Many members of the public across the UK have been joining the Royal Family in mourning the Queen, after the announcement of her death on September 8.
At Windsor Castle, Balmoral, Sandringham, and many other places, tributes have been left by people wanting to pay respect to the late Queen.
At Buckingham Palace, Londoners and visitors alike have been gathering outside the gates of Buckingham Palace to leave flowers and cards.
King Charles, the Queen Consort, Prince William, Prince Harry, and many other royals have looked at what people have left and written, often speaking with members of the public at the same time.
With so many people flocking to the area, the royal parks have issued guidelines for how best to leave tributes to the Queen. Here’s what you need to know.
Can the public leave tributes to the Queen?
The public is invited to leave floral tributes at a dedicated site in Green Park, near Buckingham Palace.
There are a number of rules for what kind of tributes to leave, to reduce waste and stay respectful of the area:
- Wrappings must be removed from flowers, with only organic or compostable materials allowed to be laid.
- Tributes left in other areas will be moved to the Green Park tribute site at the end of each day.
- No gifts or artefacts should be left as tributes, although cards are accepted and will be periodically removed by Green Park stewards “with discretion and sensitivity”.
- Candles should not be lit within the parks, for safety reasons.
- Photos can be taken in and around the tribute area.
- Tributes will be left on site until all ceremonial activity has taken place, roughly seven to 14 days after the funeral on September 19.
Visitors are also warned by the Royal Parks that queues may be expected to access the Floral Tribute Garden and that access may be limited at certain times during ceremonial activities.
