Royal mourning to last until seven days after Queen Elizabeth’s funeral

Britain’s Royal Family will observe a period of mourning that ends on the seventh day after the funeral of Queen Elizabeth, with flags at royal residences to remain at half-mast.

“Following the death of Her Majesty The Queen, it is His Majesty The King’s wish that a period of Royal Mourning be observed from now until seven days after The Queen’s Funeral,” a statement said.

A gun salute will be fired in London at 1 p.m. (1200 GMT) in Hyde Park, with one round fired for each year of the 96-year-old queen’s life, Buckingham Palace said on Friday.

The palace did not say when the funeral would be held, but it is likely to take place around 11 days after the queen’s death on Thursday.

Buckingham Palace said flags at royal residences would remain at half-mast until the morning after the mourning period and that royal residences would remain closed, although floral tributes could be left outside.

Separately on Friday, bells tolled around Britain and mourners flocked to palace gates to honor Queen Elizabeth II.

King Charles III, who spent much of his 73 years preparing for the role, planned to meet with the prime minister and address a nation grieving the only British monarch most of the world had known.

He takes the throne in an era of uncertainty for both his country and the monarchy itself.

As the country began a 10-day mourning period, people around the globe gathered at British embassies to pay homage to the queen, who died Thursday in Balmoral Castle in Scotland.

On the king’s first full day of duties Friday, he left Balmoral and took off from Aberdeen, Scotland, for London, where he’s expected to meet Prime Minister Liz Truss, appointed just this week.