Topline
The United Kingdom will all but shut down Monday as the funeral for Queen Elizabeth II grinds the nation—and the far reaches of its former empire—to a halt, with closures and cancellations affecting everything from grocery stores and banks to chemotherapy and surgery appointments, and even other people’s funerals.
Crowds amass outside Buckingham Palace, London, ahead of the arrival of the hearse carrying the … [+]
Key Facts
King Charles III announced the nation would observe a bank holiday Monday in honor of the Queen’s funeral, with the government releasing a statement after saying it “would encourage” employers to allow staff to have the day off and that all schools would be closed that day.
Officials left the decision to close up to businesses, and many large grocery chains announced they will be shut next Monday, including Asda, Lidl, Morrison Waitrose and Aldi, while Sainsbury’s and Tesco will close their larger stores but keep smaller locations open.
Several British businesses, including the resort company Center Parcs, came under fire for announcing closures and telling guests they would need to spend the night elsewhere, The Guardian reported.
A number of retail stores, theaters and businesses will also be closed next Monday, from Primark to M&S, John Lewis and Argos, Sky News reported.
Thousands of non-urgent hospital appointments and doctor visits, including hip and knee replacements, maternity checks and some cancer treatments, scheduled for Monday in the Aneurin Bevan health system and NHS hospitals, have been canceled or postponed despite long waiting lists, according to Open Democracy.
Funerals scheduled for Monday have also been scrapped in honor of the Queen’s burial, several outlets reported—the move was called out on social media as a sign of “inequality” and a “step too far,” and it could disrupt Islamic and Jewish traditions requiring that services take place as soon as possible after a death.
Officials in Canada, Australia and New Zealand also declared September 19 a one-time national public holiday, closing public offices and announcing state services commemorating the queen.
Key Background
Queen Elizabeth II died Thursday at her Scottish residence at Balmoral Castle at the age of 96 after 70 years on the throne—the longest of any British monarch. Although she had stepped back from public affairs late last year and had suffered a string of medical setbacks in recent months, her death sent shock waves around the world, as celebrities and world leaders mourned her death, and the English Premier League postponed its matches over the weekend. Plans for her funeral had been in the works for years, given the code name “Operation London Bridge.” Over the weekend, her coffin lay in rest at Holyroodhouse, the Royal Family’s official Scottish residence, before a service at St. Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh. Her coffin will then be flown to London by the British Royal Air Force. After her funeral on Monday she will be laid at St. George’s Chapel outside Windsor Castle, alongside her husband of 73 years, Prince Philip, who passed away last year.
Surprising Fact
Even with banks and shops shuttered, most pubs across the U.K. will remain open, the Telegraph reported.
Queen Elizabeth’s Coffin Leaves Scotland’s Balmoral Castle—Here’s How She’ll Get To London
(Forbes)
Biden To Elton: Celebrities And World Leaders Mourn Death Of Queen Elizabeth (Forbes)
William Declared Prince Of Wales—Here Are Royal Title Changes In The Wake Of Queen Elizabeth’s Death (Forbes)
‘Operation London Bridge’: Inside Plans For Queen Elizabeth’s Death And Funeral (Forbes)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/brianbushard/2022/09/13/cancer-treatment-and-burials-canceled-as-uk-prepares-to-shut-down-for-queens-funeral-monday—heres-what-else-will-be-closed/