Following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, the United Kingdom has entered a “national period of mourning,” observed to various degrees around what’s known as the “Commonwealth” (colonized or formerly colonized nations that still honor, however symbolically, the monarch as a head of state…it’s very complicated).
Out of respect for the queen, many businesses and organizations have been cancelling or postponing events, while others simply observe a moment of silence, or wear black armbands, in Her Majesty’s honor. Some of the disruptions to daily life or random and, respectfully, a little funny, while others call into question how much of a national priority a funeral should be.
Here are some of the ways the mourning period is impacting life in the UK:
Go to Center Parcs (a resort chain). The “holiday villages” will be closed on Monday, September 19, the day of the funeral, leaving travelers to make other accommodations for their previously booked vacations, per the BBC.
Use certain bike racks. In Norwich, a sign was posted on a bike rack saying that it was “closed” from September 9 to 21 (see the unintentionally funny sign on MSN). A spokesperson for the city council explained that the area around City Hall was expected to become a site for tributes, and they didn’t want people trampling on flowers to get to and from their bikes.
Attend some soccer games. Because of the number of police needed to control crowds the weekend of the funeral, there might not be enough to also control crowds at certain sporting events; at least one game has been cancelled and another is TBD, per The Mirror.
Strike. In this case, things are slightly more normal as a result of the mourning period. The railroad workers union in England had planned a strike for September 15 and 17, but leadership announced a postponement both out of respect and because a large number of people will probably be traveling via train to pay their respects, per The Independent.
Avoid paying for the funeral. Look, I don’t know exactly how much the royals increase taxes on…whoever all pays into their…salaries? But someone’s gotta foot the bill for the funeral, which will cost a reported nine million dollars. (It’s worth noting that while the below tweet makes an excellent point, giving each hungry person $4.50 will not exactly fix the issue.)
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