From Buckingham Palace to Windsor Castle, all the UK attractions closed following Queen Elizabeth II’s death

Twenty of the most popular tourist locations in the UK will be shut for at least one day

Many popular attractions in the UK will be closed today out of respect to Queen Elizabeth II.

The monarch died aged 96 at Balmoral yesterday afternoon after a 70-year-long reign.

Most of the locations that will be closed will reopen on Saturday.

But buildings owned by the monarchy, such as the royal palaces, are expected to be closed for more than a week as King Charles III has announced a 10-day national mourning period.

People are advised to check opening schedules ahead of their visits.

Royal residences and galleries

The State Rooms, the Royal Mews and The Queen’s Gallery at Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle, the Palace of Holyroodhouse and The Queen’s Gallery in Edinburgh will be closed to visitors.

The Royal Collection Trust’s website does not state for how long but it’s likely to be for the majority, if not all, of the national mourning period.

Flowers laid outside Buckingham Palace (Kirsty O’Connor/PA)

St Paul’s Cathedral

The iconic cathedral – where the 1981 wedding of the then Prince Charles and the late Lady Diana Spencer took place – will close on Friday (9 September) to prepare for “a service of prayer and reflection”.

A special public service in honour of the Queen will start at 6pm and will be broadcast live on BBC One.

Westminster Abbey

The Abbey will only be open for “worship, prayer and reflection” until Sunday (11 September). It will be closed to tourism-related visits until Wednesday 21 September.

The Tower of London

The 1,000-year-old fortress and former prison – which houses the crown jewels – is closed to visitors on Friday.

The Tower of London will close its gates for the day (PA Archive)

Historic Royal Palaces

The Tower of London is one of six sites in the Historic Royal Palaces group. Also closed on Friday are the other five: Kensington Palace, Kew Palace, the Banqueting House in Whitehall, Hampton Court Palace, and Hillsborough Castle in Northern Ireland.

Royal Albert Hall

The concert hall announced that it “will not be going ahead with Prom 71 on Friday 9 September, or the Last Night of the Proms on Saturday 10 September.”

Legoland Windsor

The theme park located near Windsor Castle will be closed on Friday. Ticketholders will be emailed about their booking, a spokesperson said.

Legoland Windsor staff member attends to a Lego construction of Buckingham Palace (Jonathan Brady/PA)

London Zoo and Whipsnade Zoo

Both zoos will be closed on Friday.

National Gallery

The gallery tweeted that it will be “closed until Saturday 10 September as a mark of respect.”

Kew Gardens

The botanical gardens will be closed on Friday. Ticketholders will be contacted by email, a spokesperson said.