Flags at the various royal residences across the United Kingdom have returned to full mast as the official royal mourning period for Her Late Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, came to an end. Queen Elizabeth II died on 8th September at Balmoral Castle at the age of 96.
Flags at Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle, the Palace of Holyroodhouse and St James’s Palace were all returned to full mast.
Another sign that royal mourning had ended was the return to public duties for members of The Royal Family. Throughout the period of official mourning, the Royal Family had only carried out official duties where appropriate and have been seen only dressed in black as a mark of respect.
The Prince and Princess of Wales visited Wales for the first time since their change in titles. The couple started their day in their former place of residence, Anglesey, before travelling south-west to Swansea. William and Catherine were last in Wales in June, when they visited Cardiff Castle to see rehearsals for The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee concert.
Throughout the official royal mourning period, the following engagements were carried out;
- The King held an audience, via telephone, with Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng on the eve of his mini-budget.
- The Princess Royal was in Portsmouth to thank military personnel for their involvement in Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral.
- The Earl of Wessex visited military personnel in Estonia and Germany to thank them for their service and commitment to Queen Elizabeth II throughout her life.
- The Prince and Princess of Wales were in Windsor to thank volunteers and operational staff for their efforts at events surrounding Queen Elizabeth II’s Committal Service.
The King and Queen remain in Scotland, and it is reported that they will be staying at Birkhall until early October before returning to London just as the Autumn session of Parliament begins.