Queen: Royal fans in tears as they pay their respects at coffin

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Britons looking to enjoy a fresh sausage roll on the day of the Queen’s funeral will be out of luck, as Greggs joins a list of retailers closing out of respect for Her Majesty on the historic day. More than 2,000 stores alongside the likes of McDonald’s, IKEA and Costa Coffee will shut next Monday, September 19, as a mark of respect.

Most major supermarkets such as Tesco and Sainsbury’s are also planning to close.

Greggs tweeted: “To give our colleagues the opportunity to pay their respects to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Greggs shops will be closed on Monday 19th September. A small number of our shops, operated by our franchise partners, may remain open. Thanks for your understanding.”

The longest-reigning British monarch died on Thursday at the age of 96.

Her Majesty’s state funeral has been declared a bank holiday and several major retailers and businesses have also decided to close, out of respect. Greggs’ decision was met with a mixture of sadness from some of its biggest fans, but joy from those who work in the chain who wanted to be able to watch the funeral.

One user lamented: “This is devastating news.”

Another added: “Thanks for this! I was planning to toast a sausage roll to HM. Now my plan is ruined!”

But one happy father said: “Brilliant well done Greggs, my daughter works for you and wants to watch the funeral with her Nan to keep her company, thank you.”

Major supermarkets closing their largest stores for the day include Aldi, Asda, Lidl, M&S, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Waitrose.

For M&S, in Windsor or London – where the shop expects to see “millions” of mourners – an unspecified number of stories will remain open, at least until 10.30am. The chain’s CEO, Stuart Machin, described this as “supporting customers as they show their respects”.

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It will also have an impact on online deliveries – many customers will need to reschedule their food orders. All of Primark’s 191 stores will be closed, while John Lewis will also be closing its department stores.

Meanwhile, mourners who wanted to spend the bank holiday bargain hunting will be disappointed to learn that all of Poundland’s 770 stores will be shut. As for pubs, no major chains have yet announced any intention to close.

There is no mandate for pubs or restaurants to close on the day.

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