What will be open and closed on bank holiday for Queen's funeral

Monday 19 September will see The Queen laid to rest, with the day of the funeral officially being declared as a bank holiday by her son, King Charles III.

In line with tradition, the nation will stop to mourn the Monarch, who reigned for over 70 years.

While millions of people will be given the day off of work or school, some vital sectors will still require employees to clock in as usual.

The government recently confirmed in a statement: “Monday 19 September, the date of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s State Funeral, will be a national bank holiday.

“This will allow individuals, businesses and other organisations to pay their respects to Her Majesty and commemorate Her reign, while marking the final day of the period of national mourning."

What is for certain, as National World report, is that all schools and colleges across the UK will close for the day - just like the stock market.

However, in the case of UK supermarkets, the answer is less cut and dry. In the United Kingdom, supermarkets do tend to remain open on bank holidays, so it seems likely that many will on this occasion - perhaps with reduced hours.

To this end, it will certainly be worth checking your local store's opening times as the day of the funeral approaches.

Similarly, pubs also tend to remain open for business on bank holidays, though whether the magnitude of this historic event changes anything remains to be seen. Once again, its always best to check with your local establishment of choice.

The main concern for most people will be whether their non-essential workplace remains open or not. According to government guidelines, this will be at the discretion of each individual business and operator.

The State Funeral of Her Majesty The Queen will take place at Westminster Abbey on Monday 19th September.

Prior to the State Funeral, The Queen will Lie-in-State in Westminster Hall for four days, to allow the public to pay their respects.

— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) September 10, 2022

The UK government stated: “This is a matter for discussion between individuals and their employer. There is no statutory entitlement to time off for bank holidays, but employers may include bank holidays as part of a worker’s leave entitlement.

“The government cannot interfere in existing contractual arrangements between employers and workers. However, we would expect that many workers will be able to take the day off on the bank holiday."

The same rules will apply to the hospitality sector. As an example, cinemas have the option to remain open if they wish, and given that most tend to stay open on bank holidays, it's a safe bet that some will.