The nation entered a period of national mourning today after it was confirmed the Queen had sadly died, aged 96.

The tragic news was confirmed on Thursday evening after members of the royal family travelled to Balmoral, where the Queen was laying in rest.

A statement from Buckingham confirming the news read: “The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon.

"The King and The Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow."

The death of Britain’s longest-serving monarch in Scotland kickstarted plans outlined in Operation Unicorn and Operation London Bridge which will see major changes to daily life during the period of mourning which will impact events, sports and the economy.

READ MORE: Latest udpates as Southampton mourns the Queen

READ MORE: All the things happening in Southampton today as national mourning begins

Queen Elizabeth II - a tribute

Will shops and the economy close?

The day of the Queen’s funeral will officially be a day of national mourning but employers will not be legally compelled to give their staff a day off.

Reports suggest the funeral will be on Monday, 19th September which means there will be a national bank holiday with memorial services across the UK.

It means shops will either be closed or on reduced hours while banks will be shut.

Football, cricket, golf and other sporting events cancelled

Sporting events scheduled for Friday have been cancelled as a mark of respect following the death of Her Majesty The Queen.

The ECB tweeted: “Following the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Friday’s play between England and South Africa men at The Oval, along with all scheduled matches in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, will not take place.

“For fixtures beyond Friday, updates will be provided in due course.”

This weekend's Premier League fixtures also won't go ahead. 

Play at the PGA Championship golf at Wentworth was suspended on Thursday evening when the news broke, and it was later confirmed that there would be no play on Friday.

The English Football League said consideration would be made regarding its fixtures at the earliest opportunity after discussions with the Government and the wider sport sector.

School closures

Schools across the country are set to be issued imminent guidance from the Department of Education following the Queen’s death. According to reports, schools will learn whether they should close on Friday.

The Department for Education said it will "will issue advice in due course to all schools should [the Queen die]".

It is expected all school children will be allowed to observe the official national day of mourning on the day of her funeral , however whether schools will shut before then is still unknown.

Operation London Bridge suggests the government will not order companies to give their staff the day off but it will be expected that the country takes a day off in remembrance.

The Queen's life in pictures

Royal Mail and rail strikes to be cancelled

The Royal Mail has cancelled a planned strike for Friday, the Communication Workers Union announced.

Meanwhile, members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union have suspended strikes due for September 15 and 17 following the Queen’s death.

Its general secretary Mick Lynch said: "RMT joins the whole nation in paying its respects to Queen Elizabeth. The planned railway strike action on September 15 and 17 is suspended.

"We express our deepest condolences to her family, friends and the country."

BBC, ITV and more announce tv schedule changes

Major UK broadcasters including the BBC and ITV have announced changes to the TV schedule following the death of the Queen.

Programmes including EastEnders, Emmerdale, Celebrity Masterchef and more have all been cancelled amid ongoing news coverage since the Queen’s passing was confirmed.

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