Life After The Queen's Death: Will There Be A Bank Holiday The Day Of Her Majesty's Funeral?
The UK is currently in the midst of a 17-day period of national mourning following Queen Elizabeth II's death on Thursday, September 8, and preparing for daily life to change for a brief moment of time.
In the coming days, a calendar of carefully organised events will unfold as King Charles III familiarises himself with his new position and plans get underway for Her Majesty's funeral.
Here's what to expect from daily life in the UK following the Queen's death:
When will the Queen's funeral take place?
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II's funeral will take place at Westminster Abbey on Monday, September 19, 2022.
Will there be a new bank holiday following the Queen's death?
Yes. On Sunday, September 11, the government announced that the Queen's funeral will be a national bank holiday. All schools will remain closed.
'This will allow individuals, businesses and other organisations to pay their respects to Her Majesty and commemorate Her reign, while marking the final day of the period of national mourning.' its statement reads.
'This bank holiday will operate in the same way as other bank holidays, and there is no statutory entitlement to time off. Employers may include bank holidays as part of a worker’s leave entitlement. The bank holiday will take place across the United Kingdom.'
While King George VI’s funeral was not a bank holiday, the current government wants to 'help give as many people as possible the opportunity on the day of the State Funeral to mark Her Majesty’s passing and commemorate Her reign', its statement continues.
There arise currently no news about whether the Coronation will be a national bank holiday. 'A decision will be made nearer the time,' the government states.
What events will be cancelled following the Queen's death?
Theres is no obligation to cancel or postpone events or close entertainment venues during the mourning period, according to the government. Rather, the decision to do this will be at the discretion of individual organisations.
However, numerous events due to take place in the 24-hour period after the Queen's death were called off before this guidance was issued.
All Women's Super League, Women's Championship and Women's FA Cup games were postponed over the weekend. In addition, the British Horseracing Authority postponed all racing on Friday and Saturday.
As for golf, no play took place at the BMW PGA Championship on Friday, and the Test cricket match between England and South Africa was postponed. It remains to be seen whether or not the rest of the five-day game will go ahead.
The final three stages of the Tour of Britain cycling race, due to take place from Friday to Sunday, will not take place.
But while Premiership Rugby Union matches scheduled for Friday were postponed, games resumed ver the weekend before a minute's silence. Sunday's Great North Run also took place.
Organisers were not asked to cancel events, but have taken into account volunteers or landowners might decide runs should not go ahead.
The BBC Proms, scheduled to take place on Thursday and Friday, were cancelled in addition to Last Night of the Proms on Saturday. However theatre performances across the UK were expected to continue with a minute's silence.
The Mercury Music Prize award ceremony was cancelled on Thursday evening following the news of the Queen's death, and the Trades Union Congress scheduled to be held in Brighton this week has been postponed until a later date.
As per the government's guidance, organisations holding sporting fixture or events planned for the day of the Queen's funeral may want to tweak timing so they don't interfere with the funeral service or precessions.
As well, some retailers, including Selfridges, French Connection and Liberty, remained closed on Friday. Harrods said it wwouldill be closed on the day of the funeral, and other shops may follow suit.
Will planned rail and postal strikes go ahead following the Queen's death?
Strikes planned for September 15 and 17 have been cancelled out of respect for the longest reigning monarch, the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union has announced. The Transport Salaried Staffs Association also cancelled planned strikes in September.
Furthermore, the Communication Workers Union (CWU) called off postal strikes scheduled for Friday.
Will there be any other memorial services for the Queen besides the funeral?
A remembrance service at St Paul's Cathedral was held on Friday, September 9 and was attended by newly elected Prime Minister Liz Truss and other senior ministers.
The public are allowed to file past Her Majesty's coffin, which will lie at rest at St Giles' Cathedral in Edinburgh, Scotland before her coffin is transferred to London, where people will be able to file past it over the course of four days at Westminster Hall.
Until the morning of the Queen's funeral, the union flag will be flown at half mast on government buildings, before flags return to full mast for 24 hours. The latter began at 1pm (BST) on Saturday, September 10 to mark the declaration of Prince Charles as King - flags later switched back to half mast.
Bells rang at Westminster Abbey, St Paul's Cathedral, Windsor Castle and churches in tribute to the Queen on Friday. Gun salutes of 96 rounds were also fired in Hyde Park, the Tower of London, Stonehenge, Edinburgh Castle and elsewhere to mark each year of Her Majesty's life.
How can we pay our respects to the Queen?
The Royal Family website allows people to sign an online book of condolences, though there will be no physical book of condolences at royal residences.
On Saturday, September 10 a memorial flower garden was created in London's Green Park, which will be the prime place for laying flowers near Buckingham Palace. People can also lay flowers in places neighbouring other royal residences in Balmoral, Windsor and Sandringham, and at Hillsborough Castle in Belfast, the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh and at the entrance to Cardiff's City Hall.
Town halls and churches within local communities are some of the places where people can leave flowers or tributes, but the government and Royal Household have asked that flowers, wreaths or tributes do not get sent to royal residences, government offices or to the location of the Queen's funeral.
We will continue to update this article with more details as they unfold.
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