LONDON — It started with football, the national sport that Britons love. Then, out of respect for Queen Elizabeth II, flights to London Heathrow were cancelled, prompting exhausted laments from critics.
By the time of the late monarch’s funeral on Monday, Britain will be brought to a near standstill, with most businesses closed and thousands of events cancelled across the country.
But for some who rely on Britain’s cherished National Health Service (already teetering on long delays) or other services such as food banks, the cancellation of services in a country facing a cost-of-living crisis appears to be too costly.
Dan O’Brien, who is eight months pregnant, told NBC News via Twitter on Thursday: “When I got the call and was told all my appointments for the day were canceled, I hung up and cried.”
O’Brien, 23, said she had waited three weeks to see a specialist obstetrician because she had type 1 diabetes and her pregnancy was considered high-risk. But this week she was told her Monday appointment had been cancelled because the funeral was declared a national holiday.
“I’m only six to seven weeks away from having a baby, so I feel like I’m running out of time to get the help I need before it gets too much,” said the publishing executive from Chelmsford, a small town About 40 years old. A few miles northeast of London.
O’Brien added that she was told she should see a doctor next week, but that could also be delayed due to conflicting appointments.
Many also took to social media to complain about cancelled surgeries and medical appointments. One of them was Katie Brody, who tweeted: “I’m a chemotherapy patient and have had my 19th Covid booster meticulously scheduled during my treatment,” she wrote. “Cancelled now, no rebooking for weeks. Just hope I’m safe!”
A spokesman for NHS England told NBC News that on the day of the funeral, staff would work to ensure “emergency and emergency services”, including emergency dental and doctor appointments.
Many on social media also criticised the disruption to essential services due to a 10-day national mourning period and upcoming funerals, with much of the country and the world turning to London in anticipation of a rare event. Royal event.
“Is cancelling a massively popular UK event really a good way to ‘respect’ her?” comedian Rachel Paris tweeted.
However, a survey by UK pollster YouGov released on Tuesday found 49% of respondents felt the media coverage of the Queen’s funeral was “too much”, although 41% thought it was “about the same”.
Media coverage of Queen’s death was prepared in advance, and it turned out “Deborah Madden, lead lecturer specialising in the politics of grief at the University of Brighton in the UK, said there was little or no room for different viewpoints or experiences.
She said the context of the UK’s current cost of living crisis had been missing from the coverage and had exposed “deeper entrenched and systemic inequalities”, adding that it was underreported when dealing with “people who were openly opposed” . And resist grief or mourning. “
UK government guidelines state that businesses are not obligated to close for funerals and that it is up to employers to decide whether to allow employees to take time off.
But some have said they will close, and for some it has proven to be a PR nightmare.
Out of respect for Queen’s funeral, holiday provider announces it will evict guests and close for 24 hours Central Park The decision was quickly reversed after widespread criticism in the media. It faced further condemnation when it said it would close the facilities.
In a statement, the company said it had “contacted all guests arriving on Monday, Sept. 19 and offered them many different options.”
London’s Heathrow Airport, one of the world’s busiest transport hubs, had already cancelled some flights on Wednesday as the Queen’s coffin was transported to London and “ensuring silence” during the funeral.
The Musicians’ Union, a trade union representing musicians in the UK, has criticised the decision by the bosses of London’s transport network to suspend all street entertainment.in a open envelope TfL said musicians’ incomes would be at risk “especially during the cost of living crisis”.
A spokesman for the TFL said the decision was made “to provide maximum space for the large crowds in the state to mourn the Queen”.
Even high-profile performers have seen their shows cancelled.stand-up comedian and columnist Mark Steele tell his followers On Twitter, his Friday performance was postponed by local council in Chatham, Kent, because “we are in a period of mourning.”