Following the announcement of the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, here's how London is reacting to the news.
London pays its respects
Moments after the news went official, billboards around London switched over to pay tribute to the late monarch; we snapped the one in the top image opposite Wimbledon station last night.
People gathered in the pouring rain outside Buckingham Palace yesterday afternoon and night — and there was a rush to snap the official announcement of death, as it was fixed to the palace railings (We live in strange times.)
Black cabs — another icon of the city — lined up along the Mall to pay their respects too, some cabbies getting quite emotional:
London taxi drivers have lined up outside Buckingham Palace to pay their respects to The Queen, one said 'she's the only constant we've all had in our lives' https://t.co/tWZJsfugBt pic.twitter.com/3aChM2ynGn
— ITV News (@itvnews) September 8, 2022
We expect Buckingham Palace to become a site of pilgrimage or a shrine over the coming days and weeks — something we haven't seen since the death of Diana in 1997. It'll be interesting to see how many more tourists head to London in the coming days; the Queen was, after all, the greatest brand ambassador the city ever had. And let's not forget that she was head of state to 15 countries.
Rest In Peace HM Queen Elizabeth II. You will always be missed, never forgotten and forever loved.#TheQueen #QueenElizabeth pic.twitter.com/vJXgRoztYn
— All On The Board (@allontheboard) September 8, 2022
There are expected to be gun salutes from Hyde Park and Tower Hill today (9 September) — 96 rounds to be precise — marking, of course, the number of years the Queen lived.
Expect to hear muffled bells pealing throughout the city, too — likely for one hour from 12 noon on Friday 9 September. Westminster Abbey and St Paul's Cathedral will certainly be ringing theirs.
The London Eye switched off its lights last night, as a sign of respect, while The Shard went a regal purple:
Tonight, The Shard is dimmed purple to mark the passing of Her Majesty The Queen. pic.twitter.com/QOkVIjQGAa
— TheShardLondon (@TheShardLondon) September 8, 2022
Elsewhere, we've seen a video of Outernet London broadcasting images of the Queen, while playing renditions of the national anthem — all very surreal.
We expect there'll be many, many more tributes paid by buildings and landmarks through the city in the lead up to the funeral — dimmed lights, huge projections; you name it.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has said that the Queen "served for 70 years with unrivalled grace, dignity and purpose."
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II served our nation for 70 years with unrivalled grace, dignity and purpose.
— Sadiq Khan (@SadiqKhan) September 8, 2022
My statement as I join the nation in mourning her loss: pic.twitter.com/fSLDN9Qt8F
TfL put out a short statement from Andy Byford, London's Transport Commissioner — who recently oversaw the opening of the Elizabeth line — saying: "It is with great sorrow that we have learnt of the death of Her Majesty The Queen. We send our deepest sympathy to His Majesty The King and all members of the Royal Family."
Messages of condolence really have been pouring out from all corners of London. And we mean all of them:
Shrek’s Adventure! London joins millions of mourners around the UK and the world in paying tribute to HM Queen Elizabeth II.
— Shrek's Adventure! (@ShreksAdventure) September 8, 2022
United in our loss – we give thanks for a life of extraordinary service to this country, the Commonwealth and the wider world.
What's closed in London following the Queen's death?
Although London's expected to carry on as 'normal' today, a few closures have been announced.
Westminster Abbey will remain open for "for worship, prayer and reflection" until Sunday 11 September, after which it'll be closed until Wednesday 21 September — no doubt in preparation for the Queen's funeral.
The Abbey is open for worship, prayer and reflection until Sunday 11th September but will be closed for tourist visiting until Wednesday 21st September. pic.twitter.com/evfUKaFC3m
— Westminster Abbey (@wabbey) September 8, 2022
Historic Royal Palaces has announced it will close all of its venues — which include the Tower of London and Hampton Court Palace, today (9 September), out of respect. The State Rooms at Buckingham Palace are also, predictably closed — and will likely remain so for the foreseeable.
As a mark of respect, all of our six sites will be closed on Friday 9 September. There will be some changes to our opening hours and programme of events across our sites. Please check our website for more information. https://t.co/jgHSnrlbGU
— Historic Royal Palaces (@HRP_palaces) September 8, 2022
The Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew will also close today (9 September):
We are closed tomorrow, 9 September, to respectfully mark the passing of Her Majesty The Queen. We will open again on 10 September.
— Kew Gardens (@kewgardens) September 8, 2022
If you have a pre-booked ticket for this date or are participating in a pre-planned activity, we'll be in touch via email with more information.
In case you were wondering, the Elizabeth line — named after, and officially opened by, the late monarch is running.
Update: We've also seen that Selfridges on Oxford Street is closed "in line with protocol" and will reopen at 10am on Saturday 10 September.
Tonight's Prom (9 September) and the Last Night of the Proms (10 September) have been pulled:
London taxi drivers have lined up outside Buckingham Palace to pay their respects to The Queen, one said 'she's the only constant we've all had in our lives' https://t.co/tWZJsfugBt pic.twitter.com/3aChM2ynGn
— ITV News (@itvnews) September 8, 2022
Strikes suspended
While the Queen's death means the closure of some things, it has also led to the announcement that strike action planned by the RMT and TSSA for 15, 17 and 26 and 27 September will be suspended. Every cloud.
Where and when will the Queen's funeral take place?
The funeral will take place at Westminster Abbey — reportedly in 10-12 days' time — with a bank holiday for national mourning. Expect most things to be shut in London that day. Ahead of the funeral, the Guardian reports there'll be rehearsals for the funeral procession from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey.
Where and when will Charles' coronation take place?
Charles III, our new king (that's going to take some getting used to), returns to London on Friday 9 September, for various appointments, including a meeting with the prime minister, and a broadcast to the nation.
As for the coronation, that's expected to take place at Westminster Abbey, too. But even though he's automatically our new monarch, the actual crowning won't be for a few months at least. Remember, his mum took almost one and a half years to have her coronation, after being pronounced Queen.
However, on Saturday 10 September, Charles will official be announced King at St James's Palace. London really is at the centre of all this.