Everything that will be cancelled or closed following the Queen’s death

A state of mourning has officially begun across the UK today following the death of Her Majesty The Queen.

Queen Elizabeth passed away at the age of ninety-six at Balmoral Castle on September 8th, bringing to an end her historical seventy-year reign on the throne.

Yet while the nation grieves the loss of the monarch, questions have been raised as to what should be expected in the coming days and weeks. 

On the day of her funeral, which is anticipated to take place ten days after her death, there could potentially be a bank holiday, with most shops and businesses poised to close or change their operating hours.

Number 10 / Flickr

Here are the places and events that will be closed or cancelled:

Shops and retailers

The day of the Queen’s funeral will be a Day of National Mourning, making it a national bank holiday. 

However, documents for ‘Operation London Bridge’ show that the government will not order companies to give their staff the day off on the day of the Queen’s funeral. It will ultimately at the employers discretion as to whether staff get the day off. 

Shops will close or only be open for reduced hours but, again, it will be up to the individual business to decide whether they stay open or allow employees time off.

The London Stock Exchange will also be closed for at least the day of the Queen’s funeral and possibly for several days after – which could cost the economy billions.

Television

Following the news of the Queen’s deteriorating health yesterday, the BBC suspended all usual programming and switched to a special news bulletin dedicated to Her Majesty.

Manchester’s Finest Group

While there is no obligation for channels to air commemorative news programmes in the wake of the Queen’s death, other broadcasters quickly followed suit. 

As part of its plans, the BBC has announced it will also be suspending all comedy shows from airing over the coming days.

Sport

In the immediate aftermath of Her Majesty’s passing, the English Football League (EFL) took the decision to cancel two matches set to take place last night (September 8th), while a minute’s silence was held during Manchester United’s Europa League game against Real Sociedad at Old Trafford.

The EFL and the Premier League have since postponed all their fixtures this weekend as a mark of respect to the Queen.

However cricket and golf are expected to resume on Saturday (September 10th), with the England and Wales Cricket Board board meeting later. All rugby matches are also expected to go ahead.

As part of Operation London Bridge, all sporting fixtures look set to be cancelled on the Day of National Mourning, which is expected to be on Monday September 19th. 

Schools

Schools are looking set to remain open during the nation’s state of mourning, though headteachers still anticipate guidance by the government.

Reports claim headteachers will soon be informed by the Department for Education (DfE) whether schools should shut at any point during the national period of mourning.

It is likely pupils will be allowed to observe the official national day of mourning on the day of Her Majesty’s funeral.

Pubs and restaurants 

Most hospitality venues are expected to remain open in the coming days, enabling Brits to raise a glass in the Queen’s memory.

As with shops and offices, however, there is no obligation for an establishment to close, with the decision being down to the individual pub or chain. 

However, pubs will be closed for one day in the Isle of Man, which is a British Crown dependency located in the British Isles. The twenty-four-hour period begins on Friday September 9th, and ends on Saturday September 10th. 

Theatres

Theatres up and down the country will continue with their performances, but will be dimming their lights and observing a minute’s silence out of respect for the Queen.

They will also be playing the national anthem and opening books of condolences ahead of performances.

Strikes

A number of planned strikes – including Friday’s forty-eight-hour walk out by Royal Mail workers in a dispute over pay and work conditions – have been postponed in the wake of the Queen’s passing.

General secretary Dave Ward said: “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.”

Transport union TSSA is also cancelling planned railway industrial action for September and will be respecting the period of public mourning.