UK cinemas to remain open during Queen's mourning period
09-Sep-2022 • Event
The James Bond series re-release of one film per week to celebrate its 60th anniversary in UK cinemas was approaching its climax when the sad news of the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II yesterday.
Operation London Bridge, the long-planned schedule of events, policy, and period of mourning upon the event of the Queen's death was often reported to cover TV broadcasts, radio, and other forms of entertainment changing their programming out of respect.
Howeverm a UK Cinema Association (UKCA) email to venues today says there is no expectation for cinemas to close in the official mourning period of 10 days from the death until the funeral, referring to the ‘formal guidance’ document issued by the Cabinet Office following the death of Prince Phillip in April 2021.
“Section 9 [in the document] makes clear that there is no expectation for businesses to close during this period unless they wish to and clearly few if any would want to consider doing so. There are no hard and fast expectations let alone rules in the circumstances”, but “the general sense” is “to judge the public mood in celebrating a life well-lived. That said there is a hope that any response will be respectful and the venues will ensure that content programmed is appropriate – but also recognise that some will want the escapism of the cinema at this time.”
'Quantum of Solace' will open in the UK this weekend as planned, along with all new studio releases previously scheduled.
