Queen Elizabeth II: Will there be a bank holiday to mourn the monarch’s death?

Queen Elizabeth II has passed away, marking the end of her seven-decade reign.

She died at Balmoral Castle on Thursday 8 September 2022 after 70 years on the throne.

Buckingham Palace said in a statement: “The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon. The King and The Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow.’’

Her Majesty celebrated her platinum jubilee in 2022, which meant the public was given an extra bank holiday to celebrate in May.

But will there also be a public holiday now the Queen has died?

Operation London Bridge – the strict set of protocols created by officials which outlines the plan in the event of the Queen’s death – determine what happens now.

The funeral day will be a public holiday in the form of a Day of National Mourning.

The state funeral is expected take place at Westminster Abbey in central London on Monday 19 September.

The original plans are for the Queen’s coffin to process on a gun carriage to the abbey, pulled by naval ratings – sailors – using ropes rather than horses.

Senior members of the family are expected to poignantly follow behind – just like they did for the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales and the Duke of Edinburgh.

The military will line the streets and also join the procession.

Heads of state, prime ministers and presidents, European royals and key figures from public life will be invited to gather in the abbey, which can hold a congregation of 2,000.

The service will be televised, and a national two minutes’ silence is expected to be held.

The same day as the funeral, the Queen’s coffin will be taken to St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle for a televised committal service.

Later in the evening, there will be a private interment service with senior members of the royal family.

The Queen’s final resting place will be the King George VI memorial chapel, an annex to the main chapel – where her mother and father were buried, along with the ashes of her sister, Princess Margaret.

Philip’s coffin will move from the Royal Vault to the memorial chapel to join the Queen’s.