McDonald's UK Just Changed Its Hours To Honor The Queen

Almost a full week has passed since the death of Queen Elizabeth II. In the days since her passing on September 8, 2022, the public has taken a journey through her life's history, highlighting her many personal and professional ventures. 

According to Euronews, the queen devoted her years to public aid and serving those in need, but she also dabbled in business ownership on the side. The fast food restaurant you probably forgot the queen owned is McDonald's. Former royal chef Darren O'Grady revealed one of the late queen's favorite foods to be a good old-fashioned hamburger (via British Heritage), so her majesty taking ownership of a U.K. McDonald's location shouldn't seem too surprising — even if she wasn't a fan of fast food.

The McDonald's ownership was the result of the Royal family's land acquisitions over the years, and the restaurant lies within the Crown Estate, property of Queen Elizabeth II during her reign, MyLondon explains. She may not have directly chosen to go into business with McDonald's, but the chic Oxfordshire location is certainly fit for royalty, with amenities not found in other McDonald's stores.

Considering the queen's direct ties to the world-famous fast food chain, it makes sense that McDonald's just announced adjusted hours to honor her following her passing.

Among the many touching posts being shared on social media regarding the queen's recent death — such as those from "The Great British Bake Off" stars Paul Hollywood and Noel Fielding — was a heartfelt tribute from McDonald's on Twitter. Last week, the company said it was "deeply saddened" by her passing and remembered her "uniting us at times of both celebration and challenge." Now, the chain has another update to share.

Queen Elizabeth II's funeral is set to take place on the morning of Monday, September 19, and apart from the intricate arrangements of her majesty's celebration of life, as outlined on the Royal family's website, the occasion has recently been declared a bank holiday (via The National Law Review).

A long list of businesses across the U.K. have announced plans to close in honor of the queen's funeral, and McDonald's has recently joined their ranks. In a September 14 tweet, McDonald's U.K. said that all of its locations will be closed on September 19 from midnight until 5 p.m. "to enable everyone at McDonald's to pay their respects." Some social media users were disappointed in the change of hours, but most wanted to know if employees would be compensated for the loss of time on the clock. In response, McDonald's assured users that "all company restaurant employees will be paid for their scheduled hours." Normal operations will resume that Monday evening.