Shops close, events canceled as British businesses pay tribute to Queen

London retailers Selfridges and Liberty closed, music was turned off in Wetherspoons-owned pubs, and sporting and corporate events were canceled across the UK as businesses paid tribute to Queen Elizabeth II after her death. rice field.

Flags were hoisted at half-mast at the company’s headquarters on Friday morning, with business leaders paying tribute to the Queen in person and on social media, and offering condolences to the royal family.

Fortnum & Mason stopped watches at its Piccadilly store, and John Lewis said the proceeds from flowers sold at the London store would be donated to charity.

The historic Rutin Bell in the Lloyd’s of London Undertaking Room was rung once to mark the Queen’s death on Thursday. Lloyds said he will “cherish the memories of her visit” over the decades.

Elsewhere in the city, Shore Capital will not release a corporate survey Friday morning as a tribute to “the loss of one of the world’s most gracious, special and dedicated servants.” The London Stock Exchange said markets would open as normal on Friday and close at normal times.

Corporate event canceled or postponed. London Fashion Week organizers have emailed attendees that they must cancel “non-core business events” such as parties and openings. Burberry has confirmed that it has canceled its London Fashion Week show scheduled for September 17th.

Shoe chain Russell & Bromley also closed Friday.

British business group CBI canceled its annual dinner in Scotland on Thursday.

CBI Executive Director Tony Dunker said: She dedicated her life to the people of Great Britain and the Commonwealth of Nations, providing compassionate and inspirational leadership during the many difficult times of her long reign. ”

British investment platform Hargreaves Lansdowne said it would suspend social media and other marketing activities during the mourning period “in light of the sad news of the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II”.

The company also used social media channels to pay tribute to the royal family.

Google’s colorful logo turned gray in honor of the Queen’s death.

“Joining the grief-stricken royal family and public, we offer our deepest condolences,” Marks and Spencer said on Twitter.

Tesco tweeted: “Our thoughts and condolences are with the royal family and mourning the loss of the longest-reigning British monarch. We thank her for her dedicated service to our country. doing.”

Sainsbury said the Queen was “a truly amazing woman and an inspiration to so many people.”

Sporting events scheduled for the weekend have also been postponed. The England and Wales Cricket Board canceled play in his Second Test for England and South Africa at the Oval, and the BMW PGA Championship Golf Event suspended play at Wentworth. Rugby matches in England and Scotland scheduled for the weekend have been cancelled.

Horse racing — a sport in which the Queen was both a fan and participant as a breeder and owner — was called off on Thursday and Friday. The Premier League has postponed all soccer games scheduled for this weekend, adding even more congestion to its already busy schedule around the World Cup in Qatar.

Trade unions have suspended strikes and canceled planned strikes for postal and rail workers.

Communications Workers’ Union General Secretary Dave Ward said the union will call off the second day of its 48-hour strike at the Royal Mail on Friday in honor of the Queen’s “service to her country and her family.” said to have decided.

The RMT Railway Workers Union has suspended strikes on railways scheduled for September 15 and 17. Aslef, the trade union representing train drivers, said he would postpone a planned strike on Sept. 15 and cancel his TSSA, which represents railroad administrators. In order to honor the period of mourning, industrial action was planned for September.

The Trade Union Congress, the governing body of the UK trade union movement, has yet to confirm whether it will hold its annual meeting, which was due to be held in Brighton next week.

Daniel Thomas, Jonathan Ealy, Ian Smith, Delphine Strauss, Sam Agini, Anachiara Biondi, James Pickford