Many shops and businesses have announced their closures today for the Queen's funeral which will take place at Westminster Abbey.
She died in Balmoral on September 8 at the age of 96 and a bank holiday has since been declared to mark her death, which will take place today. Popular high street retailers will close to mark their respect, and a number of fast food chains have also announced changes to their hours on Monday, September 19.
McDonald's, KFC, Subway and Greggs have all released details of their opening hours for the day, reported MEN. Some restaurants will remain closed throughout the day, and others will be open in the evening following the day's events.
READ MORE: Shops closed for the Queen's funeral: Primark, Home Bargains, B&M, Asda opening times
Although businesses are not officially required to close on the bank holiday, many have decided to shut their doors as a mark of respect to the late Queen. The funeral takes place at 11am and will be followed by a procession led by the King before the Queen's coffin is taken to Windsor Castle for a committal service and a private burial.
McDonald's
McDonald’s will shut its UK restaurants as a mark of respect during the day of the Queen’s funeral. The fast-food giant, which has 1,300 sites across the UK, said outlets will be allowed to reopen at 5pm.
In a statement on Twitter, McDonald’s said: “In honour of HM Queen Elizabeth II and to enable everyone at McDonald’s to pay their respects, our restaurants across the UK will be closed from midnight until 5pm on Monday 19th September.” Deliveries will also not be available until after 5pm, the company has said.
Greggs
Greggs will close most of its stores during the bank holiday today. The bakery chain said: "To give our colleagues the opportunity to pay their respects to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Greggs shops will be closed on Monday 19th September. A small number of our shops, operated by our franchise partners, may remain open. Thanks for your understanding."
KFC
KFC said the majority of its restaurants would close during the Queen's funeral. However, some branches may stay open 'to ease pressure on public services'.
A spokesperson for KFC said: "KFC UK&I is deeply saddened by the passing of Her Majesty The Queen. We will be joining the nation in respecting the official mourning period and will close the majority of our restaurants during the funeral, both to give the moment the respect it deserves and also to allow our team members to watch if they wish. A small number of restaurants in key locations will remain open to ease pressure on public services in crowded areas."
Subway
Some Subways restaurants will be closed today, while others will remain open. It is up to individual stores to decide their opening hours.
A spokesperson for Subway said: “Our thoughts are with the Royal Family, as the nation comes together to pay tribute to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Subway UK continues to follow the official royal protocol. We have shared government guidance with all our franchisees to encourage them to review their operating hours. All Subway restaurants are independently owned and operated, and will therefore determine local store openings as appropriate.” You can check the opening hours for every Subway location on the website here.
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