Pub chain Wetherspoon has confirmed that it will open its pubs on the day of the Queen's state funeral. However, many will only do so after the event has taken place.
Many shops and supermarkets have already said they will be closed for the day, with some exceptions such as smaller stores. Others will reopen in the evening.
Wetherspoon has now said it will do something similar, with pubs staying closed until lunchtime. They normally open for breakfast.
The day of the funeral, Monday, September 19, has been declared a bank holiday in the UK as the nation says goodbye to its longest-reigning monarch, reports DevonLive.
Weatherspoon said most of its pubs would welcome in punters at 1pm, after the funeral has taken place in the morning. But its boozers in central London and in locations such as train stations will be open from 8am onwards, as will the company's hotels, although these will be for guests only.
A spokesman for the company said: "Pub company Wetherspoon is opening its pubs in central London, rail stations and airports and all of its hotels (hotels will be open for resident guests only) during normal trading hours from 8am until midnight on Monday, September 19. The majority of its pubs will open later than usual, after the state funeral, at approximately 1pm and will remain open during normal trading hours after that."
The Queen's coffin is currently lying in state inside Westminster Hall to allow people to pay their final respects, with hundreds of thousands expected to queue for miles to see Her Majesty. This will continue until 6.30am Monday.
The funeral will take place later that morning, with the service starting in nearby Westminster Abbey at 11am. It will be preceded by procession from Westminster Hall to the church.
