Bank holiday for Queen's funeral: Everything you need to know about whether schools and shops will close

Her Majesty The Queen, Britain’s longest-reigning monarch, died at Balmoral Castle on the afternoon of Thursday, October 8, 2022.

King Charles III, who was formally proclaimed as Britain’s new monarch yesterday (Saturday, September 10), approved requests for a bank holiday to take place on the day of his mother’s funeral.

The Royal Family has announced that the date of The Queen’s state funeral, the first since that of wartime Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, in 1965, will be Monday, September 19 – which is just eight days away.

Due to the bank holiday taking place so soon, many people are unsure about whether businesses will open as normal and if children will be expected to attend school while the funeral takes place.

Will schools be open?

Similar to other bank holidays, schools are expected to close to allow pupils to watch The Queen’s funeral television and to mourn with their families.

However, some schools may opt to open in order to accommodate children whose parents have to work.

Will shops be forced to close on the day of The Queen's funeral?

It will be a matter for the owners and managers of each individual shop, but just as some closed the day after The Queen’s death as a sign of respect, it would be fair to assume that several will not open for the same reason on Monday, September 19.

In addition, retailers that do open may be required to operate on reduced hours.

During scheduled bank holidays, many retailers opt to operate shorter Sunday hours.

Will there be a national minute of silence to mark The Queen’s funeral?

A two-minute silence as a mark of respect will be held across the nation, and the shops and schools that do open are likely to observe it.

Does my employer have to give me the day off for the bank holiday on the day of The Queen’s funeral?

There is no legal requirement for an employer to give staff the day off, however the government has described the bank holiday as a ‘unique national moment’.

They added: “We would encourage employers to respond sensitively to requests from workers who wish to take time off."

"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,"

Will the day of The Queen’s state funeral be a bank holiday in future years?

Just as the bank holiday to mark The Queen’s platinum jubilee was offered as a one-off, it is likely that a bank holiday in recognition of the monarch’s funeral will be observed in 2022 only.

Will there also be a bank holiday for the coronation of King Charles III?

It has not yet been announced when King Charles’ coronation is likely to be announced, or if the public will be given a bank holiday in honour of the occasion, but a decision is likely to be made in the coming months.