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The Queen's Health
Does anyone know if Tauck has plans in place for an adjustment to the ESW itinerary if the Queen passes away? My sister & I are booked on the tour that begins 9/17 & today's headlines are concerning. Not to be cold-hearted, but it's likely the country will shut down for several days if the worst happens.
I know Tauck will make every effort to accommodate...
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That's not something they can plan for. TDs and the response team will respond accordingly.
This is truly fascinating: https://www.politico.eu/article/queen-elizabeth-death-plan-britain-operation-london-bridge/
Rest in peace. God save King Charles III.
RIP Elizabeth ll
Double rainbow over Buckingham Palace; sorry couldn't get pic to post.
https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/buckingham-palace-london-queen-westminster-elizabeth-tower-b1024240.html
Thanks, Alan. I knew you'd come through.
I was born an Elizabethan, what a good Christian she was. Long live the King!
Royalty is an anachronism. I don't understand all the hoopla.
In a day and time with growing authoritarianism, I'll take a bit of harmless anachronism.
This is a travel forum.
Mike. I’m sure plenty of the middle class and especially the lower class question it. We just don’t know.
Ditto - This is a travel forum!!
Yes, this a travel forum. My G-d, a woman who always conducted herself with grace and dignity is dead. Her memory will certainly be a blessing to those who loved and respected her.
This started as a concern regarding how the England, Scotland, Wales tour would be impacted by her death and has devolved into a discussion about the value of monarchy and peerage. Ironic given how many of the sites visited on that tour are only there because of those institutions.
The info in the media says the mourning period is expected to last about 10 days, and concludes after her funeral. That date has not been announced, but projections are that it will be held on the 18th or 19th. It appears the greatest impact to daily life will be the day of the funeral, when many events will be canceled or postponed, and probably lots of shops, museums, etc, will be closed. So you are likely to have some changes to your itinerary just for the first few days. Unfortunate in some ways, but on the other hand, you will witness firsthand how this momentous event affects the places you are visiting.
A brilliant article.
😢
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11195349/Our-hearts-broken-writes-SARAH-VINE-guiding-light-gone.html
We arrived in Havana on the day of Fidel Castro’s death in 2016. The day we arrived started 10 days of mourning with no alcohol served and no music. Imagine—Cuba without salsa or mojitos! We had a wonderful time anyway.
Going back to the original but cold question, even if in fact it is a travel related item, and should be asked. Yes, your vacation is likely to be severely impacted if you are In Edinburgh or London on the days that the article outlined below. But no dates yet. Most of the places you would want to visit that make Britain so unique are because of human history in the Old World, or why would you want to travel to a small country who has produced some of the most amazing innovative people and the ancestors of all your founding fathers. Edinburgh and London in particular will be full of hordes of people with restricted movement, barriers, security checks. Holyrood house in Edinburgh which is great of course will be closed, as I am sure will Buckingham Palace, which I only found out recently has re-opened to the public since the Pandemic until October this year-another mist see the inside building.
If you cancel your vacation, I hope you don’t rebook it for what might turn out to be the Coronation, which I think is likely to be next June.
Plans for the Queen's lying in state and funeral https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-60617519
If you are In those two cities on the actual days of the processions, you will be severely limited. The immediate days before and after will be restricted as crowd barriers will be installed and removed.
We are scheduled to leave tomorrow for London for 4 days on the Paris London and cruising the Seine starting September 13. I already had tickets to Buckingham for Sunday afternoon and were planning to go to Windsor onMonday. The Royal Trust has already sent me an email and I will of course receive a refund. I’m so sad for all of England and of course disappointed as we were excited to have a couple of days in London to see so many places.I guess we will just enjoy the Savoy until we head to France for the cruise.
Terrye, there are plenty of other places to see. I have feeling the smaller museums may not close because they need the money after the Pandemic Look online for ideas and whereabouts they are, they may not be impacted. Often, I find hte smaller lesser known museums a gem. In a couple of days the schedule for the funeral will likely be published I would think. Keep reading the BBC world news and they will probably publish the route for the processions. Or google Road closures for the funeral. In Edinburgh, head for the Royal yacht Britannia in Leith, of course check out its opening on the day. You get a taxi or Uber there.
Thank you British. I will do that
Terrye,
Please be sure to post a review of your experiences if you can. I will be taking the same tour next spring. I am sure Tauck has planned many work-arounds and although you may be in the background, you will experience history...albeit a very sad piece of history.
Memorial service in Edinburgh on 9/12. Expect major disruptions there that day. Funeral service at Westminster Abbey with internment at Windsor on 9/19. I expect that the Abbey and Windsor Castle will be closed to visitors until at least 9/20.
I am currently in Scotland at St Andrew’s with a competitor tour operator and we are scheduled to go to Edinburgh tomorrow and Monday and then I leave Tuesday to join Tauck Best of Ireland Small Group. We have been notified of one substitution castle but still don’t have substitute activities for the visits to Holyrood, Giles Cathedral or the Royal Yacht Britannia. We will be staying at The Balmoral and imagine Edinburgh will be a.zoo. I am wondering about the airport on Tuesday when I am scheduled to fly to Dublin. I am traveling with carry on baggage only.
Is 9/19 confirmed? 10 days after is 9/18 but it is a Sunday. We fly into London that day.
The queen's coffin is scheduled to fly from Edinburgh to London on Tuesday. Unclear if this is from the main airport or an RAF facility. Hopefully, if it's from the main airport they will do it at an hour that doesn't disrupt traffic.
At some point in the next week,, the new king is expected to visit Belfast. That may cause disruptions in that city.
Per WaPo just now it's the 19th at Westminster Abbey.
I’m kind of expecting disruptions to the Northern Ireland part of the itinerary.