A tribute too far? Holidaymakers told to vacate their rooms for a day

Funerals for ordinary folk, crucial cancer treatment and surgery have all been cancelled or re-scheduled “in tribute” to the late Queen Elizabeth II.

And in Britain the absurdity of the long-running weep-and-wail festival reached new heights when it emerged some holidaymakers were to be evicted from their accommodation as part of the circus.

Meet Center Parcs, a "hospitality" business that announced it would close all its sites on the day of the Queen's funeral, with some holidaymakers expected to be sent home.

The holiday company said it would close its five parks on Monday, September 19, as "a mark of respect" on the day of the state funeral.

Guests part-way through their holidays were apparently required to spend the night elsewhere or go home early, the Eastern Daily Press reported.

Those due to arrive on Monday were told they would have to start their breaks a day later.

Center Parcs said in a statement: "We have made the decision to close all our UK villages on Monday at 10am as a mark of respect and to allow as many of our colleagues as possible to be part of this historic moment."

Center Parks is a short-break holiday company that operates six holiday villages across the UK and Ireland, and sounds like it might be well worth avoiding.

As you might expect, the bizarre decision sparked outrage.

Center Parcs later said it had “reviewed our position regarding the very small number of guests who are not due to depart on Monday and we will be allowing them to stay on our villages rather than having to leave and return on Tuesday”.

But it said there would be no facilities available in its holiday villages on Monday and it would offer a discount to customers to reflect this.

The company is still asking people who were due to arrive on Monday to delay their arrival until the following day.