On Monday 19 September, senior members of the Royal Family, heads of state from across the world, and around 2,000 others will be invited to attend the Queen’s funeral at Westminster Abbey in London. The day will be an official Bank Holiday across the UK, including England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, as announced on Saturday 10 September. Schools and banks will close, as will the London Stock Exchange; many employers will close their offices and workplaces, although this is at the discretion of each business.
While most licensed venues are planning to stay open, potentially to screen the state funeral, many shops are closing their doors in order to allow employees to partake in the collective mourning and ceremony. Supermarkets such as Sainsbury’s, Marks & Spencer, Asda, Tesco, Waitrose, and Morrisons are planning full or partial closures. Specifically, Tesco convenience stores will be open after the funeral, from 5pm until 10pm, while Waitrose will close all stores except for a few along the funeral procession route in London. Check the opening times of your local store for updates.
Numerous nationwide stores including Argos, Homebase, Greggs, Primark, and Currys will close for the entirety of Bank Holiday Monday. Harrods and Selfridges will also cease trading for the day, making it a significant moment in the nation’s calendar.
Sights of interest across the country are set to close as well. English Heritage and National Trust have announced that all of their attractions will not be open to the public. The Natural History Museum, Science Museum, and V&A are among the London attractions closing, with normal hours resuming from Tuesday morning.
The funeral day will mark the end of 11 days of national mourning, which includes four days of the Queen lying in state at Westminster Hall, close to Westminster Abbey. During those four days, the public will have the opportunity to pay their respects as Westminster Hall will remain open for 23 hours a day.
On the day of the funeral, the Queen’s coffin will be transported from Westminster Hall to Westminster Abbey for a televised service overseen by leaders of the Church of England. After the ceremony, a procession, likely led by senior members of the Royal Family, including King Charles III and the Queen Consort, will proceed from Westminster Abbey, down The Mall to Hyde Park Corner.
From here, the hearse will transport the Queen’s coffin to Windsor, where she will be buried beside her late parents and husband. Well-wishers will be able to line the streets of London, including The Mall, to pay their respects. Furthermore, large screens will be set up across the capital and the country, allowing the public to watch the service together.
