The Government has said it is not necessary for organisations to cover or remove existing official portraits or photos of the Queen during the period of national mourning. Guidance for the public and businesses from the Cabinet Office says: “It is not necessary to cover or remove existing official portraits or photographs in your organisation of Her Majesty as a mark of respect.
"It is the custom to leave these in place, at the discretion of the organisation. For example, you will still see in many older public buildings official portraits on display of King George VI and other previous monarchs.”
There is also “no obligation” for events or sporting fixtures to be cancelled, or for entertainment venues to be closed, during the period of national mourning, the Government has said. But official guidance suggests organisations may wish to consider cancelling or postponing events or closing venues on the day of the state funeral “as a mark of respect”.
Such arrangements are “at the discretion of individual organisations”, it says.
The guidance, published by the Cabinet Office, adds: “If sporting fixtures or events are planned for the day of the state funeral, organisations may want to adjust the event timings so they do not clash with the timings of the funeral service and associated processions.
“As a mark of respect, and in keeping with the tone of national mourning, organisers may wish to hold a period of silence and/or play the national anthem at the start of events or sporting fixtures, and players may wish to wear black armbands.”
Organisations can also acknowledge the period of national mourning by adding black edging or banners to their websites, the Government has advised. Official guidance for the public and businesses, published by the Cabinet Office, states: “Online communication channels can also be used to reflect the demise of Her Majesty and participate in the period of national mourning.
“Organisations can acknowledge the mourning period by making changes to the homepage of their website, for example, with the use of black edging or black banners. Organisations and individuals may also wish to share their memories of Her Majesty online.
“There is no set way to mark the passing of Her Majesty on social media. Organisations may wish to review their planned content for the period. Any changes to websites or social media pages should take into consideration accessibility requirements for visually impaired users.”
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