Wiltshire care home staff dress in black for nine days to mourn The Queen

Staff at a care home in Salisbury are wearing black for nine days of national mourning, following the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

During the period of national mourning, the Queen will lie in state in Edinburgh and Westminster, with the public allowed to see the coffin and pay their respects.

Union flags are being flown at half-mast on royal palaces and castles, as well as on government and military buildings.

At The Cedars Nursing Home run by Barchester, Sam Humphries explained why staff took the decision to dress in black.

“On hearing the announcement of Queen Elizabeth’s passing, my staff and I spoke amongst ourselves about the residents’ initial reactions. We felt they were deeply saddened as a selection of our residents were in Her Majesty’s service and had met the Queen herself and the Queen Mother.

“As it is for most in the country, the monarchy is a big part of our upbringing. Therefore, I took the decision for all the staff to wear black for nine days as a sign of honour and respect; and to mourn her passing along with the rest of her country. For the residents here at Cedars we wanted to show that we respect their past as well as our future.”

It has been an emotional time for many care home residents, who have lived through The Queen's seven decades on the throne and seen her as a symbol of stability when times have been turbulent.

Ms Humphries revealed that “some of the residents are coping by talking to each other whilst others are sitting in silence whilst watching the news. One resident in particular is currently reminiscing with her family as they came in knowing she would feel sad with the news of the Queen’s death”.

One resident at the home said: "She was an amazing woman, she made a promise to the country and kept it for 70 years. She was inspirational."

While another said: “She had good innings and a good life, I met her a few times, she was a wonderful woman.”

click here for more details or to contact Barchester Cedars Care Home (Salisbury)