Funerals are being cancelled in some parts of the UK as the nation prepares to pay tribute to Queen Elizabeth II. The Queen's state funeral will take place next Monday, following her death aged 96 last Thursday.
Next Monday (September 19) has already been confirmed as a bank holiday, while many businesses and services have announced they will be closed on the day out of respect for the Queen.
The Manchester Evening News has asked all local authorities in Greater Manchester whether funerals are being cancelled. Oldham Council was the first to respond, confirming any booked funerals would be going ahead.
Bury Council confirmed it had one funeral booked which will go ahead, but no further bookings are being taken for the day. Further updates from the area's councils are expected to follow tomorrow (Wednesday).
Meanwhile, Manchester Crematorium - which holds services next to Southern Cemetery, the city's largest burial site - told the M.E.N. it would be 'business as usual' on Monday. The National Association of Funeral Directors explained in a tweet yesterday that some funerals would be moved 'led by the needs and wishes of the bereaved families involved'.
The decision to cancel some funerals across the country has been slammed by the public, with many already having been 'arranged many weeks ago'. People have taken to Twitter to share their grievances and heartbreak regarding this decision, the Mirror reports.
One person wrote: "No one can be buried (or cremated) on Monday 19th September except for the Queen," to which another confirmed that this is true, saying: "My family have had a funeral cancelled for that day. They’ve been told no funerals ever go ahead on a Bank Holiday."
A third said: "Just listening on LBC @mrjamesob to a woman who’s mother’s funeral on Monday has been cancelled. They have relatives flying from the US, have arranged the wake, flowers, cars etc. There must be hundreds, if not thousands of funerals scheduled for Monday. All will be cancelled…
"…I assume those with surgery scheduled for Monday will also find it’s been cancelled. This wouldn’t normally happen on a public holiday because they are known in advance. The disruption caused on Monday will be huge."
The Queen will ultimately be laid to rest within St. George's Chapel, in the grounds of Windsor Castle, alongside her husband, Prince Philip - who died in April last year. The State Funeral of Her Majesty will take place at Westminster Abbey, where the Coffin will travel to Windsor Castle. Once there, it will travel in Procession to St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle via the Long Walk.
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