A period of national mourning in the UK began on 8 September to mark the death of Queen Elizabeth the Second and will continue until her funeral on 19 September.

Smartraveller has warned that there will likely be substantial disruptions to services across the UK during the mourning period.

The travel alert service, which is managed by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), said travellers should expect large crowds and warned that accommodation would be difficult to come by, particularly in London.

According to the UK government, businesses and public services are not obliged to suspend services during the mourning period but warned some businesses might close or postpone events, especially on the day of the state funeral.

Major road closures during the period are also expected to cause issues, and Transport for London has advised travellers to avoid travelling by car in the city and to expect disruption on some bus services.

Tube and rail stations are also expected to be crowded and some will operate to different schedules or close all together on the business days of the period.
Galleries and museums in the UK are not obliged to close during the mourning period, but Westminster Abbey will be closed to tourists until 21 September.

Most major sporting events were cancelled over the weekend and are expected to also be cancelled on the weekend of 17 and 18 September too.

London’s Hackney Carnival and several pride events that were set to take place over the weekend were also cancelled.

All things considered, it’s a good idea to double-check any event or booking your clients have in the UK at least until the state funeral.