Period of Official Mourning for Queen Elizabeth II

We have entered a period of national mourning that will continue until the end of the State Funeral. A carefully planned timetable of official events will unfold over the coming days and the College will follow these. 

In addition, the College is making its own plans to mark the life of Queen Elizabeth II and the accession to the throne of King Charles III with respect, thoughtfulness and solemnity. Throughout this we will have our community of pupils, staff, parents and the wider Lancing community in mind. 

During this period of national mourning, some College events may be adapted or postponed. This page will provide an ongoing update of any changes and updates. 

Updated 12/09/2022, 7pm

You will likely have seen over the weekend that the date of the late Queen Elizabeth’s funeral has been announced and is due to take place next Monday, 19 September. This will be the final and most significant of the sequence of national days of mourning.

Monday 19 September has been designated a Bank Holiday and it is expected that schools will not be operating as normal that day. We will, of course, be respecting this important and sombre event. The weekend of the 17/18/19 September will therefore follow a slightly adapted pattern.

1. Lessons will run as normal on Saturday and we anticipate that fixtures will do so too, though this is in part dependent on our opponents and the broader patterns of expectation across society.

2. On Sunday there will be a solemn whole school eucharist as planned in our Calendar. All pupils, day and boarding, should attend. Parents are very warmly welcomed to attend this service. Please indicate on this booking link should you wish to do so. Parents of prefects and those who have already used the link do not need to do so again. https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/booking/t-nooryxq

As well as exploring and underscoring the life of service of Her Late Majesty this will be a liturgy which emphasises two important moments for those working to serve the school community: the installation of our new Chaplain, Father Justin Pottinger, and the commissioning of our new body of Prefects. For those of you who would like to know more about Father Justin do look at the website here: https://www.lancingcollege.co.uk/news/lancing-welcomes-new-chaplain

3. As a matter of respect, and in alignment with the rest of the UK following guidance from the Department for Education, the school will not be operating on Monday, ie lessons and activities will not be taking place on Monday.
• It is important to mark Monday as a national day of mourning and all pupils are encouraged to go home to parents or guardians after the service on Sunday.

• The site will be almost wholly closed though we will be able to accommodate and care for those unable to travel to parents or guardians for this period.

• Those unable to travel or with questions about this should contact their child’s Housemaster or Housemistress (HMM) as soon as possible, and no later than 9.00am on Wednesday 14 September.

• HMMs will be very grateful to know of any families who would wish to invite an overseas boarder to come home with them for this extra-ordinary Bank Holiday so that this day can be marked in a family setting.

• Boarders should return between 7.00pm – 9.00pm on Monday or by 8.15am roll call on Tuesday in order to be ready for lessons restarting as usual on Tuesday morning. All Day pupils should return in time for Tuesday’s 8.15am roll call.

After the happiness and good fellowship of the Malawi Walk on Saturday (we had not far shy of 1,000 people crossing the Downs) our sung evensong provided just the right contrast of reflection and stillness. Similarly, in the week to come we will be balancing the normal routine of the school with appropriate recollections of the life of Queen Elizabeth. Chief among these will be a solemn requiem mass celebrated at the time of our usual whole-school eucharist on Wednesday morning.

We anticipate that from the evening of Monday 19 September we will be operating as usual, including the first full Exeat weekend of the year (from 4.00pm on Friday 23 September to 7.00pm on Sunday 25 September) as detailed in the Calendar.

A Book of Condolence is available in Chapel for anyone who wishes to leave a message.