Buckingham Palace have issued a statement of guidance for mourning Queen Elizabeth by the Royal Family and households.
The nation has begun 10 days of national mourning following the death of the Queen yesterday (8 September). Members of the public have gathered outside the Royal residences to pay their respects.
The statement reveals that the King wishes for the Royal Family to observe a period of Royal mourning from now until seven days after the Queen's funeral. This will only apply to members of the Royal Family, Royal Household staff, and Representatives of the Royal Household on official duties.
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The date of the Queen's funeral is still to be decided, but King Charles is due to meet with Prime Minister Liz Truss today, and it is believed the date will be one of the things discussed. This period of mourning for the Royal Family is separate from the 10 days observed by the public, starting today - full details are expected to be released later on Friday.
In the guidance, they have said that those who wish to leave floral tributes at Buckingham Palace will be guided to lay them at dedicated sites in Green Park or Hyde Park. Flowers left outside the Palace gates will be moved to the Green Park Floral Tribute Garden by The Royal Parks.
At Windsor Castle, floral tributes can be left at Cambridge Gate on the Long Walk. These flowers will be brought inside the castle each evening and placed on the castle chapter grass on the south side of St George’s Chapel and Cambridge Drive. At the Sandringham Estate, people are encouraged to leave floral tributes at the Norwich Gates.
At Balmoral Castle, floral tributes can be left at the main gate. At the Palace of Holyroodhouse, people are encouraged to give floral tributes to the wardens at the entrance to The Queen’s Gallery. Those flowers will be laid on the forecourt grass in front of the Palace’s north turret. At Hillsborough Castle, floral tributes may be laid on the castle forecourt in front of the main gates.
Buckingham Palace also said royal residences will close until after the Queen’s funeral, including the Queen’s Gallery and the Royal Mews at Buckingham Palace, as well as the Queen’s Gallery in Edinburgh. Balmoral Castle and Sandringham House, the Queen’s private estates, will also close for this period, as will Hillsborough Castle, the sovereign’s official residence in Northern Ireland.
The Palace also announced that a Royal Gun Salute would take place today in Hyde Park at 1pm. One round will be fired for each year of the Queen's life.
Instead of a physical book of condolences at the Royal Residences, an online book is available on the royal website for members of the public to sign and leave messages in.
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