Less than 24 hours left for the Queen’s State Funeral and UK will come to a near standstill to pay their last respects to their beloved Queen. From Cinemas to shops, those in the UK are in for a Monday like none other.
Thousands are expected to lineup and pay their respects to the Queen’s coffin who will be lying-in-state until early Monday morning, when the queen’s coffin will be borne to nearby Westminster Abbey for a state funeral, the finale of 10 days of national mourning for Britain’s longest-reigning monarch. Elizabeth, 96, died at her Balmoral Estate in Scotland on September 8.
The somber mood in the country will also include the shutting down of most of UK’s economy. No Cinemas, no schools, most shops and supermarkets to remain shut, several restaurants are likely to follow suit. Fast Food joint McDonalds will also be shut to pay respect for the queen on September 19 – the day of Queen’s funeral.
The UK government had announced last week that September 19 will be a national bank holiday to “allow individuals, businesses and other organizations to pay their respects” to the Queen. Several companies and pubs are yet to take a final call on whether it will declare a holiday or not, leading to much confusion.
Not just big businesses, even some basic operations will be halted on the day of the state funeral. The official UK government and parliament petitions website has been suspended until further notice. The Met Office tweeted saying it would only post daily forecasts and warnings as a mark of respect for the Queen and also clarified that it would not post “non-operational” content on Twitter to allow the public to focus on “any potential impactful weather” during the mourning period.
The London police say the funeral will be the largest single policing event the force has ever handled, surpassing even the 2012 Summer Olympics and the Platinum Jubilee in June celebrating the queen’s 70-year reign.
After the service on Monday at the abbey, the late queen’s coffin will be transported through the historic heart of London on a horse-drawn gun carriage. It will then be taken in a hearse to Windsor, where the queen will be interred alongside her late husband, Prince Philip, who died last year.
Late Saturday, the government revealed details of where the public can watch the day’s services and processions.
In addition to a number of viewing areas along the route, mourners will be able to watch on screens set up in Hyde Park, close to Buckingham Palace. There also will be screening sites at several towns and cities across the U.K and about 125 cinemas will open to screen the funeral.
Hundreds of troops from the British army, air force and navy held an early-morning rehearsal Saturday for the final procession. As troops lined the picturesque path leading to Windsor Castle, the thumping of drums echoed in the air as marching bands walked ahead of a hearse.
(With inputs from AP)
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