Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh is in hospital

Using recent news flashes as examples plus the royal factor I would expect these days that it would go something like this: crashing out of programme > Sombre Ident > News report slide > bulletin

Official vehicle just arrived at back of King Edward VII hospital where #dukeofedinburgh is being treated pic.twitter.com/dwAmV8Rp2M

— Lucy Watson (@lucywatsonitv) February 21, 2021

They didn't see or know who, if anyone was in it then?

Could be there to take him home.

I doubt it. Remember, it was reported that he was to remain in hospital until next week at least. It's still only Sunday.

And the almighty Jesus has healed him.

In all seriousness, anything is possible.

This shouldn’t be for idle speculation or just tweeting no-news. If it can be a interesting topic on how a broadcaster might handle a major obit then fine, otherwise it will be closed.

For Armistice day they had quite a lot of people in Westminister Abbey, more than 30 anyway. So I assume there is some leeway to that number for if we do sadly see his funeral during Covid time.

As it stands, That 30 number has to include staff/crew, so I just don't see how they could do it as you'd want it televised too.

Around Royal events usually done with a single pool crew inside the Church/Chapel and then all the different broadcasters on their spots outside but actually this last year has probably shown how much the broadcasters can slim down presentation and staff numbers on location when they need to.

And I would also add that unlike when the Queen Mother died (for lack of better example) most of the royal family where in and around Windsor because it was Easter; but right due to the Lockdowns and lack of major public engagements - the royal family are quite spread out across the country with Charles and Camilla at Highgrove down in Gloucester, the Cambridges have mainly been up at Sandringham with the kids whilst The Queen and Prince Philip have been holed up at Windsor Castle with a small number of their staff for most of the last year, so it would interesting to see what would happen if things do get worse, I guess a big clue would the potential movement of senior royals back to London

It doesn't. The 30 is effectively the number or mourners, operational people are not included in the numbers. Whether that number includes officiants / celebrants is a bit of a grey area that is mostly being left as a "if you don't take the p, we won't count them". It also doesn't include funeral director staffing, otherwise when the limit was 6 people it works have been rather difficult to get a coffin into a chapel if any family was wishing to attend.

Basically, even with the current rules, the arrangement and broadcast of a state funeral would be achievable. And it's very unlikely the government wouldn't provide for an exception to those rules if they were asked. After all 30 people in Westminster abbey is a totally different prospect to 30 people in Dunny-on-the-Wold's church that only holds 25 people at the best of times.

When the news is announced on the BBC, it will just be a still image of the white BBC blocks on a black background which nations will opt into. Then bbc news will take over.

While most likely, you shouldn't present it as fact because you simply don't know.

Fair enough! I was speaking from previous experience last year when we had to count staff in the funeral home in our numbers but its possibly changed and or different depending on the church.

EDIT: It looks like we were effected as staff/crew count if not employed by the Church. So I guess you could say cameramen would be counted as they arent employed by the Church, but like you say, if anything deserves an exception is the death of the Queens husband.