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Sombre mood reigns in London, beyond as UK mourns Queen Elizabeth
People gather outside Buckingham Palace and other royal sites across the UK as a 10-day mourning period begins for the queen.
(Al Jazeera) Britain has begun a 10-day mourning period for Queen Elizabeth II, with bells tolling around the country and 96 gun salutes planned in London – one for each year of the late monarch’s life. Hundreds of people arrived overnight to leave flowers outside the gates of Buckingham Palace, the monarch’s London home, or simply to pause and reflect.
Some people wept when officials carried a notice confirming the queen’s death to the wrought-iron gates on Thursday.
Al Jazeera’s Jonah Hull, reporting from outside Buckingham Palace, said: “It is going to take a long time for this news to sink in … But on this first full day of mourning, crowds are again gathering outside Buckingham Palace as they will at other royal sites.
“The sombre reality of it all reflected very much on the nation’s newspapers this morning. These very heavy commemorative editions [were printed]. The Sun says ‘We loved you Ma’am’. The Daily Mail says ‘Our hearts are broken’,” he said.
In Balmoral, Scotland, people have also been paying tributes at the castle where the queen passed away.
Al Jazeera’s Rob Matheson, reporting from outside Balmoral Castle, said: “They have been carrying flowers and personal notes. One of the notes read: ‘Thank you for your service, your dedication … you have been a source of inspiration and a calming figure.'”
Everyday politics were put on hold, with MPs set to pay tribute to the monarch in parliament over two days, starting at noon.Many sporting and cultural events were cancelled as a mark of respect, and some businesses – including Selfridges department store and the Legoland amusement park – shut their doors.On his first full day of duties on Friday, King Charles III, Britain’s new king, prepared to meet with Prime Minister Liz Truss and address his nation.
He spent much of his 73 years preparing for the role, taking the throne in an era of uncertainty for both his country and the monarchy itself.Truss and other senior ministers are expected to attend a remembrance service at St Paul’s Cathedral in London on Friday.Charles, who became the monarch immediately upon his mother’s death, will then be formally proclaimed king at a special ceremony on Saturday.
After a vigil in Edinburgh, the queen’s coffin will be brought to London, and she will lie in state for several days before her funeral in Westminster Abbey.
‘God save the King’
As the second Elizabethan Age came to a close on Thursday, the BBC played the national anthem, God Save the Queen, over a portrait of the monarch in full regalia as her death was announced.The flag over Buckingham Palace was lowered to half-mast. And in the one of the first of many shifts to come, the anthem played on Friday was God Save the King.
The effect of Elizabeth’s loss will be huge and unpredictable for Britain. She helped stabilise and modernise the monarchy across decades of enormous social change, but its relevance in the 21st century has often been called into question.
The public’s abiding affection for the queen had helped sustain support for the monarchy during the family’s scandals, but Charles is nowhere near as popular.
Mariam Sherwani, 31, Londoner, said: “It’s the queen, she looks like my grandma. She kind of feels like that as well. My mum’s first thing was, you know, Charles can never replace her, you know, and that makes sense.
“On the other hand as tenants living together, my flatmates were saying this is going to affect the way we live. Economically. It’s already tough, it’s going to get tougher. It just feels really weird,” she added.
Charles called his mother’s death “a moment of the greatest sadness for me and all members of my family”, adding: “I know her loss will be deeply felt throughout the country, the Realms and the Commonwealth, and by countless people around the world.”
The U.S. Embassy in Colombo welcomed the U.S. Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, former National Basketball Association (NBA) and Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) players Stephen Howard and Astou Ndiaye, from June 8 through 14.
The Public Diplomacy section of the U.S. Embassy said that it would launch a weeklong basketball program intended to harness the unifying power of sports, made possible through collaboration with Foundation of Goodness and IImpact Hoop Lab.
While in Sri Lanka, Howard and Ndiaye, both retired professional basketball players, will conduct a weeklong program, Hoops for Hope: Bridging Borders through Basketball. The Sports Envoys will lead basketball clinics and exhibition matches and engage in leadership sessions in Colombo and Southern Province for youth aged 14-18 from Northern, Uva, Eastern and Western Provinces, offering skills and leadership training both on and off the court. The U.S. Envoys will also share their expertise with the Sri Lanka Basketball Federation, national coaches, and players, furthering the development of basketball in the country. Beyond the clinics, they will collaborate with Sri Lankan schoolchildren to take part in a community service project in the Colombo area.
“We are so proud to welcome Stephen and Astou as our Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, to build on the strong people-to-people connections between the United States and Sri Lanka,” said U.S. Ambassador Julie Chung. “The lessons that will be shared by our Sports Envoys – communication, teamwork, resilience, inclusion, and conflict resolution – are essential for leadership development, community building, equality, and peace. The U.S. Sports Envoy program is a testament to our belief that sports can be a powerful tool in promoting peace and unity.”
SJB Colombo District MP Mujibur Rahuman in parliament demanded to know from the government the reasons for CEB suspending the leave of all its employees until further notice from Thursday.
MP Rahuman said that the CEB has got an acting General Manager anew and the latter yesterday morning issued a circular suspending leave of all CEB employees with immediate effect until further notice.
“We demand that Minister Kanchana Wijesekera should explain this to the House. This circular was issued while this debate on the new Electricity Amendment Bill was pending. There are many who oppose this Bill. The Minister must tell parliament the reason for the urge to cancel the leave of CEB employees,” the MP said.However, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena prevented Minister Wijesekera responding to the query and said that the matter raised by MP Rahuman was not relevant.
The Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM) successfully concluded the 8th Annual CIPM Symposium, which took place on 31st May 2024. Themed “Nurturing the Human Element—Redefining HRM in a Rapidly Changing World,” the symposium underscored the pivotal role of human resource management (HRM) in today’s dynamic global landscape. Since its inception in 1959, CIPM has been dedicated to advancing the HR profession through education, professional development, and advocacy, solidifying its position as Sri Lanka’s leading professional body for HRM.
Ken Vijayakumar, the President of the CIPM, graced the occasion as the chief guest. The symposium commenced with the welcome address by the Chairperson, Prof. Arosha Adikaram, followed by the Web Launch of the Symposium Proceedings and Abstract Book by the CIPM President. The event featured distinguished addresses, including a speech by Chief Guest Ken Vijayakumar, President of CIPM, and an address by Guest of Honor Shakthi Ranatunga, Chief Operating Officer of MAS Holdings Pvt. Ltd., Sri Lanka.
The symposium also featured an inspiring keynote address by Prof. Mario Fernando, Professor of Management and Director of the Centre for Cross Cultural Management (CCCM) at the University of Wollongong, Australia.
Vote of Thanks of the inauguration session was delivered by Dr. Dillanjani Weeratunga, Symposium Co-chair.
The symposium served as a comprehensive platform for researchers to present their findings across a wide range of critical topics in HRM. These included Cultural Diversity and Inclusion, Talent Development and Retention, Ethical Leadership and Corporate Social Responsibility, Adapting to Technological Advancements, Mental Health and Well-being at Work, Global Workforce Challenges, Employee Empowerment, and Reskilling and Upskilling.
The plenary session was led by Prof. Wasantha Rajapakse. Certificates were awarded to the best paper presenters during the valedictory session, followed by a vote of thanks delivered by Kamani Perera, Manager of Research and Development.
The annual symposium of CIPM was a truly inclusive event, attracting a diverse audience that spanned undergraduates, graduates, working professionals, research scholars and lecturers. This widespread interest highlights the symposium’s significance in the field of HRM, offering a unique opportunity for everyone to network and learn from scholarly brains.The CIPM International Research Symposium was sponsored by Hambantota International Port, Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT), E B Creasy & Co. PLC, and Print Xcel Company.
US sports envoys to Lanka to champion youth development
Rahuman questions sudden cancellation of leave of CEB employees
