King Charles III Declares 'Royal Mourning' Period After Queen Elizabeth II's Death

Buckingham Palace made the official announcement on Friday.

King Charles III has outlined to the British people and the world what the next steps are following the death of Queen Elizabeth II at 96 on Thursday. 

On Friday, Buckingham Palace shared an official release from His Majesty noting that the king has declared a "period of royal mourning be observed from now until seven days after The Queen's funeral."

Naturally, the next few days will be filled with tradition and protocol. Here is what the Palace has officially outlined thus far: 

Funeral

A date has not been given for Queen Elizabeth's funeral but the king said it would be "confirmed in due course." 

Royal Mourning

Of the official mourning period, the king declared it would last until seven days after the to-be-announced funeral. Charles added that royal mourning is officially observed by members of the royal family, royal household staff and representatives of the royal household on official duties, as well as troops committed to ceremonial duties. 

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Flags

The flags at all the royal residences will remain at half-mast until 8 a.m. the morning after the final day of the royal mourning period. The exception to this is the Royal Standard and Royal Standard in Scotland when the king is in residence as these are always flown at full mast. Flags on other public buildings that are not royal residences will be left up to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. 

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Royal Gun Salute

There will be an official salute in London on Friday at several locations, including in Hyde Park by the King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery and at the Tower of London by the Honourable Artillery Company. The salute will take place at 1 p.m. BST and one round will be fired for each year of the queen's life. 

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Closure of Royal Residences 

All royal residences will close to the public until after the queen's funeral. This includes the queen's public and private estates. Several were listed including The Queen's Gallery, The Royal Mews at Buckingham Palace, The Queen's Gallery in Edinburgh, Balmoral Castle, Sandringham House, and Hillsborough Castle in Northern Ireland. 

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Floral Tributes at the Royal Residences 

Dedicated sites have been announced at Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle, Sandringham Estate, Balmoral Castle, the Palace of Holyroodhouse, and Hillsborough Castle for those who wish to bring flowers in honor of the queen. 

Books of Condolence

Noting that there are no physical books of condolence at the royal residences, Charles shared a link to an online book of condolence for anyone who wishes to leave the royal family a message. https://www.royal.uk/send-message-condolence.

For updates on Queen Elizabeth's death, check out ET's ongoing coverage here.

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