McDonald's is to close all of its UK restaurants on Monday 19 September, as a mark of respect to Queen Elizabeth II on the day of her funeral. The fast food chain, which has around 1,300 outlets in the UK, said they would all be shut until 5pm on the day.
McDonald's will shut its UK restaurants as a mark of respect during the day of the Queen's funeral.
McDonald's has announced it is to close for the Queen's funeral to allow staff to "pay their respects". The fast food chain tweeted that on Monday, its UK restaurants will be shut from midnight until 5pm. It has taken the action "in honour" of Her Majesty and to "enable everyone at McDonald's to pay their respects".
Tesco, Sainsbury's, Morrisons, Lidl and Aldi were among those closing their supermarket stores for the day. "We want to express our deepest condolences to the royal family, as well as our gratitude to Her Majesty the Queen for her unwavering service," said Tesco's UK chief executive Jason Tarry.
McDonald's roughly 1,200 locations across the United Kingdom will close for most of the day Monday for Queen Elizabeth's funeral. “All of our UK restaurants will be closed on Monday until 5 pm, to allow everyone at McDonald's to pay their respects to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II,” the company wrote in a tweet.
KFC said the majority of its restaurants would close during the Queen's funeral. However, some branches may stay open 'to ease pressure on public services'.
Much of Britain came to a standstill on Monday for the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II. The government declared the day an official holiday to allow people to pay their respects, meaning that all banks, the London Stock Exchange (LSE), public offices and most businesses were shut.
Aldi, Lidl and Morrisons will be closed all day. Waitrose will shut all stores apart from a few near the procession route. Asda will be open only after 5pm and no online deliveries will be offered. Large Sainsbury's and Tesco stores will be shut all day, apart from some in central London and Windsor.
Sainsbury's, Morrisons, Aldi, Waitrose, Lidl, Asda, Iceland and Tesco are to close the doors of their larger stores on the day Queen Elizabeth II will be laid to rest. For a full list of shops that are shutting, read our guide. Supermarket giant Tesco has said its Express stores will be open until 5pm.
Petrol stations at the UK's major supermarkets will be closed for most of the day of the Queen's funeral on Monday, although the majority will reopen in the evening.
Monday 19th September is the date of the Queen's funeral – and petrol stations at supermarkets across the country will be closed for most of the day as a mark of respect.
Costa Coffee, Starbucks and Caffe Nero branches will be closed in West Midlands on Monday for the state funeral of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. It comes as a mark of respect for the late monarch, in which the stores will follow other supermarkets and businesses around the country in closing for the day.
A McDonald's spokesperson told the BBC that they took the decision to close the restaurants as they "want to allow our people to pay their respects in the way they choose".
Co-op. Co-op's chief executive Shirine Khoury-Haq confirmed that its estate of stores will shut its doors as a “mark of respect” for the late Queen and to give employees “time to reflect and mourn”.
All Apple Stores in the United Kingdom will be closed on Monday, September 19, out of respect for the planned state funeral of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Apple told UK-based staff today. Monday, September 19, has been marked as a bank holiday by King Charles III, given the planned state funeral for Her Majesty.
While some may to choose to shut as a mark of respect, most across the UK are expected to operate as normal. The main day establishments may wish to shutter up is on the day of the Queen's funeral. Although the Queen's funeral takes place on a national day of mourning, a nationwide bank holiday is not guaranteed.
The service will take place at Westminster Abbey, and a two minute silence will be held across the UK at noon. Most people will therefore get time off from work on the day of Her Majesty's funeral. Shops will close or only be open for reduced hours, while banks will of course also be shut.
Before that, the Queen's coffin will lie in state at Westminster Hall in London for four days, and members of the public will be allowed to visit. On the day of the funeral, schools and businesses will close, there will be a two-minute national silence, and the Stock Exchange will close.
The UK treasury revealed the staggering cost of the event in a letter written to Parliament, following the long-reigning monarch's death last September. Queen Elizabeth II's funeral and lying-in-state cost Britain's government an estimated £162 million (or approximately €186.6 million), it's been announced.
Will shops be open on coronation day? In theory, shops which are usually open on Saturdays will remain open on the day of King Charles III's coronation. This is because unlike on the day of Queen Elizabeth II's funeral last year, shops are not obligated to close on the day of the ceremony.
The State Funeral of Queen Elizabeth II will take place at Westminster Abbey on Monday 19th September at 11am.
Monday 19 September
The Queen's state funeral will take place at 11am at Westminster Abbey. The lying in state ends at 6.30am. At 10.44am the Queen's coffin will be taken in procession from the Palace of Westminster to Westminster Abbey in central London. Members of her family will process on foot behind.
Considering Downing Street's official statement that events and sporting fixtures do not have to be cancelled during the mourning period for the Queen's death, it's safe to assume that nobody will be expecting you to call off your wedding as a mark of respect either.
The Gym Group, which has 217 clubs across the UK, will close all clubs between 10am and 2pm “to allow time for all those who wish to pay their respects and commemorate the Queen's reign during the state funeral”. Fitness First will close some of its central London clubs.