A Royal Mourning: What does the funeral bank holiday mean for the British public?

This Monday, everything in the UK will be put on hold to pay respects to the Queen as her funeral takes place - or at least that’s the common phrasing going around. Some closings make sense, especially as everyone could use a bank holiday. I don’t see the issue with closing theatres, museums, or most shops, but the news of the past week has often been baffling.

What has been closed and which decisions were reversed:

One of the most ridiculous instances was Centre Parcs who, as their show of respect, had announced they would close their village on Monday, putting out the guests for the day and night. Luckily, after immense backlash, they have rescinded their statement to say they would allow guests to stay, but would be closing the village’s facilities. A mediocre solution to a self-created problem. But as ridiculous as the Centre Parcs debacle was, most other cases are infuriating.

NHS England announced that GP surgeries can choose to close on the 19th and several hospitals cancelled most appointments - including surgeries, maternity check-ups, and even some cancer treatments. While this all sounds a bit near-dystopian, it is unfortunately very real. Though not mandated by the royal family, these cancellations are based on a misled cultural reverence of them. People shouldn’t be barred from their healthcare, especially at such short notice and when waiting times for appointments are already years long.

Another concerning example is the initial closures of food banks on Monday. Now more than ever, food banks are an essential source for many people to get through their lives and to close them on such short notice is not acceptable. Luckily, this decision has been rescinded after backlash, but it shouldn’t take major backlash to make a reasonable decision.

Some funerals are cancelled as well and while this isn’t mandatory, I can’t help but feel for the families who will feel pressured to postpone their loved one’s funeral to honour another person’s death.

Most court hearings have been postponed as well, even though one might assume this to be an essential service. And then there are the strikes, sorely needed for the workers, which have been cancelled if they fall within the mourning period.

Parliament has been suspended until after the Queen’s funeral, an act that completely freezes the accountability of UK politics as well as the opportunity for change - both of which are sorely needed at the moment. The UK government petitions website has also been suspended following the Queen’s death. This is an infringement on the people’s rights, even more so with how many rights are being petitioned for in this increasingly authoritarian state.

Why is this an issue?

Of course, closures over a bank holiday are not an isolated incident, but the problem here is that it’s on such short notice, leaving people little time to prepare and postponing appointments that took years to get. And all of this is in honour of the death of a monarch amid a cost-of-living crisis. It’s a jarring juxtaposition and people are rightly upset.

We have to stop accepting a country that prioritises the quality of life of the royal family over that of its citizens. The British people are already suffering under a cost of living crisis and to put the people’s lives on a halt to showcase a massively expensive funeral feels like a slap in the face - especially when at least part of the funeral is paid for by taxpayers’ money.

And even if it were paid for entirely by the royal family, should their duties as so-called heads of state not be to ensure the wellbeing of their citizens? Should they not use their immense riches to cover bills, feed starving children, and make sure people can heat their homes?

Not everyone wants to mourn the death of a 96-year-old woman who died peacefully of natural causes, surrounded by family. We are faced with the very real possibility of hundreds, thousands, of citizens dying this winter because they can’t afford heating or food - this will especially affect pensioners who are already an at-risk group. If there is so much care for the death of one 96-year-old woman, where is the care for the hundreds of pensioners who won’t be able to afford to heat this winter?

Not everyone wants to mourn the death of a monarch who had an active hand in the colonisation of so much of the world. Why is the entire country being forced into mourning for a monarch they never chose and deprived of their right to speak up? The problems with the bank holiday boil down to much more than service closures - they are just an indication of this country’s priorities and, spoiler alert, they are not the well-being of its citizens.

But as we continue to suffer under the Tory leadership, it’s important to remember that we are not entirely without power. Protest and backlash can achieve change, and even if it is little and rare, it is more than nothing. Community and mutual aid are the backbones of survival and we all can do our part to help, no matter how small.