The Queen’s death: where to sign book of condolences in Manchester and lay flowers as flags fly half-mast

The flag on Manchester Central Library has been lowered to half-mast as a mark of respect to the Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

The monarch passed away on Thursday at the age of 96 at her residence in Balmoral.

The flag will remain lowered until the day after her state funeral, the date of which has yet to be confirmed.

Where can I pay my respects to the Queen in Manchester?

The Queen’s Books of Condolence will be opened tomorrow (Friday 9 September) in Manchester Central Library.

The Books of Condolence will then be open to visitors from 9am to 6pm from Monday to Sunday until the day following her funeral.

If you cannot attend in personal, you can sign the National Book of Condolence online here.

Floral tributes are being placed outside Buckingham Palace in London but you can also lay them in Manchester.

The city council has earmarked an area for this at St Ann’s Square in the city centre.

A council spokesman added: “We would ask anyone laying floral tributes to remove any plastic/cellophane wrappings and anything that is non-biodegradable. This will ensure that when collected, all of the flowers can be composted.”

He added the city council will be observing the 10-day mourning period and more details will follow.

• For details of all the locations of books of condolence in other areas of Greater Manchester, see our full list here.