Is it just me, or does the 'Guidance for the Period of National Mourning' sound faintly sinister?
It's not without a certain Orwellian undertone.
I shudder every time I hear just the phrase "national mourning". Adding "guidance" on it is, as you say, dark.
I think games should definitely have gone ahead, partly because the images from them would be a far better tribute and truly "national" portrayal of the majority feeling towards Queenie than having empty streets and the world stopping. Having a mandated period of wailing isn't a true reflection of the affection for Her Maj.