In Remembrance of Her Majesty The Queen

In remembrance

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09 September 2022

We have been extremely saddened by the news of the death of Her Majesty The Queen.

Queen

She has dedicated her life to our country and the Commonwealth for 70 years and her grace and sense of duty have been unwavering during her long and incredible reign.

The Queen will be remembered by the nation, and throughout the wider world, with huge affection and we will all feel her loss as our monarch. Our thoughts and sincere sympathies are with the entire Royal Family at this time of loss.


Books of Condolence

Mayor signing condolence

Members of the public wishing to express their condolences can write their message via the online Book of Condolence on the Royal website: www.royal.uk/books-condolence 

Condolence books opened today (Friday 9 Sep) from 2 p.m. at our offices.

Thereafter they will be open from

  • 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday to Friday; and
  • 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at weekends.

 

book signing 1

You can find our offices at: 

West Devon Borough Council
Kilworthy Park
Drake Road
Tavistock
PL19 0BZ

You can also sign a condolence book at the following town council offices:


We understand that many residents may wish to leave flowers as a mark of respect for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth.

flay flying one

If residents would like to show their respects to The Queen, rather than leaving flowers, we would encourage them to donate to one of the Queen's charities. You can find a list of her charities here.

However, if you still wish to lay flowers, please place them around the flagpole at Kilworthy Park.

To help reduce our carbon footprint, please first remove any plastic cellophane or ribbons. 

Thank you so much for your help and understanding.

After the funeral, flowers will be mulched and the compost will be used in public gardens within the area.


The Union flag has been lowered to half-mast during the mourning period until the funeral of the Sovereign, with the exception of Proclamation Day.

flag 2

On Proclamation Day, it is raised back up from the Principal Proclamation at St James' Palace on Saturday 10 Sep until one hour after the Proclamation in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland the following day (Sunday 11 Sep).

The Royal Standard flag is flown when The Monarch is in residence in one of the Royal Palaces, or travelling on transport during official journeys. It represents not only the Monarchy, which is continuous, but also the United Kingdom. Unlike the Union flag, the Royal Standard is never flown at half mast, even after the death of a monarch, as there is always a Sovereign on the throne.

The Proclamation of the New Sovereign is a very old tradition which can be traced back over many centuries. The ceremony does not create a new monarch. It is simply an announcement of the accession to the throne which takes place immediately on the death of the reigning monarch.

At a time when modern communications carry news around the world in an instant, the Proclamation is no longer the means by which people learn for the first time that they have a new Monarch. We now have an opportunity to reflect on a moment in our nation's history when the reign of our longest-serving Monarch has ended and our new Sovereign has taken his place on the throne.

The National Proclamation of our new Sovereign will be taking place on Saturday 10 September at 11 a.m. at St James' Palace.

Local Proclamations will be held as follows:

  • Devon County Council will hold their Proclamation at 1.00 p.m. on Sunday 11 Sep at County Hall, Exeter
  • South Hams District Council will hold their Proclamation at 10 a.m. on Monday 12 Sep at Follaton House, Totnes
  • West Devon Borough Council will hold their Proclamation at 10 a.m. on Monday 12 Sep at Kilworthy Park, Tavistock

The exact date of the State Funeral will be confirmed shortly.

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