PremiumListen to this article |
India will observe one day of state mourning today as a mark of respect to Britain’s Queen Elizabeth-II who breathed her last on Thursday.
According to the official statement, "Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, passed away on September 8, 2022. As a mark of respect to the departed dignitary, the government of India has decided that there will be one-day state mourning on September 11 throughout India."
The national flag will be flown at half-mast on the day of mourning throughout India on all buildings where the national flag is flown regularly and there will be no official entertainment on the day, it said.
President Droupadi Murmu, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have expressed condolences at the demise of Queen Elizabeth II.
"In their messages, they noted that she was a stalwart of our times; a compassionate personality and provided inspiring leadership to her nation and people," a statement from the Ministry of External Affairs said.
The British High Commission has opened a book of condolence at the High Commissioner’s residence here for people wishing to pay their respects.
Meanwhile, the funeral of queen will be held on Monday, September 19 at 1000 GMT, England's most senior peer who is in charge of state occasions said on Saturday.
The coffin will be taken from Balmoral Castle to Edinburgh on Sunday before being flown to London on Tuesday. It will later lie in state at Westminster Hall from Wednesday until the morning of the funeral which will take place at London's Westminster Abbey.
Queen Elizabeth II, the UK's longest-serving monarch died at Balmoral aged 96, after reigning for 70 years. Her family gathered at her Scottish estate after concerns grew about her health earlier on Thursday. The Queen came to the throne in 1952 and witnessed enormous social change. With her death, her eldest son Charles, the former Prince of Wales, will now lead the country in mourning as the new King and head of state for 14 Commonwealth realms.
(With inputs from PTI)