Queen’s funeral may break TV records – but it’s no cash bonanza for media industry

A total blackout on TV advertising was agreed with Buckingham Palace following the death of the Queen

Death of the Queen and King Charles’s accession – latest updates

The death of the Queen and coverage of her funeral will top the ranks of the most-watched broadcasts in British television history, while newspaper publishers have seen an unprecedented boost in sales as mourners seek commemorative copies. And yet the biggest national event in decades will not provide a commercial bonanza for media firms.

ITV has planned its largest-ever outside broadcast, with all of its channels simulcasting ad-free blanket live coverage for the first time in history. The day of the funeral will also be the first time in Channel 4’s four decades on air that it has instituted a 24-hour ad block across its channels.

Continue reading...

How to avoid it all: a guide to a royal-free bank holiday

From a visit to a historic church to a flutter on the horses, there are many ways to escape the doldrums during Monday’s big shutdown

Accession of King Charles and death of Queen Elizabeth – latest updates

Watching the state funeral on Monday is not compulsory, even if some public figures have claimed it should be. But anyone looking to avoid it has other options.

The bank holiday shutdown stretches from supermarkets and big retailers to leisure centres and tourist attractions. No English Heritage site will open, not even its historic churches, it confirmed last week, nor any National Trust garden or stately home.

Continue reading...

Beijing-backed Chinese language schools in UK to be replaced with teachers from Taiwan

MPs in talks with Taiwan to help phase out Confucius Institutes as relations between the countries worsen

A group of cross-party MPs is in talks with Taiwan to provide Mandarin teachers to the UK as the government seeks to phase out Chinese state-linked Confucius Institutes, the Observer has learned.

There are currently 30 branches of the Confucius Institute operating across the UK. Although controversies have existed for many years, they have continued to teach Britons Chinese language, culture and business etiquette. These schools are effectively joint ventures between a host university in Britain, a partner university in China, and the Chinese International Education Foundation (CIEF), a Beijing-based organisation.

Continue reading...

Jacob Rees-Mogg’s imperial measurements consultation ‘biased’ after no option given to say no

‘It’s a nonsense’: government facing claims of manipulating questions to get desired result from survey on ‘Brexit bonus’

It was meant to be one of the sure-fire wins for Brexit, but plans to bring back imperial measurements face criticism over claims of a biased government review.

Ministers were keen to launch a review to revive imperial measurements – such as pounds and ounces – and the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), now overseen by Jacob Rees-Mogg, conducted a government consultation over the summer. However, the questions appeared to have something missing.

Continue reading...

Liz Truss’s first big diplomatic meeting with Biden postponed

Meeting rearranged for Wednesday in New York as Bidens travel to UK for Queen’s funeral

Liz Truss’s planned meeting with Joe Biden in Downing Street, which was to be her first major diplomatic event as prime minister, has been rescheduled for Wednesday at the UN.

Officials from both countries said that a meeting in the margins of the UN general assembly would allow “fuller” bilateral discussion and was not the result of friction. But, whenever the two leaders meet, they face disagreements over Northern Ireland.

Continue reading...

Anthony Albanese describes ‘very warm’ meeting with King Charles ahead of Queen’s funeral

Australian prime minister also held informal talks with UK prime minister Liz Truss

Anthony Albanese has described his one-on-one meeting with King Charles ahead of the funeral for Queen Elizabeth as a “great honour”.

“I extended my personal condolences to King Charles but also the condolences of the Australian people,” the prime minister said from London on Sunday morning Australian time.

Continue reading...

Biggest interest rate rise for 25 years could spell showdown at the Bank

This week’s decision could pit Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey against an expansionary PM and chancellor

A lightning strike from the Bank of England awaits. Having delayed its decision until after the period of national mourning for the death of the Queen, Threadneedle Street could this week launch the biggest rise in borrowing costs for at least 25 years.

Announcing its plans a day before Kwasi Kwarteng’s mini-budget on Friday, the central bank is widely expected to use a fast and forceful rate increase to show its commitment to tackling soaring borrowing costs – despite the gathering storm clouds for the British economy.

Continue reading...

Camilla to pay tribute to Queen in TV broadcast

Queen Consort’s address on Sunday will praise mother-in-law for forging role as woman in male world

The Queen Consort is to pay a televised tribute to the Queen on Sunday, praising her for carving out her own role for many years while being in the “difficult position” of being a “solitary woman” in a male-dominated world.

In prerecorded words, she will also recall the late monarch’s “wonderful blue eyes” and say: “I will always remember her smile.”

Continue reading...

Man charged with attempted murder after Leicester Square police stabbings

Mohammed Rahman charged with multiple offences as one Met police officer remains under medical supervision

A 24-year-old man has been charged with attempted murder and grievous bodily harm with intent after the stabbings of two police officers in Leicester Square on Friday, the Metropolitan police have said.

Mohammed Rahman, 24, from west London, was also charged with assault and two counts of threatening a person with a blade, charges relating to three other constables. He was also charged with robbery and possession of a knife.

Continue reading...

Joe and Jill Biden fly to London for funeral of Queen Elizabeth II

State funeral will be attended by almost 100 presidents and heads of government

Joe Biden and his wife Jill arrived in the UK on Saturday to attend the funeral of Queen Elizabeth, who the US president has described as “more than a monarch” and a woman who “defined an era”.

The Queen’s state funeral on Monday is to be attended by almost 100 presidents and heads of government, and the Bidens were traveling without any former US presidents.

Continue reading...

Queen lying in state: William and Harry stand vigil over coffin as Biden arrives for funeral – as it happened

Queen’s grandchildren keep watch over coffin in Westminster Hall. This blog is now closed

In an update at 8am, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport said the end point of the queue for the Queen’s lying in state was once more accessible in Southwark Park.

The DCMS had earlier warned people not to travel to join the queue and to check back later on Saturday morning for updates on wait times.

Continue reading...

Victoria and George Cross recipients to take part in Queen’s funeral procession

Seventeen of those awarded the honours will be in attendance, including one from New Zealand and four from Australia

Recipients of the highest honours that can be awarded to military personnel and civilians for services to their country are to take part in the procession at the Queen’s funeral.

Seventeen of the 23 recipients of the Victoria Cross for military valour and the George Cross for civilian gallantry will be in attendance at the service on Monday, including one from New Zealand and four from Australia.

Continue reading...

Chris Kaba’s cousin says police watchdog response lacks urgency

Jefferson Bosela, family spokesperson, says IOPC’s timeline for homicide investigation too long

“He was the life of the party, you know, everywhere he went, he didn’t shy away from showing the people he cared for that he cared for them,” says Jefferson Bosela, describing his cousin Chris Kaba. “He was a big brother, he was a fiance, he was a dad-to-be, so he had so much going for him, which makes this tragedy all the worse.”

On 5 September, Kaba was driving through Streatham, south London, when the vehicle was flagged by automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) before being pursued and intercepted by two Metropolitan police cars.

Continue reading...

Which businesses will be open or shut on the day of the Queen’s funeral?

Many shops, cinemas, pubs and airports are choosing to limit their hours on Monday

Since it was confirmed last Saturday that Queen Elizabeth’s funeral would be held on Monday 19 September, a slew of businesses and services have said they will be reducing operations or closing for all or part of the day as a mark of respect.

With the day declared a bank holiday, many employers have given staff the entire day off and most shops will be closed. So what will be open on Monday and when?

Continue reading...

The Queen’s funeral: five other ways to spend the bank holiday

Want to avoid Monday’s proceedings? Maybe go for a long walk, or consider leaving the country altogether

While millions in Britain and around the world will mark the Queen’s funeral on Monday with solemnity – whether it be by watching Huw Edwards for nine hours from the comfort of their living room or joining a mass gathering at an official big screen event – many others will want to take advantage of a rare bank holiday and swerve the historic event altogether.

But will that actually be possible? With most sports centres and public buildings, plus many high street shops, supermarkets and museums closing, Monday may feel much like the bank holidays of yore, with pretty much everything shut and not even a James Bond movie for entertainment.

Continue reading...

Schools urge parents to help plug funding gaps as costs soar

Some parent bodies helping with core costs, raising fears of growing gap between rich and poor areas

Days into the new academic year, headteachers have raised the alarm about a looming funding crisis in schools, with some parents urged to make donations and parent-teacher associations on standby to plug funding gaps for classroom essentials.

As energy bills and wage costs rise, school leaders say money from PTA fundraising efforts will be needed to cover core costs rather than “nice to have” extras. In affluent areas where PTAs are able to raise huge sums, it could even be used to save jobs and help pay bills.

Continue reading...

Queen lying in state: mourners in London warned not to join queue to see coffin; King greets public in Wales – live updates

The King has now visited each of the UK’s four nations since his mother’s death; queue to see coffin is paused as wait reaches 14 hours

UK-based correspondents from European news outlets have written for the Guardian about how Britons will deal with political turmoil, Brexit, recession and the loss of the Queen.

Here’s an excerpt from Stefanie Bolzen, UK and Ireland correspondent for Die Welt, Germany:

The days we are living through mark a new beginning. Only time will tell what the post-Elizabethan era will bring. For the moment, what it does feel like is a juggernaut of one too many challenges coming at the same time, a surreal wave. The aftermath of the pandemic, which has left the UK with a lot of scars; Brexit finally being felt in real life, whether on the M2 towards Dover, in my local Sainsbury’s, or in the port of Larne; Russia’s war on Ukraine; a fourth prime minister in six years. And now the death of Elizabeth II, who seemed to many immortal.

Reporting on the UK as a foreigner often makes it easier to take a step back, to see “the big picture”. Since last Thursday, though, this has become a challenge. The 24/7 coverage of the Queen’s death is all-consuming with layers of events, history and traditions to process. It would not be fair to suggest that these layers are somehow serving to sugarcoat the crisis in this country. Elizabeth II was a historic figure, she symbolises a century that transcended Europe’s borders. What I do notice, however, is that the foreign media cover this long period of ceremonial mourning with less servility. Hardly any British media, for example, dared comment on King Charles III’s rude gesture of impatience during the acclamation.

The actress, known for her role in the BBC hit series Killing Eve, will participate in a procession of national honours as part of the service on Monday.

She joins the delegation as a member of the Order of Canada alongside musician Gregory Charles and Olympic gold medallist swimmer Mark Tewksbury.

Oh was granted the honour recently in June 2022.

Canada’s delegation to the funeral will be led by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his wife Sophie Gregoire Trudeau and also include governor general Mary Simon as well as former prime ministers and governor-generals.

The group is due to depart for the UK on Friday, ahead of the service next week.

Details of the delegation were made public on Thursday during a special address given by Trudeau during a special session of Canada’s House of Commons.

It was previously announced the day of the Queen’s funeral will be marked in Canada with a national day of mourning.

Continue reading...

‘It’s special to be here’: David Beckham joins queue to pay tribute to Queen

Ex-England captain recalls receiving his OBE as he waits with thousands of mourners in central London

The former England football captain David Beckham joined the queue for the Queen’s lying-in-state on Friday, saying it was “special to be here”.

He joined other high-profile figures to have been seen waiting to pay tribute this week, including the former prime minister Theresa May, This Morning presenters Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield and the Good Morning Britain host Susanna Reid.

Continue reading...

‘We wouldn’t put Charles on a bus’: Gulf royals balk at Queen’s funeral protocol

The monarchies are hopeful of stronger UK ties under King Charles, but plans for the ceremony have not gone down well

From Oman in the east to Morocco in the west, Middle East and north African royalty have been closely monitoring plans for the Queen’s funeral, but with days to go until the biggest event in modern royal history, they are unlikely to travel to London in numbers.

Monarchies have sought to divine meaning from protocol arrangements, and are largely underwhelmed by what they have seen.

Continue reading...