The security terms and phrases used by the British royal family

With the intention of going unnoticed during public events or ceremonies of great relevance, the British Royal Family uses security terms and phrases that allow them to safeguard their identity; these are some of the most commonly used by members of the monarchy in recent years.

‘Sharon‘ was the pseudonym acquired by the late Queen Elizabeth II for certain circumstances; however, her husband, Prince Philip, referred to her as ‘cabbage‘; likewise, Princess Diana chose a code name for her son William ‘Wombat‘ and used it during a tour in Australia.

Nowadays, King Charles III and Queen Camilla refer to each other as ‘Fred‘ and ‘Gladys‘, and they themselves revealed it was related to the old radio comedy series ‘The Goon Show’. It is important for royals to have a code word when sending a message that must be very private.

The perfect example would be ‘London Bridge is down‘, the term used by Sir Edward Young, the Queen’s private secretary, to discreetly announce the death of Elizabeth II and set in motion Operation London Bridge with the BBC‘s detailed protocol on what to do in such a situation.