The nation stands still as a mark of respect

From schools to the law courts, corner shops to the Stock Exchange, the country came to a halt today to mark the funeral of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother.

Stores across the country closed to allow staff to watch the ceremony on television, while work stopped in banks, offices and factories to observe the two-minute silence at 11.30am.

The West End virtually shut down as most shops, including toy store Hamleys and department store Liberty, closed for the entire morning. The windows were blacked out at Fortnum & Mason, the Piccadilly shop which enjoyed a long association with the Queen Mother as a Royal Warrant holder.

Major retailers such as Marks and Spencer and WH Smith shut from 10.30am to 1pm to allow staff to follow the ceremony. White lilies and a large photograph of the Queen Mother were on display at Marks and Spencer stores.

Supermarket chains Tesco, Asda and Sainsbury's were among those who closed their doors at hundreds of stores around the country. Passengers travelling through train stations and through Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted airports were being asked to observe the silence. British Airways said no flights will take off over the two minutes as a "mark of respect".

Traders at the usually bustling London Stock Exchange also fell silent at 11.30am.

At many schools the day was rearranged around the funeral with televisions brought into classrooms and lessons on the royal family. Maura Kealey, headmistress of John Burn primary in Battersea, said: "We will light a candle in assembly and ask the children to remember the Queen Mother."

All horse racing events have been cancelled as a mark of respect to the Queen Mother, whose patronage of the sport led her to be dubbed "First Lady of the Turf ".

Betting shops such as Ladbrokes, William Hill and Coral also closed their doors.

The Lord Chancellor's Department said all courthouses in England and Wales would be closed for hearings all day.