Bereavement Study Delayed Because UK Is Mourning the Death of the Queen

The launch of a major report exploring how bereaved people can be better supported in the UK has been delayed following the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

The UK Independent Commission on Bereavement, which would have been launched on Monday, is a major study on bereavement over the last five years through and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic that covered all four nations of the UK.

The Commission had several priority areas, including key challenges that bereaved people face, understanding how different social groups like Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities and those living in poverty can be affected by it, and what recommendations can be made to decision makers about how they can better support people now and in the long term.

In a series of tweets the Commission announced it was “deeply saddened” by the death of the Queen and that as a result they had chosen to postpone the report launch to an unconfirmed date in the future. 

Events are being cancelled across the country across all sectors, despite the UK government’s official national mourning guidance not dictating this.

The guidance reads: “There is no obligation on organisations to suspend business during the National Mourning period. Depending on the nature and location of their business and the tone of planned events, some businesses may wish to consider closing or postponing events, especially on the day of the State Funeral, however this is at the discretion of individual businesses.”

This weekend’s Premier League football matches have been postponed, as has the release of a geological survey by the government into the safety of fracking.

London Fashion Week is cancelling several parties and Burberry has cancelled its show. 

Hackney Carnival in London has also been cancelled – despite caterers already ordering all the food. 

Industrial action has also been impacted; Royal Mail and rail workers who were planning on striking next week have cancelled their plans.