DThe ceremonial state funeral for Queen Elizabeth II in the British capital next Monday, which was prepared with great effort, is forcing many changes to the plan. For example, Heathrow Airport has to cancel about 200 flights. British Airways alone will cancel 100 planes. No disturbing aircraft noise should be heard over London when there is a two-minute silence for the late Queen around noon. Flights are also canceled in the early afternoon. At this time, a solemn procession moves with the coffin to Windsor Castle, west of London. Many roads around Heathrow Airport will be closed on Monday for the funeral and before that for preparations, the Transport Authority warns. Gatwick and London City Airport, on the other hand, are not affected by flight cancellations.
The funeral of the longtime monarch puts London in a state of emergency. Hundreds of thousands have queued to see Elizabeth’s coffin again at Westminster Hall.
Read here what is known so far about the exact course of the funeral service
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Hundreds of thousands will try to see the procession to Westminster Abbey and later to Wellington Arch at Green Park on Monday. The funeral attracts many international and national visitors. The hotel and catering industry is looking forward to more bookings. Already this weekend about 95 percent of the hotel capacity should be occupied. And more questions are expected. “Hotels are seeing a huge surge in bookings right now and a lot of establishments are providing staff to support the event, such as security firms and outfitters,” said Richard Burge, chief executive of the London Chamber of Commerce.
Kate Nicholls, of UK Hospitality, also stressed that hotel bookings for this weekend and Monday in London have risen sharply since news of Queen Elizabeth’s death. Luxury hotels report skyrocketing inquiries. Many have increased their prices drastically, not a few by more than 300 percent. At the Park Plaza County Hotel, for example, which is very close to Westminster Abbey, a night in a single room now costs almost £1000 (1150 euros), at times even £1299 was charged, while a night’s accommodation a week later is available for just under £270 .
Many businesses will remain closed on Monday out of respect for the Queen’s funeral celebrations. For example, Aldi, Lidl and Morrisons are all closing their London supermarkets, Sainsbury’s most, while Waitrose will only open a few central shops along the procession route. The large luxury department stores Harrods and Selfridges as well as the middle-class department stores John Lewis and House of Fraser remain closed on the day of the funeral, as do the furniture stores from Ikea in London, the sports outfitter Sports Direct and the cheap fashion chain Primark. The big cinema chains Odeon, Cineworld and Showcase will also remain closed.
However, the big pub chains Wetherspoon and Green King are opening and expecting a large influx. Wetherspoon, known for cheap beer and the pro-Brexit owner, opens as early as 11am. Guests can then watch the service for the Queen at Westminster Abbey on giant screens.
