Leeds bank holiday closures: shops, schools to be closed due to Queen Elizabeth II’s state funeral

A bank holiday has been announced on September 19 for Queen Elizabeth II’s state funeral, following her death on September 8, 2022.

As such, many businesses and schools will be closed for the day.

The Government itself has no power to close businesses down for the day - this is for the employers to decide.

Gov.uk states: "Monday, September 19, the date of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s state funeral, will be a national bank holiday. This bank holiday will operate in the same way as other bank holidays, and there is no statutory entitlement to time off.

"Employers may include bank holidays as part of a worker’s leave entitlement. The bank holiday will be a unique national moment, and we would encourage employers to respond sensitively to requests from workers who wish to take time off."

Will schools be closed?

Schools in Leeds, as well as the rest of the UK, will be closed on September 19 for the Queen’s state funeral.

This also applies to sixth forms, colleges and universities across the country - of course, this includes the University of Leeds, Leeds Trinity University and Leeds Beckett University.

Will the shops be open?

Shops and supermarkets will be handling things a bit differently. While some may remain open, others are closing “the vast majority” of their branches.

Waitrose, for example, will be closing all of its branches except for those on the funeral route - meaning Leeds’ Waitrose will not be open on September 19. This also applies to any John Lewis stores.

Sainsbury’s will be completely shut, apart from its petrol stations, which will be open from 5pm-10pm.

Asda, Tesco, Lidl and Aldi will all close their stores during the Queen’s funeral for the entire day.

Tesco Express stores will reopen at 5pm, while Tesco Extra stores will be shut for the full day. Additionally, Tesco will not be taking online orders on this day.

Other supermarkets, such as Morrisons, have yet to reveal their plans - but are expected to close.

Marks & Spencer’s clothing stores will be closed for the full day, although their opening hours for their food courts have yet to be confirmed.

Other clothing shops, such as Primark, will also be closed during the day of the Queen’s state funeral.

Several hardware stores, including B&Q, will likewise be shut for the full day on September 19.

Will the pubs be open?

Pubs, bars and nightclubs are expected to remain open during the Queen’s state funeral.

There have been no pub chains declaring their establishments to be shut on September 19.

However, some independent pubs may close on the day.