Churches, town halls, community centres and libraries are among the public buildings being offered special dispensation to show the Queen's funeral without a TV Licence.

The BBC says it acknowledges that communities may wish to come together on Monday to take in events happening in London and so is providing special permission for communal settings, where a television wouldn't ordinarily be watched.

By law, people need a valid licence, costing £159 a year, to watch or record programmes as they’re being shown on TV, on any channel, watch or stream programmes live on an online TV service or download or watch any BBC programmes on iPlayer.

However, in exceptional circumstances, TV Licensing is able to grant dispensation for people to watch television broadcasts temporarily - so long as the reason for the screening of an event is judged to be of national importance.

The temporarily relaxed rule does not apply to people watching the funeral at home - where a television licence is still required, says the body responsible for issuing licences.

The Corporation is now working to spread the word among communities who might wish to consider bringing small numbers of people together to watch Monday's State Funeral from Westminster Abbey.

Other venues which could take up the offer include commercial cinemas, which are acting as community venues that won't charge to admit people and will also allow them to bring their own food and drink, theatres or concert halls and performing arts venues.

An explanation of the rules on the BBC website also explains that streets across Britain, where a TV is not usually watched could also screen the ceremonial events live, such as in shops or through shop windows.

The funeral service on Monday will begin at 11am, after the late monarch has been carried from Westminster Hall to neighbouring Westminster Abbey.

After the service, the coffin will travel in a procession towards Buckingham Palace and to nearby Hyde Park Corner where it will be placed into a waiting hearse and driven to Windsor where she will arrive at St George's Chapel via the Long Walk.

She will eventually be laid to rest in a private committal service attended by the Royal Family.

Communities planning to show the funeral to a larger group don’t need to contact TV Licensing about planned screenings, while there is also an opportunity for a refund for any organiser of a community event who may have already bought a licence for the sole purpose of showing the funeral and other live ceremonial events during the national period of mourning.