned for a hard Brexit. Farage has secured dual German citizenship for his children to retain their EU rights. Arron Banks, who funded Farage’s leave campaign, has paid to secure Maltese citizenship. Jacob Rees Mogg has moved his business interests to Ireland to retain the benefits of being an EU business.
Completely agree @Lunde. The hypocrisy is maddening!
Yeah, to me this sounds like one of those worst-case scenario / doomsday plans. Unless the UK really does decend into chaos (which I doubt) and the Queen herself is actually in danger, then this will probably never happen. I mean heck, she didn’t even leave England during WW2.
Dramatic article is dramatic, lol.
People keep referring to how the queen didn’t leave during WWII, but that was an external threat, uniting the nation… Not a democratically approved, government-imposed economic disaster… It’s not the same thing AT ALL.
The Queen’s family stayed in London during WWII. When other wealthy families were sending their children to Canada, her parents refused refused to separate the family. If this actually happened what about the other Royals?
Things would go on but there is the possibility of riots. The Queen has remained in the UK before though, even when riots have taken place.
it’s called contingency planning…
Lols, our trains stop running if there is 1cm of snow…sooo…
But more seriously, The King and Queen stayed in London during the Blitz, I believe, so I would be shocked if the Queen hightailed it if we have a hard/no deal Brexit (two different things, btw).
Frankly, I’m more worried about where I;m gonna get my life saving anti histamines (the NHS aren’t giving large prescriptions, understandably), than where Liz and her kin will be.
Looking at how busy they were in the chemist today there will be a lot of us in the same
boat Clare. Epi pens have been out of stock even before Brexit so I dread to think what will happen after. If there are serious problems I think it will be Parliament that will need the protection not the Palace.
Hubby and I had been seriously contemplating moving back to the UK, and would have returned to working in London. We’re staying on the little island for another year instead (and actively trying to ignore homesickness!). Here we have job security, access to medicine, no food shortages (outside of hurricane season) and work is available to both of us. We’re both very aware of how fortunate we are compared to if we returned home to the uncertainty.
No Deal Brexit is still a very real possibility, which means that even basic medicines are going to be in very short supply, food shortages will be a very real thing and people will take their frustrations out on each other and those around them – people on both sides of the argument are rightfully frustrated – and if you’re Scottish or Irish then you’re going to be doubly angry (not to say they’re doubly likely to riot). Everything the Scots and Irish have worked towards in terms of the Irish Peace Process and Scottish unity with England while remaining in the EU are being swept aside without a thought being given to those consequences.
The political parties have only ever been interested in punishing each other, while making sure they’re well looked after themselves – Jacob Rees-Mogg and Nigel Farage are the absolute epitomy of this and are bloody hypocrites of the worst order to boot. Nobody has a clue how they would actually achieve a workable Brexit that would please even the smallest of majorities, but they’re all still determined to have their say and completely derail any workable process for the sake of their own personal “beliefs” – again I come back to Farage and Ree-Mogg being hypocrites who are Hard Brexiteers, but who have willingly moved their businesses or obtained European passports for their own personal/familial benefits.
I’d say most of Ireland will continue as normal (I. E. not riot) as we’re not in the UK, so it’ll just be another day for us. If a hard border goes up between us and N. I. though, there’ll be protests for sure… and rightfully so, honestly.
@LONDON LOZZA, You and your hubby made the right decision in not coming back to London just yet, see how things pan out first.
I know a few people that have left the UK because of Brexit and I’m now packing up to leave for France with my daughter in the next few weeks.
Its worrying hearing the news about stockpiling food and medication and I really don’t want to live in such anticipated chaos, I never voted for this and I’m not going to suffer it!
Why are Scottish and Irish people ‘doubly likely’ to riot, aside from boiling with Brexit ire, eh? Steady on.
Why are the Irish doubly likely to riot? Or do you mean people in Northern Ireland rather than the entire island?
Brexit is just another manufactured crisis brought to us by traitors (Farage, etc.) helping Putin destabilize western democracies. We have to put an end to Putin and Mogelivich. ASAP!
I mean the Queen all it really says is that they will evacuate the Queen in case of civil unrest and that they expect a no deal (hard brexit) to cause such. Considering it would very likely result in food and med shortages, a recurrence of the Troubles in Ireland/Northern Ireland that will quickly spill over into places with large population of Irish-decent (glasgow) and political power centers (London).
Heck, I left Britain for exactly this reason when I was offered the opportunity
It hasn’t been that long since the London riots in 2011. I was in the country at the time and it kicked OFF quite quickly and then went on in different cities for 5 days. This over the killing of a young person by police. So I don’t imagine the public responding well to an even more serious situation….