From archival content to breaking developments, AP’s long-term planning and preparedness ensured fast, sophisticated, in-depth coverage across formats and platforms.
Years of preparation had AP well-positioned to cover the story of Queen Elizabeth’s death when the time came: 6:30 p.m. local time in London, Thursday, Sept. 8: An AP Flash went out within a minute and a push alert within another. Then photos and videos chronicling the life of Britain’s longest serving monarch were expedited to AP members, subscribers and customers, with the first videos available nine minutes after the APNewsAlert.
The sheer breadth of all-formats content that followed was stunning, from a comprehensive obituary to video and photo retrospectives; profiles of Charles and Camilla; an explanation of royal succession; a look at global tributes; a deeply reported, elegantly presented piece on the complex response to the queen’s death in former British colonies; live video and photo galleries of mourners; and much more, stretching into the following week and representing more than a decade of preparedness work.
Countless AP staffers across bureaus and continents contributed. In London, U.K. News Director Susie Blann and journalists Danica Kirka, Jill Lawless and Sylvia Hui worked around the clock, critical to the AP’s core coverage, as were Samira Becirovic, head of video news production, and editors Brian Friedman and Pete Brown.
Becirovic took charge of the video obit and other extensive advance work, while Friedman worked and reworked the obit prep, including an update after the death of Prince Philip. And on the first full day of coverage, Brown handled continuous filing and updating of Friday’s fast-moving spot story. Much of the team’s work was made possible by editor Naomi Koppel’s years of carefully curating the obit files.
A tribute to Queen Elizabeth II is projected onto a screen overlooking Piccadilly Circus in London, Sept. 8, 2022. The queen, Britain’s longest-reigning monarch and a source of stability across much of a turbulent century, died earlier in the day after 70 years on the throne. She was 96.
AP Photo / Alberto Pezzali
A mourner reacts as he pays his respect at the gates of Buckingham Palace in London, Sept. 9, 2022.
AP Photo / Kirsty Wigglesworth
King Charles III greets mourners outside Buckingham Palace in London, Sept. 9, 2022.
AP Photo / Christophe Ena
Raindrops dot a photograph left at the gates of Buckingham Palace by a mourner for Queen Elizabeth II in London, Sept. 9, 2022.
AP Photo / Kirsty Wigglesworth
Newspapers In Manchester, England, Sept. 9, 2022, mark the death of Queen Elizabeth II, Britain's longest-reigning monarch.
AP PHOTO / JON SUPER
A mourner weeps as she pays respect to Queen Elizabeth II outside Buckingham Palace in London, Sept. 9, 2022.
AP Photo / Kirsty Wigglesworth
A woman helps a small girl place a flower in memory of Queen Elizabeth II outside the gates of Windsor Castle in Windsor, England, Sept. 9, 2022.
AP Photo / Frank Augstein
A flag flies at half staff on Balmoral Castle in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, Sept. 9, 2022, where Queen Elizabeth II spent her last days. She died Sept. 8 at 96.
AP Photo / Alastair Grant
A tribute to Queen Elizabeth II is displayed on screen overlooking Piccadilly Circus in London, Sept. 9, 2022.
AP Photo / Bernat Armangue
People gather outside a London pub, Sept. 9, 2022, to watch a broadcast of the first address by Britain’s King Charles III following the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
AP Photo / Felipe Dana
People watch a televised speech by King Charles III inside a London pub, Sept. 9, 2022. The new king says he feels “profound sorrow” over the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, and vows to carry on her “lifelong service” to the nation.
AP Photo / Bernat Armangue
A tribute to Queen Elizabeth II is reflected on a London taxi at Piccadilly Circus, Sept. 9, 2022.
AP Photo / Bernat Armangue
The Sydney Opera House is illuminated with a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II in Sydney, Australia, Sept. 9, 2022.
AP Photo / Mark Baker
King Charles III greets people gathered at Buckingham Palace in London as he arrives, Sept. 10, 2022. His mother, Queen Elizabeth II, died two days earlier in Scotland.
AP Photo / Felipe Dana
From left, Kate, Princess of Wales; William Prince of Wales; Meghan, Duchess of Sussex; and Prince Harry view the floral tributes for the late Queen Elizabeth II outside Windsor Castle in Windsor, England, Sept. 10, 2022.
AP Photo / Martin Meissner
From left, Kate, Princess of Wales; William Prince of Wales; Meghan, Duchess of Sussex; and Prince Harry view the floral tributes for the late Queen Elizabeth II outside Windsor Castle in Windsor, England, Sept. 10, 2022.
AP Photo / Alberto Pezzali
People wait in line to lay flowers for Queen Elizabeth II in front of Buckingham Palace in London, Sept. 11, 2022.
AP Photo / Nariman El-Mofty
Pedestrians pass a photo of Queen Elizabeth II in London, Sept. 11, 2022.
AP Photo / Christophe Ena
People gather outside Buckingham Palace in London, Sept. 11, 2022, three days after the death of Queen Elizabeth II in Scotland.
AP Photo / Emilio Morenatti
People stand in line after laying flowers for Queen Elizabeth II in front of Buckingham Palace in London, Sept. 11, 2022.
AP Photo / Nariman El-Mofty
A girl holds flowers at a memorial to Queen Elizabeth II at Green Park, next to Buckingham Palace in London, Sept. 11, 2022.
AP Photo / Kin Cheung
People pass a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II inside a shop in central London, Sept. 12, 2022.
AP Photo / Emilio Morenatti
Photo editors Anne-Marie Belgrave and Martin Cleaver were similarly responsible for obit preparedness and were instrumental to AP’s breaking photo coverage in coordination with Tony Hicks, London-based deputy director for international photos.
In AP’s London bureau, editor Frank Griffiths sends the alert that Charles has become Britain’s new king, Sept. 8, 2022.
AP / Sara Gillesby
Photo, video and text staff assigned to the story immediately headed to the U.K. while local staff were dispatched to key locations for spot coverage. AP’s reporting produced dozens of news alerts filed by Europe editors — London’s Frank Griffiths counted 60 that he had personally filed a week into the story. Griffiths was also instrumental in helping prepare and move the prepped material, and he ensured AP’s coverage was filed with urgency.
The meticulous planning paid dividends in photo coverage, where AP at times had better and closer photo positions than the photo pool, including images of Prince William and Harry and their wives when they appeared for the first time to mingle with mourners.
Performance for the all-formats coverage was outstanding, helped by rich content, speed of delivery and strong social media engagement, all contributing to strong metrics for AP’s content.
The main obit had 1.1 million pageviews on AP News, and video coverage was equally well received, including live shots on AP News and social platforms. An hourslong livestream from outside Buckingham Palace had more than a quarter-million views on YouTube.
The impressive all-formats work and the response from AP’s audience and customers bear witness to exhaustive preparation and sharp coverage by AP staffers. For remarkable journalism still unfolding as the queen’s funeral approaches, the team of Blann, Kirka, Lawless, Hui, Becirovic, Friedman, Brown, Koppel, Belgrave, Cleaver and Griffiths, and colleagues near and far, receive AP’s Best of the Week — First Winner honors.
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