HM The King
Year of Birth 1948 - Year of Death 2026
Council Services
Town Council meetings and civic events may be postponed, re-scheduled or cancelled until the day after The King’s funeral.
Condolence Books
Condolence books will be opened on the first working day after The King’s death. Loose-leaf condolence books will be placed in St Marys Church, the Library, Newent Community Centre, schools and care homes/centres. These condolence books will be in accessible, quiet places to enable privacy and reflection. The books of condolence will be closed at the end of the day following the day of the funeral.
Online submissions for Newent’s Book of Condolence can also be made on a contact form on this website. These submissions will be collated with the loose-leaf condolence books to make a bound Book of Condolence.
Buckingham Palace’s e-Book of Condolence will be available to access via www.royal.gov.uk
Church services
On the middle Sunday morning, there will be a formal civic service at Gloucester Cathedral which the Mayor of Newent and other Council members will attend.
A church service at St Marys’ Church has been organised for the eve of The King’s funeral. Residents can join the Town Mayor & other Councillors in Newent’s act of remembrance.
Flowers
During the period of mourning, residents and visitors may lay flowers in St Marys Churchyard. All plastic wrapping should be removed before laying any flowers.
On the day following the King’s funeral, there will be a ceremonial removal of the flowers. The first bouquet will be collected by the Mayor of Newent and people will be invited to assist with the collection.
The flowers will be taken away to be composted and using this compost a tree will be planted in the Town, in memory of the Sovereign.
Flags & Proclamations
The Union flag on the flagpole will be at half-mast, except during the Proclamation period, until 0800hrs on the morning after the funeral.
The new Sovereign will be proclaimed on the day following The King’s death. The Proclamation will be made at St James’s Palace and then at the Royal Exchange in the City of London. The following day, it will be read in Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast. Once these Proclamations have been made, the Proclamation will be read at County, City, Borough and Parish level.
The reading of the Proclamation in Newent, two days after The King’s death, will be from the Market Square, at or soon after 1600hrs and will be read by the Mayor of Newent. Following this reading of the Proclamation, the Mayor of Newent will lay a bouquet of flowers in St Marys Churchyard.
Once the Proclamation from St James’s Palace has been read, the wording of the Proclamation should soon be available from the Buckingham Palace website (www.royal.gov.uk) and the Privy Council website