King Charles III has instructed that a period of royal mourning will begin following the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II.
The death of Queen Elizabeth, Britain's longest-reigning monarch, marks a pivotal moment in the history of the UK, and the world. Buckingham Palace has said today that it is the wish of the new King that the period of mourning will begin from now until seven days after the Queen's funeral.
The date of the the funeral will be confirmed in due course. The palace did not say when the funeral would be held, but it is likely to take place around 11 days after the queen's death on Thursday.
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The detailed plans that have now kicked into action following the Queen's death is code-named 'Operation London Bridge'. A number of events have already been postponed following the death of Her Majesty The Queen, with further decisions regarding the weekend’s sporting events set to be taken today, September 9.
Here is a list of all the do's and don't during the national period of mourning, as reported by The Mirror.
A period of mourning
The Government will confirm the length of national mourning , which is likely to be around 12 days, from now up to the day after the Queen’s funeral. They will also announce that the funeral day will be a public holiday in the form of a Day of National Mourning .
A period of royal mourning for members of the royal family and royal households will be observed until seven days after the Queen’s funeral, the date of which is to be confirmed by Buckingham Palace.
School closures
The Department for Education has said schools and colleges in England should remain open as normal during the mourning period. In a message to headteachers, officials said there will be further information after details of the funeral are confirmed by Buckingham Palace.
The DfE said: "Schools and further education settings should remain open. While normal attendance is expected, headteachers continue to have the power to authorise leaves of absence for pupils in exceptional circumstances.” They added that schools may want to mark by the occasion by "conducting special activities, holding assemblies or adapting planned lessons."
Cancelled events
A number of events have been cancelled already, including Friday’s play in the men’s third Test between England and South Africa at The Oval. The English Football League postponed two matches scheduled today – Burnley v Norwich in the Championship and Tranmere v Stockport in League Two.
The European Tour also confirmed there would be no play on Friday. Decisions regarding further postponements are still to be decided, with guidance expected to come from the Cabinet Office in the coming hours. However, it is understood it will be left to sports event organisers to decide how to proceed, with no mandatory postponements.
Store closures
The day of the funeral will be a Day of National Mourning - and there will be a national bank holiday on that day, unless it falls on the weekend. But employers will not be compelled to give staff a day off to attend the church and memorial services across the UK.
The service will take place at Westminster Abbey, and a two minute silence will be held across the UK at noon - where millions will pause to mark their respects.
It's not know what stores will close, or run on reduced hours yet - with Selfridges already closing its doors today in tribute to Her Majesty. The London Stock Exchange will be closed for the day of the Queen's funeral. It's also expected to see flags being hung at half-mast, while the country remains in mourning.
Stores are also unlikely to promote major sales so prominently, and the music played in-store is likely to follow the plans for radio stations to broadcast more sombre tunes. One piece of guidance said: “Make sure music in stores is appropriate and ensure that things are consistent with the national mood."
Government information
Most announcements, press releases and governmental visits are set to be paused, and important information will be communicated by the government website instead. Civil servants will be asked to wear appropriate mourning clothes.
Websites and advertising
Corporate websites are prominently displaying messages of condolences, and social media accounts are paying their tributes to Her Majesty.
TV schedules
If you'd planned to tune in to watch your favourite show this weekend, it's best to double check the schedule, with many shows not airing. Major channels will devote several hours to the events in London, while radio stations are set to play sombre music to mark the occasion.
Inside branches of major retailers, shoppers may find that promotions are not being pushed quite so loudly and in-store music will reflect the sombre tone of the airwaves.
Train cancellations
Rail strikes planned for the 15 to 17 September have been called off - and there is huge plans underway to deal with the millions set to flock to London via public transport. Official documents obtained by Politico in 2021 warned of the extra pressures if the capital became "full" with healthcare, policing, roads, public transport and food services being stretched.
Strikes
Many workers set to strike have halted their plans, including Friday's industrial action by Royal Mail workers. Members of the Communication Workers Union were set to walk out for 48 hours. General secretary Dave Ward said last night: "Following the very sad news of the passing of the Queen and out of respect for her service to the country and her family, the union has decided to call off tomorrow’s planned strike action."
Where you can pay your respects
Guidance has been issued to members of the public who wish to leave floral tributes at royal residences. Mourners at Buckingham Palace will be guided to lay floral tributes at dedicated sites in Green Park or Hyde Park, with flowers left outside the gates of the palace being moved to the Green Park floral tribute garden.
At Windsor Castle, floral tributes can be left at Cambridge Gate on the Long Walk, and these flowers will be brought inside the castle every evening and placed on the Castle Chapter grass on the south side of St George’s Chapel and Cambridge Drive. At the Sandringham Estate, members of the public are encouraged to leave floral tributes at the Norwich Gates, while at Balmoral Castle floral tributes can be left at the main gate.
People at the Palace of Holyroodhouse are encouraged to give floral tributes to the wardens at the entrance to The Queen’s Gallery, and those flowers will be laid on the forecourt grass in front of the North Turret of the Palace.
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