Portsmouth mourns HM Queen Elizabeth II

The Lord Mayor, Councillors and Officers of Portsmouth City Council would like to express their deep sadness following the recent announcement of the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Flags in the city are being flown at half-mast as a mark of respect.

Statement from The Right Worshipful the Lord Mayor of Portsmouth, Cllr Hugh Mason

“On behalf of councillors and officers at Portsmouth City Council, I would like to express my deepest sadness following the recent announcement of the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth. I would like to take this opportunity to offer our condolences to the Royal Family, who remain in our thoughts and prayers at this very sad time.”

Flags in the city are being flown at half mast as a sign of respect.

Information will be provided on this page to enable Portsmouth residents to pay their respects, including details about books of condolence, floral tributes and services and events in the city.

A multi-faith service of remembrance will be held in Guildhall Square on Sunday 18 September to give people in Portsmouth the opportunity to come together to remember Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

The service will begin at 12 noon with people of all faiths and none invited to come together to reflect on the life and reign of The Queen ahead of her state funeral on Monday 19 September. The service will be led by the Dean of Portsmouth, The Very Reverend Dr Anthony Cane.

Councillor Hugh Mason, Lord Mayor of Portsmouth, said: “At this sad time of mourning, it’s important that people are able to come together to remember Her Majesty the Queen. This service is an opportunity to reflect as a community and show our support for the Royal Family at this sad time.”

The Queen’s state funeral will be shown on the big screen in Guildhall Square on Monday 19 September, although no formal event will take place in Portsmouth on that day.

The public have been invited to take part in a national moment of reflection with a minute’s silence at 8pm on Sunday, 18 September.

We hope Portsmouth residents will embrace this and mark the occasion in their communities, whether that be with friends and loved ones, in the street or on the doorstep as happened with clapping for the NHS during lockdown.

Council representatives including the Lord Mayor and the Leader of the Council will mark the occasion outside the Civic Offices.

Members of the public are also welcome to lay floral tributes on the Guildhall steps.

The Royal Family has opened an online book of condolences and invited the nation to use it to share their sympathies with them. Anyone can leave a message there simply by following the link through to Buckingham Palace’s online book of condolences.

If you know someone who doesn’t have access to the internet they can still contribute, by writing a message at home and taking it to one of the below locations where they will be able to place it in a box. The boxes will be available until Tuesday, 20 September, after which all the messages will be compiled into a book of condolences.

Locations to leave messages of condolence are:

• Portsmouth Guildhall
  Opening times
  Tuesday, 13 September – 9.00am-8.00pm
  Wednesday, 14 September – 9.00am-8.00pm
  Thursday, 15 September – 9.00am-8.00pm
  Friday, 16 September- 9.00am-8.00pm
  Saturday, 17 September – 9.00am-8.00pm
  Sunday 18 September – 9.00am-8.00pm
  Monday 19 September – 10.00am-4.00pm
  Tuesday 20 September – 9.00am-8.00pm
• Portsmouth International Port terminal building
  Opening times
  Tuesday, 13 September – 6.00am-midnight
  Wednesday, 14 September – 6.00am-midnight
  Thursday, 15 September – 6.00am-midnight
  Friday, 16 September- 6.00am-midnight
  Saturday, 17 September – 6.00am-midnight
  Sunday 18 September – 6.00am-midnight
  Monday 19 September – 6.00am-midnight
  Tuesday 20 September – 6.00am-midnight
• Southsea Library
  Opening times
  Tuesday, 13 September – 9.30am-5.30pm
  Wednesday, 14 September – 9.30am-5.30pm
  Thursday, 15 September – 9.30am-5.30pm
  Friday, 16 September- 9.30am-5.30pm
  Saturday, 17 September – 10.00am-5.00pm
  Sunday 18 September – 10.00am-4.00pm
  Monday 19 September – closed
  Tuesday 20 September – 9:30am-5:30pm
• Cosham Library
  Opening times
  Tuesday, 13 September – 9.30am-6.00pm
  Wednesday, 14 September – 9.30am-5.00pm
  Thursday, 15 September – 9.30am-6.00pm
  Friday, 16 September- 9.30am-5.00pm
  Saturday, 17 September – 10.00am-3.30pm
  Sunday 18 September – closed
  Monday 19 September – closed
  Tuesday 20 September – 9:30am-6.00pm
• Baffins Library
  Opening times
  Tuesday, 13 September – 9.30am-6.00pm*
  Wednesday, 14 September – Closed
  Thursday, 15 September – 9.30am-5.00pm*
  Friday, 16 September- 9.30am-5.00pm*
  Saturday, 17 September – 10.00am-3.30pm
  Sunday 18 September – closed
  Monday 19 September – closed
  Tuesday 20 September – 9.30am-6.00pm*
  *Lunchtime closure 12.30pm – 1.30pm
• North End Library
  Opening times
  Tuesday, 13 September – 9.30am-6.00pm
  Wednesday, 14 September – 9.30am-6:00pm
  Thursday, 15 September – 9.30am-5.00pm
  Friday, 16 September- 9.30am-5.00pm
  Saturday, 17 September – 10.00am-3.30pm
  Sunday 18 September – closed
  Monday 19 September – closed
  Tuesday 20 September – 9.30am-6.00pm
• Paulsgrove Library
  Opening times
  Tuesday, 13 September – closed
  Wednesday, 14 September – 9.30am – 5pm*
  Thursday, 15 September – 9.30am – 5pm*
  Friday, 16 September- 9.30am – 5.pm*
  Saturday, 17 September – 10am – 3.30pm
  Sunday 18 September – closed
  Monday 19 September – closed
  Tuesday 20 September – closed
  *Lunchtime closure 12.30 – 1.30
• Fratton Library
  Opening times
  Tuesday, 13 September – 9.30am-5.00pm*
  Wednesday, 14 September – 9:30am-5:00pm*
  Thursday, 15 September – Closed
  Friday, 16 September- 9.30am-5.00pm*
  Saturday, 17 September – 10.00am-3.30pm
  Sunday 18 September – closed
  Monday 19 September – closed
  Tuesday 20 September – 9.30am-5.00pm*
  *Lunchtime closure 12.30 – 1.30
• Beddow Library
  Opening times
  Tuesday, 13 September – 9.30am-5.00pm
  Wednesday, 14 September – 9.30am-6.00pm
  Thursday, 15 September – 9.30-6.00pm
  Friday, 16 September- 9.30am-5.00pm
  Saturday, 17 September – 10.00am-3.30pm
  Sunday 18 September – closed
  Monday 19 September – closed
  Tuesday 20 September – 9.30am-5.00pm
• Somerstown Hub
  Opening times
  Tuesday, 13 September – 9.00am-3.30pm
  Wednesday, 14 September – 9:00am-3.30pm
  Thursday, 15 September – 9:00am-3.30pm
  Friday, 16 September- 9.00am-3.30pm
  Saturday, 17 September – 9.00am-3.30pm
  Sunday 18 September – 9:00am-1.00pm
  Monday 19 September – closed
  Tuesday 20 September – 9:00am-3.30pm
• Mountbatten Centre
  Opening times
  Tuesday, 13 September – 6.15am-10.00pm
  Wednesday, 14 September – 6.15am-10.00pm
  Thursday, 15 September – 6.15am-10.00pm
  Friday, 16 September- 6.15am-10.00pm
  Saturday, 17 September – 6.15am-10.00pm
  Sunday 18 September – 6.15am-10.00pm
  Monday 19 September – 07.00am-10.00am and 2.30pm-8.00pm
  Tuesday 20 September – 6.15am-10.00pm

These events have already taken place

Portsmouth formally marked the passing of Queen Elizabeth II and accession of King Charles III with a proclamation ceremony at 2pm on Sunday, 11 September.

It took place in Guildhall Square and coincided with similar ceremonies in towns and cities across the country following on from the national proclamation at St James’s Palace the previous day.

The short event gave an opportunity for the community to come together and included words from the Lord Mayor of Portsmouth Cllr Hugh Mason and Hampshire’s Deputy Lieutenant.

While flags are at half-mast during the national period of mourning, they followed tradition by flying at full-mast from the point of the national proclamation on Saturday until shortly after Portsmouth’s local proclamation on Sunday.

Portsmouth residents had the opportunity to come together to pay their respects at vigil held in Guildhall Square to mark the passing of Queen Elizabeth II.

It took place at 1.30pm on Friday, 9 September, and with a few words from the Lord Mayor, Cllr Hugh Mason, and the Leader of Portsmouth City Council, Cllr Gerald Vernon-Jackson, before they joined the Deputy-Lieutenant, representing the Lord Lieutenant of Hampshire, in laying floral tributes on the steps of the Guildhall.