During her reign, Elizabeth II served as Queen of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth – undertaking an important symbolic and unifying role as a head of state, spanning numerous geographical regions, cultures, and religions.
She was not just the longest-reigning British monarch in history, but she was also the first-ever monarch to reign in the UK for 70 years, and was beloved by many for her sense of duty and devotion to her role.
The confirmation of HM The Queen’s passing comes after the public was informed by Buckingham Palace earlier yesterday that she was “under medical supervision” at Balmoral after her doctors had become “concerned for Her Majesty’s health”.
Several notable moments have already taken place since HM The Queen’s passing.
This includes her eldest son becoming King Charles III, a speech delivered by newly-appointed Prime Minister Liz Truss, and tributes paid by leaders across the globe.
HRH Queen Elizabeth II has died aged 96 / Credit: Wikimedia Commons
His statement, shared by Buckingham Palace, said: “The death of my beloved Mother, Her Majesty The Queen, is a moment of the greatest sadness for me and all members of my family.
“We mourn profoundly the passing of a cherished sovereign and a much-loved mother. I know her loss will be deeply felt throughout the country, the Realms and the Commonwealth and by countless people around the world.
“During this period of mourning and change, my family and I will be comforted and sustained by our knowledge of the respect and deep affection in which the Queen was so widely held.”
A state of mourning has officially begun across the country, which is set to remain until the HM The Queen’s funeral is held.
The national mourning period is expected to last for 10-12 days.
As confirmed by Buckingham Palace, King Charles III and his Queen Consort Camilla will return to London from Balmoral – with the monarch then due to hold his first audience with Prime Minister Liz Truss shortly after.
King Charles III is expected to meet the Earl Marshal, the Duke of Norfolk – who is in charge of the Queen’s funeral – to approve the schedule for the coming days, and he will decide on the length of court or royal mourning for members of the Royal Family and other royal households.
In the evening, His Majesty is expected to address the nation in a televised speech, where he will pay tribute to his mother and pledge to serve as head of state.
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The House of Commons and the Houses of Parliament are due to gather at noon.
HM Queen Elizabeth II passed away “peacefully” at Balmoral on Thursday 8 September 2022 / Credit: Charles Fred (via Flickr)
The government is not expected to announce any other business today – unless anything urgent occurs – to allow the focus to fall entirely on the HM The Queen until 10pm.
Prime Minister Liz Truss and several senior government ministers will also attend a public service of remembrance at St Paul’s Cathedral in London today, and following this, the government is then due to confirm the length of national mourning – which is likely to be up to 12 days in total, from now up to the day after the Queen’s funeral.
The government will also announce that the day of HM The Queen’s funeral will be a public holiday in the form of a Day of National Mourning.
Then, on Saturday morning, an Accession Council will meet at St James’s Palace in London to formally-proclaim Charles as the new sovereign.
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The first public proclamation of the new sovereign will then be read in the open air from the Friary Court balcony at St James’s Palace by the Garter King of Arms.
A period of national mourning has now begun following the death of HM Queen Elizabeth II / Credit: Adrian Harlen (via Crown Copywright)
How will HM Queen Elizabeth II’s death be marked in Manchester?
Manchester City Council has confirmed that the city of Manchester will be observing the official 10-day mourning period.
The flag on Central Library has been lowered to half-mast as a mark of respect to the HM Queen Elizabeth II.
This will remain in place up to 8am on the day after the State Funeral takes place.
The Queen’s Books of Condolence will be opened from today in Central Library, and this will be open to visitors from 9am – 6pm daily, until the day following the funeral – with the Council confirming that further information on the funeral will be announced “as soon as we have received confirmation of the details”.
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Manchester shares its deepest condolences with the Royal Family today following the sad news of the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
The Union Flag on Manchester Central Library will be flown at half mast for ten days of national mourning. pic.twitter.com/YRIe4zsKhA
Manchester City Council has also invited residents who may wish to lay flowers to mark HM The Queen’s death can do so in St Ann’s Square in the city centre, and asks that anyone doing so removes any plastic/cellophane wrappings and anything that is non-biodegradable from the flowers.
This will ensure that, when collected, all of the flowers can be composted.
For the residents who wish to make a donation to one of HM The Queen’s many patronages, a list of organisations and information on how those donations can be made has been compiled at – www.royal.uk/her-majesty-the-queen.
More arrangements are expected to be announced once further details are confirmed.
Kate Scott praised for impassioned speech following more racism in Champions League
Danny Jones
Football pundit and sports presenter Kate Scott has been met with plenty of praise for her ‘expert’ handling of the fallout following more racism in the Champions League this week, delivering an emotional and impassioned speech about discrimination live on TV.
The Manchester-born broadcaster, formerly Kate Abdo, was serving as the host on her usual CBS Sports panel on Tuesday, 17 February, when the story of the playoff game between Benfica and Real Madrid – which included a worldie from Vinicius Jr. – was overshadowed by more allegations of racial abuse.
In case you missed it, Argentine player Gianluca Prestianni was accused of making racist remarks by both Vini Jr and Kylian Mbappe, but supposedly covered his mouth so as not to be caught on camera; the match was then stopped for more than 11 minutes.
Speaking in the aftermath amid the following European fixtures the next day, the Withington-schooled journalist and University of Salford graduate delivered an eloquent reaction to the controversy with peak professionalism.
Absolutely pitch perfect, and all those involved in preparing the statement should be applauded.
While Scott herself recognised that it’s a shame we even have to keep talking about issues like these rather than the sheer simplistic beauty of, well, ‘the beautiful game’, her response is an example of the job being done at arguably its very best: factual, ethical, moving and inspiring.
As you can see, Scott goes on to say, “This isn’t Real Madrid versus Benfica – it is right versus wrong. Vini Junior and Kylian Mbappe said that there was repeated racial abuse.
“Gianluca Prestiani said they misheard, but he covered his mouth to hide what he said from the cameras, and hopefully, we can all agree that if what you are saying on a football pitch is shameful enough to have to hide it from the public, then you’re wrong.”
The Portuguese club, which ultimately lost 1-0 in their first leg at home on the night, have released a statement reaffirming their commitment to “equality, respect, and inclusion” but reiterates that they believe Prestiani and feel he is now the subject of a “defamation campaign”.
Conversely, in a definitive and emphatic closing message, she signs off by adding the following: “The racial diversity on a football pitch in the Champions League is the representation of the global love for this game and the global belonging in this game. This is the very spirit of football.
“And if you don’t agree, then respectfully, you are the one who doesn’t belong.”
This is what the Athletic is supposed to be. Telling important stories & giving in depth analysis. I hope this signals that it will be its focus moving forward.
From CBS ‘Golazo’ show being applauded for tackling the subject head-on, to Cross herself being labelled as everything from “a role model” and “a benchmark” to “the best on the planet” in the outpouring of reactions on social media, it’s fair to say they absolutely nailed it.
Sadly, this is one of many recent examples of prejudice being shared publicly across various UEFA tournaments and beyond in recent years, but the only way we can truly help anti-hate initiatives is by continuing to call them out.
Manchester United to offer fans FREE coach travel for upcoming away game
Danny Jones
Manchester United have offered free coaches to away fans hoping to travel to their game against AFC Bournemouth.
The fixture against The Cherries isn’t here just yet, with four other matches before then – two home and two away – but many supporters have already been fretting about how they’re going to get there.
With a 252-mile trek and what could be upwards of a 10-hour round trip, there and back, the club has informed the travelling ‘Stretford Enders‘ that they will be arranging at least some of the nearly 1,300 members of the fan base to travel down south to the Vitality Stadium.
Although not entirely unheard of, it’s nevertheless been praised as a classy touch and way of recognising some of their most dedicated support year-round, especially after a turbulent few weeks.
🚌 We are offering free coach travel for fans who are travelling to our match at Bournemouth on Friday 20 March ❤️
Set to be free of charge for anyone with a valid away ticket next month, the gesture will at least make life a little bit easier for Reds heading to the coastal town at the end of an already long working week.
Scheduled to take place at 8pm on 20 March, Bournemouth vs Man United is the late kick-off, but the first of that Premier League round (gameweek 31).
With limited transport options via both public and supporters group networks, they’ve decided to step in and aid those willing to make the journey.
They also seemed to make what some have perceived as a dig at the division, noting that “this fixture follows an unusually high number of games that have been played midweek this season.”
Writing a lengthy statement, they said: “The club, listening to the views raised by supporters in both the Fan Advisory Board and Fans’ Forum, has raised concerns in meetings with senior counterparts at both the Premier League and broadcasters in recent months…
Acknowledging the “impact scheduling decisions have on match-goers and urging them to make earlier decisions”, they are one of many teams that have urged the footballing body to adjust their plans where possible and afford fans extra time to plan.
With both recognised supporters’ trusts and other fan groups alike having played a crucial role in a number of key observances of late, it only feels fitting that they be rewarded for their commitment.
That being said, director of fan engagement Rick McGagh went on to add: “We believe we have the best and loudest away following in the country, and we wanted to do something for our fans to show we appreciate their dedication and support.
“When games are moved from a weekend to a Friday or Monday night, we know it impacts fans, meaning they often have to take time off work and face more expensive and greatly restricted travel options.
“We continue to work with our FAB and Fans’ Forum reps and share their concerns to broadcasters and the Premier League. We hope this gesture helps our fans travelling down to Bournemouth for the game, and, on behalf of the players and everyone at the club, we thank them for their continued support.”
As an added bonus, they also detailed that besides free coach travel to the far-flung game, those attending the Bournemouth game will also be entered into a raffle to win a United shirt signed by one of the men’s first-team.
While fans must organise their transport to arrive at Old Trafford, with no alternative pick-up or drop-off points, all the details on how to book the free coach travel will be shared with successful applicants, along with confirmation of their place in the away ballot.
Emily Sergeant -
9th September 2022 
