Ms Rayner said the “seriousness” of the situation was underlined by the fact they were prepared to interrupt such a big moment in Parliament. “I was trying to get him the note [Sir Keir] without being too dramatic, but also not knowing exactly what was going on, but I had to get him out of the room,” she added. “I kept the note and I was trying to think of how to get it to Keir without completely ruining what he’s trying to say, because if someone tries to give you information when you’re in the middle of speaking it’s a distraction, so I waited for the opportunity to do”. When Mrs Rayner looked over and caught the eye of Sir Lindsay Hoyle, the Speaker of the Commons, he indicated that he should get on with it. “He gives me the nod, ‘this is really, really urgent,’” he said. “So I knew it was a very important moment.” Ms Rayner said she was also worried about how and when news of the Queen’s death might get out and did not want it to happen before Sir Keir was informed. “If Keir was at full throttle when the news broke, then I have not protected him from the circumstances,” he added. He said he recognized the events “would change everything.” After leaving the room, Mrs Rayner and Sir Keir were briefed by Simon Case, the cabinet secretary, and learned of the monarch’s death shortly before it was announced that evening at 6.30pm.
