King Charles approves bank holiday for day of Queen’s funeral
The King has approved an order that the day of the Queen’s funeral will be a bank holiday.
The date of the funeral has not yet been announced, but it is thought it could be held on Monday 19 September, at the end of the 10-day period of mourning.
It was previously unclear whether or not there would be a bank holiday for the funeral, which will be the first state funeral held in the UK for 50 years. But King Charles made an order for one during his first meeting with the privy council on Saturday.
The new king confirmed the public holiday during the ceremony – the first to be televised – at which he was officially proclaimed as the new monarch.
The lord president of the council, Penny Mordaunt, said: “Drafts of two proclamations. One – appointing the day of Her late Majesty’s state funeral as a bank holiday in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
“Two – appointing the day of Her late Majesty’s state funeral as a bank holiday in Scotland.
Charles answered: “Approved.”
The original plans for the funeral were for the Queen’s coffin to process on a gun carriage to the abbey, pulled by naval ratings – sailors – using ropes rather than horses.
Senior members of the family are expected to follow behind – just like they did for the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales, and the Duke of Edinburgh.
The military will line the streets and also join the procession.
Heads of state, prime ministers and presidents, European royals and key figures from public life will be invited to gather in the abbey, which can hold a congregation of 2,000.
The service will be televised, and a national two minutes’ silence is expected to be held.
The same day as the funeral, the Queen’s coffin will be taken to St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle for a televised
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