Do govt employee find out early about the Queen’s death?

[Ginandpink]

My brother said they were told early, doesn’t make sense?

@Octomore was Zara on her way though? It was announced that Harry was and he is now the son of the King.

@Lipsandlashes Hugh announced it just after 6.30pm I believe

My OH said this! I told him he was making it up

Perhaps he wasnt

Huw Edwards was already wearing a black tie and dark or black suit when the lunchtime announcement was made

my friend in the Met didn't know. Leave was cancelled but that happens all the time.

I was at my DDs graduation ceremony today. we went for lunch at 2.30 prior to the ceremony and her friend who works for the press messaged my DD saying she thought the queen was about to die, I said I doubt it as we would all be made aware. But she is 96 and I guess it is to be expected that someone would make the right guess rather than knowing, why would the press know at 2.30 (especially if she hadnt died at that point)

A friend of mine (yes I know but really) who is a journalist said the press knew several hours before but were not allowed to announce until the family arrived. (She told me this after it was official) As others have said it was pretty obvious looking back at the BBC news this afternoon (I didn't see it until after the official announcement)

I know! I have suspicions about my boss (who was until v recently a senior Civil Servant in Whitehall). He bugged off home from our office just before 4.30 with a crap excuse but he’d have never told me or anyone else, he’d heard the Queen had died.

So much bullshit on here.

I'm surprised so many found out before Liz Truss.

We didn't know, I work for Cabinet office

@savehannah so looks like they did wait for all the family except Harry to arrive to announce it.

The Scottish Police knew at the time and it filtered to the other services MET, Thames Valley etc who needed to know straight away. I don’t know about other Gov departments.

That’s sad as William and the Wessexes didn’t arrive til after 5

Agreed.

People who are senior and deal with highly confidential information as part of their job (not just royal events, but anything sensitive) don't usually gossip about it with the friend/neighbour/cousin etc.

Some people will have known early due to the nature of their role.
A lot of people will have guessed early from events happening around them (diaries being clearer etc.)
The rest will have found out with the news.

The only thing we can know for certain is that the rest of the royal family and the PM/cabinet will have likely been first outside Balmoral to know.

I think it's been confirmed that they didn't arrive in time.

It was likely something that changed quickly rather than gradually, maybe a stroke.

Its far more likely that Harry, knowing it would take a while to arrive, was informed before he arrived and agreed the announcement should be made.

We have no idea what Harry does or doesn’t feel about it. Or what happened behind the scenes and what conversations were had.

I work in that sector. I was not told ahead nor would I expect to be in my role. Maybe at a high level where it's applicable to your work but not many people I would have thought?

There is a set protocol for informing people set out in Operation London Bridge.

If employees did know then hey should stfu until an official announcement is made and have a bit of respect.

But the PM's not as important as mumsnetters' husbands and sisters in law who work in Whitehall and banks, you must know that.

Just looked back where I posted on another thread at 5.17 saying I'd been told.
I was told by someone at 4.30. They'd been officially told a bit before.

He doesn't do anything particularly important but does work in the political arena of local government. Out of London.

People seem to be getting their knickers in a twist that yes some people did know earlier than the official announcement.

It's not the 1930s like when the British people were completely managed re the abdication and talk of 'loose lips'. There are protocols but we also live in a more open culture.

Main naval base where they do a lot of the ceremony rehearsals.

I work in government and we were not told.
I was watching the news and felt Clive Myrie visibly struggled to hold it together early afternoon which made me wonder if he knew she had gone. Its very sad William etc. didn't appear to make it in time.

No they didn't. "All the family" is a huge number of people. All the queen's grandchildren weren't there.

Beth Rigby is wrong. LT was one of the first to be informed.

I don't think being told several minutes before the announcement counts as being informed early!