The Queen is currently enjoying her annual summer break at Balmoral - but authorities have a plan in place in case she passes away north of the border.
Named Operation Unicorn, the strategy involves Police Scotland and the Scottish Parliament.
Queen Elizabeth II arrived at the summer retreat, which has been one of the residences of the Royal Family since 1852, on August 6. She was joined yesterday by Prince William and Kate and their children.
However, there's always a plan in place in case the monarch dies. It's named Operation London Bridge when she is at residence in London, and Operation Unicorn when The Queen is in Scotland.
Operation Unicorn will involve the immediate suspension of business at the Scottish Parliament so that authorities are able to prepare for a state funeral, the Express reports.
A source from Her Majesty's residence in Scotland, Holyrood Palace, said the Queen dying north of the border could see hundreds of thousands of people from all over the globe flocking to the region.
It is now understood that if Her Majesty dies in Scotland, Parliament, the neighbouring palace of Holyroodhouse and St Giles' Cathedral, will be the main focal points for journalists and the public.
It will also mean her body will rest at Holyroodhouse, with her coffin then carried to the cathedral on the Royal Mile.
Her body will then be placed on the Royal Train at Waverley station and a journey down the east coast mainline will commence, finishing in London.
It is believed there are about three meetings a year, involving members of the government, police and broadcasters, to strategise the event of the Queen's death.
Minutes from a meeting in June from the Scottish Parliament's Leadership Group [LG], were leaked on a forum for senior Holyrood staff, revealed the parallel strategy.
The account stated: “LG received an update on planning for Operation Unicorn – the death of Her Majesty The Queen while in Scotland.
“The primary focus was on the impacts on staffing and the specific impacts depending on timing.”
It is not the first time that Operation Unicorn has been mentioned. It appeared in the Parliament's online papers in 2017, when LG agreed to set up a "resilience board" for "disruptive incidents".
A Scottish Parliament spokesperson said: "The existence of plans for a future change of reign are a matter of public record."
