Depression: The depression phase can be the longest phase of the mourning process, characterized by great sadness, questioning, and distress. Mourners in this phase sometimes feel that they will never complete their mourning. They have experienced a wide range of emotions and their sorrow is great. A period of National Mourning for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II has now started. The period of National Mourning will continue until the end of the day of the State Funeral. The Royal Family will undertake a separate period of Royal Mourning, subject to the wishes of The King. Introduction Officers should wear mourning bands on the day of a memorial service for members of their department who passed in the line of duty. There are no official rules regarding how one should wear a mourning band. However, there are guidelines most police officers and departments generally agree upon. They include the following:

Public mourning can involve a range of acts and practices. In some cultures, wearing clothing of a particular color after death is an act of public mourning. Wearing symbols of mourning is a similar practice.Organisations and individuals may also wish to share their memories of Her Majesty online. There is no set way to mark the passing of Her Majesty on social media. Organisations may wish to review their planned content for the period.

Businesses or other organisations wishing to pay their respects by half-masting flags or holding silences can follow the guidance that has been issued on GOV.UK. Business and public services Public museums, galleries or similar venues are not obliged to close during the National Mourning period. Organisations may choose to close on the day of the State Funeral, however there is no obligation to do so and this is at the discretion of individual organisations. As with other organisations, these institutions may wish to display or share images of previous Royal visits, particularly if they are one of Her Majesty’s patronages. Further information Law enforcement agencies and officers were not the first groups to wear some form of a mourning band. Although there is no official consensus on the subject, many believe formally wearing mourning bands began sometime around 1770 in England. The principle of continuity of the State, however, is also respected in mourning, and is reflected in the French saying "Le Roi est mort, vive le Roi!" ("The king is dead, long live the king!"). Regardless of the formalities of mourning, the power of state is handed on, typically immediately if the succession is uncontested. A short interruption of work in the civil service, however, may result from one or more days of closing the offices, especially on the day of the state funeral.As well as the UK government, the devolved administrations, Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories will be observing National Mourning and will issue separate guidance. Flags White mourning [ edit ] Mary, Queen of Scots, in deuil blanc c. 1559 following the deaths of her father-in-law, mother, and first husband Francis II of France. Prayers are held on the thirtieth day, because Aaron ( Numbers 20:30) [31] and Moses ( Deuteronomy 34:8) [32] were mourned thirty days. This 1860 woodcut by Julius Schnorr von Karolsfeld depicts the death of Bathsheba's first child with David, who lamented, "I shall go to him, but he will not return to me" ( 2 Samuel 12:23)