What do you think about this?

I am not a monarchist but I respected the Queen for her dignity and long service to this country. I shall watch the state funeral out of respect and because no country does these occasions as well as we do.
However, I think to cancel events, no postal deliveries, etc is ridiculous. It is another day when this country will grind to a halt and our political situation is bad enough as it is, parliament has been paralysed for weeks and now there is ten days of " mourning"' We can all mourn in our own way, I didn't know the Queen so although I respected her position I am most certainly not grieving. There are other awful things happening in the world that should have our attention. They should make her funeral on a Sunday, people would have time to get to London if they so wished and another working day would not be lost due to another Bank Holiday. In case anyone hadn't noticed the UK is in dire financial straits!!!!

The Queen would not have approved I am sure ! She would have said "Carry on" and carry on in my memory ... Have Nurses cancelled ? Care workers ? Firefighters? Dustbin men/women ? NO ! Thought not ! Have McMillan Nurses cancelled even ! The Big Anti Brexit March was to be today that is cancelled , but that is a different matter and showing respect as it would have caused chaos in London with what is going on today with King Charles 111...

Boz

The sky won't fall in just because a few events are cancelled for 10 days.
The Last Night of the Proma is a jolly loud event which is not recognised as appropriate during a period of National Mourning.
It is a case of Respect with a capital R.

There is no way that the majority of events can be re-arranged this year, let alone in ten days time.
Bookings of venues, caterers, etc. have to be made way in advance.
Performers / participants, competitors, vendors etc can't all suddenly be available again at the drop of a hat, so all the effort and expense already incurred by many thousands of people is now totally wasted or lost.
How about a bit of Respect and sympathy for them?
After all, anyone who wants to mourn can still do that.

Think of the effect on our beleaguered economy too of all these cancelled events!

One fabulous cancellation - football!
Not sure about tge thousands on the Jurassic path. Had I sponsored anyone I would just give my donation had tgey walked the trail. Not sure about the loss of accommodation/travel costs. May be entitled to refunds or credits at least.

Esspee

I have always thought sponsored walks, runs etc. completely pointless. (Apart from raising money for worthwhile causes)
Wouldn't something like beach cleanups, sprucing up deprived neighbourhoods etc. be much more worthwhile?

Excellent idea Esspee.
Surely the Queen deserves respect and a little sacrifice for this period - the first in 70 years which saw her working the day before she died. These events will come round again.

You cant enforce respect that's the problem. People react against that I am afraid.

I completely agree with you,it seems like a very odd decision!

It is not a matter of respect to a person who passed away

Everybody has to respect that people do not feel they have to mourn or be bereft for her death

Hithere

There is a bunch of hypocrisy with this subject in general

The country and the world mourns the life of a privileged person who passed away at 96, who had opportunities that other mortals cannot think of and no real useful role in society
but
The loss and disruption of lives in wars, such like Ukraine, has 0 impact

Remember the Queen also did war service for her country. Actually I’d doubt anyone would have given themselves so selflessly. The Royal family bring £5mil + in tourist revenue. Following his predecessors King Charles III pledged income from the Crown Lands to the country in exchange for the Sovreign Grant. It was and is a pledge that leaves the royal family much worse off than they would otherwise be.

4allweknow

One fabulous cancellation - football!
Not sure about tge thousands on the Jurassic path. Had I sponsored anyone I would just give my donation had tgey walked the trail. Not sure about the loss of accommodation/travel costs. May be entitled to refunds or credits at least.

Why is it fabulous 4allweknow?

I thought that too NotAGran
It doesn’t exactly impact on anyone’s life if it’s happening.
Football is huge part of some people’s lives.
It’s not even as if it’s on terrestrial TV

Who is enforcing respect?

Zoejory

Who is enforcing respect?

The decision makers cancelling stuff ‘in the name of respect’ I would have thought

A quick search will show you some facts about the period of mourning.
The government guidance says: "There is no obligation to cancel or postpone events and sporting fixtures, or close entertainment venues during the National Mourning period.

"This is at the discretion of individual organisations.

"As a mark of respect, organisations might wish to consider cancelling or postponing events or closing venues on the day of the state funeral.

"They are under no obligation to do so and this is entirely at the discretion of individual organisations.

"If sporting fixtures or events are planned for the day of the state funeral, organisations may want to adjust the event timings so they do not clash with the timings of the funeral service and associated processions.*

As a mark of respect, and in keeping with the tone of National Mourning, organisers may wish to hold a period of silence and/or play the National Anthem at the start of events or sporting fixtures, and players may wish to wear black armbands."

So this is nothing to do with the RF or the Government. Nobody has to behave as if they're in mourning.

However I"m sure most people will take the Bank Holiday off, if able, along with the schools. And I see the train strikes for mid-September have been called off.

This is not some weird enforcement of anything!

FannyCornforth

Zoejory

Who is enforcing respect?

The decision makers cancelling stuff ‘in the name of respect’ I would have thought

As I've just explained it's not required nor needed. Some may want to. I'm sure the FA had a reason, maybe they will let us know.

Zoejory

Who is enforcing respect?

Thank you for your explanation posted upthread.
You have answered your own question admirably

Agree OP, if you decide not to take part that is a personal decision, but why cancel the whole thing?

Obviously there’ll be the funeral and the coronation - hopefully a slimmed down and eco friendly one - but I really hope that we don’t see life being actively disrupted. We’ve already had that with covid. I’m not in mourning and I don’t appreciate events I want to participate in or attend to be cancelled out of a misplaced sense of ‘respect’ for a woman I never met.

I can understand why events have been cancelled, in deference to the Queens passing but I would think that large numbers of people at gatherings with some prayer words and a moment of silence would be very good for everyone attending. Very cathartic, instead of being at home, washing the car. Organisers don’t think deeply of their decisions.

Um, let’s maybe not get into the habit of imposing prayer on groups of people who didn’t sign up for that?! I’d be furious if that happened.

I am happy to stand quiet while a prayer is said that means something to others even if not to me. It seems a small thing to ask.

But I do not think events should be cancelled. Each one could take a moment to remember her life and then move on.

Being a Brit living in another country I am grateful for the
BBC’s continuous coverage of the Queen’s death. However, I also appreciate the many comments on here regarding the cancellation of various organised events. In 2022 our attitudes towards “tradition” are very different to what they were in times past. As many have said on here, ultimately, it is a personal choice as to how we mourn, or not. Personally, I am in mourning for the passing of the Queen, but I am not imposing it on anyone else.

Some of these comments leave me speechless. It really isn't about what the Queen would have thought. It's about tradition and a momentous occasion. Showing respect. A thing of the past for a lot of people it seems. The 'It's all about me' society as usual.

The Queen would not want people cancelling events.

We may not agree, but the Queen was most definitely about protocol and tradition. I find it strange that 7 days extra formal mourning has been proclaimed, but I guess that is tradition and protocol too! At least we don’t have to spend the next 10 days in black.