Queen Elizabeth II is no stranger to the headlines. Sadly, the British monarch passed away this Thursday 8 September, igniting Operation Unicorn – the plan in case the Queen passed in Scotland – and Operation London Bridge – the plan for her funeral.
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With the period of official mourning underway, the Queen’s funeral is expected to take place around 10 days after her death. The date of 18 or 19 September will be confirmed by Buckingham Palace soon.
Will events be cancelled during mourning?
According to BBC, there is no governmental requirement for events or venues to close in honour of the late Queen’s passing. There have, however, been many closures and cancellations already in the first 24 hours following the announcement of the somber news.
Football matches – including the Premier League, English Football League, and matches in Scotland or Northern Ireland – have been cancelled from today and are set to resume on Tuesday. The Tour of Britain’s last three stages have also been called off during this time. Other events like professional golf and the BBC proms have met the same fate.
Meanwhile, some horse racing events have been postponed, as were day 2 of England and South Africa’s test cricket match and some premiership rugby union matches.
Theatre performances are expected to carry on, beginning with a moment of silence.
While there is no formal rule to stop events, the government has suggested that venues be mindful of start times on the day of Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral, so that members of the public can attend their eventandpay respects, if they so desire. Transport strikes planned in the next week will no longer go forward in order to help mourning citizens travel to say their goodbyes to the late Queen.
Will the anniversary of her funeral become a bank holiday?
So far, no decision has been made regarding the day of the funeral becoming a bank holiday. In terms of the anniversary of her death, there is speculation that an annual bank holiday may be created to remember the monarch, just as the Platinum Jubilee celebrated her 70th year of reign.
More updates should come from Buckingham palace and the government soon.
Read more:
⋙ The Queen's death: What will happen to money in Britain and the Commonwealth?
⋙ Elizabeth II: $100M stamp collections, various estates...how rich was the Queen of England?
