Today York and North Yorkshire will fall silent as the nation bids a final farewell to Queen Elizabeth II.

Her funeral will be the culmination of the national mourning since she died in Balmoral Castle 11 days ago.

It will be a day unlike any other that the city and county have seen for 70 years , ever since the funeral of her father King George VI was held on February 15, 1952.

The streets are expected to be deserted.

Shops, tourist destinations and other businesses and organisations will all be closed.

Petrol stations will be shut: Sainsbury’s, Morrisons, Asda and Tesco have all announced that theirs will be closed for most of the day like their supermarkets.

Even in York Railway Station, which has seen an unusually busy night with extra trains to London, the pace will ease.

York Minster will hold four services today, Morning Prayer at 7.30am, Holy Communion at 7.50am and 12 noon and Evensong at 5.30pm.

It has been closed to tourists since the Queen’s death.

Its Book of Condolence will be open for the final day from 9.30am until 7.30pm.

Across the city and county, most residents, like people all over the country and the world will be in front of their televisions, watching the Queen’s funeral in Westminster Abbey, the processions from Westminster Hall to the Abbey, her final journey to Windsor and the ceremonies in the Castle she loved so much.

North Yorkshire Police officers will be among those taking part in the massive security operation to protect the VIPs and the public, both those attending the ceremonies and those lining the procession routes..

BBC Television has cleared its schedules to cover the funeral and is allowing communal groups to carry its coverage free without a licence and BBC Radio York, like the rest of BBC local radio, will be broadcasting the event from 10am to 2pm. ITV has also cleared its schedules for non-stop funeral coverage.

Many local residents including have already left for the south by train, car or coach, or are travelling today, to pay their respects and watch from places along the processional routes.

And some will not be watching at home or at friends’ houses but at Vue Cinema on Clifton Moor, which will be screening the royal funeral live from 10.30am to a full house.

All places at the free screening have been booked.

At the end of the funeral service in Westminster Abbey at about 11.55, the city and county will join the rest of the UK in a two-minute silence to commemorate the Queen.

After the ceremonies in Windsor, the city and county will gradually come back to normal. A few food stores and petrol stations will open and at least one restaurant is also expected to be open. But most businesses and organisations are expected to stay closed until tomorrow.