Period of royal mourning to be observed until seven days after Queen’s funeral

The date of the funeral has not yet been confirmed.

Mourners gather outside Buckingham Palace (PA) (PA Wire)

A period of royal mourning will be observed from now until seven days after the Queen’s funeral.

Buckingham Palace said royal mourning will be observed by members of the royal family, royal household staff and representatives of the royal Household on official duties, together with troops committed to ceremonial duties.

The date of the funeral has yet to be confirmed.

A police officer looks at flowers laid outside Buckingham Palace (Kirsty O’Connor/PA) (PA Wire)

The palace said on Friday morning: “Following the death of Her Majesty the Queen, it is His Majesty the King’s wish that a period of royal mourning be observed from now until seven days after the Queen’s funeral.

“The date of the funeral will be confirmed in due course.”

Royal Salutes will be fired in London on Friday at 1pm in Hyde Park by The King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery and at the Tower of London by the Honourable Artillery Company, with one round being fired for each year of the Queen’s life.

Royal residences – including The Queen’s Gallery and the Royal Mews at Buckingham Palace, and The Queen’s Gallery in Edinburgh – will close until after the Queen’s funeral.

Balmoral Castle and Sandringham House, the Queen’s private estates, will also close for this period.

Hillsborough Castle, the monarch’s official residence in Northern Ireland, will also be closed.

A woman appears emotional after laying flowers at the gates of Balmoral (Andrew Milligan/PA) (PA Wire)

Guidance has been issued to members of the public who wish to leave floral tributes at royal residences.

Mourners at Buckingham Palace will be guided to lay floral tributes at dedicated sites in Green Park or Hyde Park, with flowers left outside the gates of the palace being moved to the Green Park floral tribute garden.

At Windsor Castle, floral tributes can be left at Cambridge Gate on the Long Walk, and these flowers will be brought inside the castle every evening and placed on the Castle Chapter grass on the south side of St George’s Chapel and Cambridge Drive.

At the Sandringham Estate, members of the public are encouraged to leave floral tributes at the Norwich Gates, while at Balmoral Castle floral tributes can be left at the main gate.

People at the Palace of Holyroodhouse are encouraged to give floral tributes to the wardens at the entrance to The Queen’s Gallery, and those flowers will be laid on the forecourt grass in front of the North Turret of the Palace.

A woman lays flowers at Buckingham Palace (Kirsty O’Connor/PA) (PA Wire)

At Hillsborough Castle, floral tributes can be laid on the Castle Forecourt in front of the main gates.

Flags at royal residences were at half mast on Thursday and will remain half-masted until 8am on the morning after the final day of royal mourning.

The palace said the half-masting of flags at royal residences does not apply to the Royal Standard and the Royal Standard in Scotland when the King is in residence, as they are always flown at full mast.

Guidance on flags at other public buildings has been issued by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

There are no physical books of condolence at the royal residences.

An online book of condolence is available on the royal website.