Queen Elizabeth II: What happens next after the Queen's death?

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Queen Elizabeth IIImage source, Getty Images

People across the UK and the world are reacting to the death of Queen Elizabeth II, who reigned for over 70 years.

The Queen - the UK's longest-serving monarch - died peacefully at Balmoral in Scotland on Thursday afternoon, Buckingham Palace has said.

While a carefully-planned timetable of official events will take place separately, the Queen's death will have a major impact on daily life in the UK.

Most details are to be confirmed, but here is what to expect.

Will there be any other memorial services before the funeral?

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A woman places flower tributes at the gate of Buckingham Palace in London on Thursday

There will be a remembrance service at St Paul's Cathedral in London on Friday, attended by the prime minister and other senior politicians.

Because the Queen died in Scotland, her coffin will lie at rest at St Giles' Cathedral in Edinburgh. The public may be allowed to walk past it and pay their respects after a few days.

The coffin will then be flown to London, where hundreds of thousands of people will be allowed to visit over a period of four days' lying in state at Westminster Hall.

The union flag will be flown at half mast on government buildings until the morning after the funeral.

What does 'half mast' mean?

A flag that is at half mast has been brought down to a point halfway down the pole as a mark of respect for a person who has died.

Flags will return to full mast for a 24-hour period beginning at 1pm (UK time) on Saturday to mark the official announcement of Charles as King, before returning to half mast.

On Friday, bells will sound in tribute to the Queen at Westminster Abbey, St Paul's Cathedral and Windsor Castle.

Gun salutes of 96 rounds to mark each year of her life will be fired in Hyde Park in London and elsewhere.

Will events be cancelled?

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A rainbow appeared over the crowd who had gathered at Buckingham Palace on Thursday afternoon

Sporting fixtures scheduled to take place on Friday and across the weekend have largely been cancelled, including football matches in the Premier League, English Football League, Women's Super League, Northern Ireland Football League and across Scotland.

If you live in England, this might affect your local weekend football clubs and activities - so it's best to ask an adult to find out.

All horse racing in the UK has been postponed until Sunday, and in golf there will be no play at the PGA Championship on Friday.

The next stage of the Tour of Britain cycling race, set to take place on Friday, will not go ahead. And the second day of the Test cricket match between England and South Africa on Friday has been postponed.

The BBC Proms musical concerts on Thursday and Friday have been cancelled, along with the Last Night of the Proms event on Saturday.

Theatre performances across the UK are expected to continue, observing a minute's silence.

Will there be a bank holiday?

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Westminster Abbey is the historic church where Britain's kings and queens are crowned, including the Queen's coronation in 1953

The funeral is expected to be held at Westminster Abbey in about ten or 11 days' time, with the date to be confirmed by Buckingham Palace. It is likely to be declared a bank holiday, but this will be confirmed by the palace and government.

If a bank holiday is announced, schools will be closed.

It is not yet clear if they will close at all before then. The Department for Education and devolved administrations are expected to issue advice.

Will rail and postal strikes go ahead?

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There have been lots of reports in the news in the last few months about strikes taking place across the UK.

But now, the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union has announced that planned strikes on 15 and 17 September will be cancelled as a mark of respect.

The Transport Salaried Staffs Association has also called off planned strikes in September.

Postal strikes on Friday have also been cancelled by the Communication Workers Union (CWU).