Skip to main content

Alpha This guidance is in development. You can find current content and publishing guidance on GOV.UK.

Skip past section navigation
Publishing during national events

Royal deaths (‘bridges’)

Royal deaths (also known as ‘bridges’ or ‘bridge events’) can affect publishing.

You’ll be told by the Government Digital Service (GDS) if a bridge event has begun. They’ll send messages:

Publishing on GOV.UK

Following a royal death, you’ll be told if there’s a freeze on publishing content on GOV.UK.

If there’s a freeze, content that cannot be published includes:

  • press releases and news stories
  • policy documents
  • transparency data
  • any items that had previously been on the Number 10 planning grid
  • updates to campaign sites or new campaigns
  • minor updates (for example, correcting typos)

If you have clearance from your permanent secretary and Number 10, you can still publish:

  • critical factual updates (for example, medical safety alerts)
  • legally-required content (for example, national statistics)
  • other necessary factual updates (for example, fixing broken links or critical service updates)

You should cancel any scheduled publishing that does not meet these conditions.

The freeze would also apply to digital marketing (except essential campaigns).

GDS will tell you when regular publishing can resume.

Follow civil service guidance on the national mourning period. If you need more information or clarification on what can be published during a freeze, contact your director of communications and permanent secretary.

Publishing banners on non-GOV.UK sites

A sitewide banner will be deployed on GOV.UK during a bridge event. Whether you can deploy a similar banner on a non-GOV.UK site depends on the type of site.

Services

Services on service.gov.uk should not deploy a banner.

Campaign sites

Campaign sites on campaign.gov.uk should not deploy a banner.

Other non-GOV.UK sites

Other non-GOV.UK sites (those with an exemption) do not have to deploy a banner, but can choose to do so.

If non-GOV.UK sites do want to deploy a banner, it should:

  • be consistent with the site’s design styles, such as typography specifications
  • follow responsive web design principles (for example, the banner should adjust to screen size allowing it to be viewed on mobile and tablet devices)
  • not use modal pop-up windows (for example, a pop-up window over content)
  • not use images unless appropriate licensing has been procured
  • match the site’s width
  • meet government accessibility requirements (for example, colour contrast, font size, link focus states, and making sure the design works with screen readers)

The banner should be displayed for all of the period of national mourning.

The banner specifications for desktop are:

  • Background colour: Black (#0b0c0c)
  • Width: full site width
  • Content area width: 960 pixels
  • Text colour: White (#ffffff)
  • Link style: White underline
  • Title size on homepage: 48 pixels
  • Title size on sitewide content (not homepage): 24 pixels
  • Summary text size: 19 pixels
  • Link text size: 19 pixels