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Original poster

Visiting HMQ Lying in State

199 replies

happyinherts · 10/09/2022 21:41

My daughter would love to travel down to London for this, but time is somewhat limited due to working hours. What day / night would be best to travel bearing in mind queues. Obviously Day 1 might be the busiest? Night time?

OP posts:
Chakraleaf · 10/09/2022 23:06

We are going. Il let you know!

Original poster
happyinherts · 10/09/2022 23:12

@Chakraleaf Do you have a fair journey? Are you thinking of going early?

OP posts:
Raul57 · 10/09/2022 23:18

ChagSameachDoreen · 10/09/2022 22:11

Why on earth would you bother??

There is no need whatsoever for your uncalled for, unnecessary, disrespectful and nasty comments. I've reported your comments.

OP, it is hard to answer your question but I guess a very early morning visit eg 02-00 hours-ish you may only encounter a few hour waits but it is pure conjecture.

Go ahead and visit as you may regret it if you don't take the next day off from work and make most of the evening before the visit ie get the feel of the people around there etc.

I hope you go and don't have to wait too long.

lawandgin · 10/09/2022 23:21

I am considering going up this week with 4mo DD but starting to think I might be deluded after hearing there were 24 hour queues to see the Queen Mother...

CallMeLinda · 10/09/2022 23:34

I was considering it, but I'll have to see if anyone is mad enough to come with me <g>. I'm in the Home Counties, so it's not a massive slog.

FaazoHuyzeoSix · 10/09/2022 23:49

If I wanted to go, which I don't, i would only go as part of a group, and with camping chairs to sit on. If you are in a group then someone can be sent off to buy food and drink, and everyone can have an occasional loo break.

Alone, especially with kids, how on earth does anyone keep their place in the queue for hours?

Creameggs223 · 11/09/2022 00:00

LePigeon · 10/09/2022 22:24

Slightly morbid but I thought bodies had to be kept very cold. I don't understand how they can keep a body sitting there in a coffin for four whole days? And travelling in Procession throughout the country? Maybe I've misunderstood the proceedings but it makes me wonder if it'll be an empty coffin, no one would know either way.

Bodiea are kept cold to stop decomposition but Its a closed coffin and won't be reopened afterwards so makes no difference how long body is in there for.

FrecklesMalone · 11/09/2022 00:04

I don't understand why you would want to. If it was someone I knew and an open coffin then maybe. Otherwise not at all. Is it to do with being part of history? Obviously the queen won't know.

ClottedCreamAndStrawberries · 11/09/2022 00:09

Each to their own but I think it’s a bit ghoulish. I’ll be paying my respects by watching the funeral.

Snowiscold · 11/09/2022 00:18

ClottedCreamAndStrawberries · 11/09/2022 00:09

Each to their own but I think it’s a bit ghoulish. I’ll be paying my respects by watching the funeral.

It’s traditional.

Seemslikeaniceday · 11/09/2022 00:36

I queued for the Queen Mother. I live about an hour away and got to Westminster Station about 11pm on a Saturday night. The queue started at Westminster Bridge, the London Eye/County Hall side, went down and over Lambeth Bridge and back up Millbank. I got home about 7 am.

As a pp said as the week progressed the queues increased significantly.

You slowly walked past the coffin and had time to briefly pause.

SianNotAMan · 11/09/2022 00:41

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

SouperNoodle · 11/09/2022 00:44

Sparklingbrook · 10/09/2022 22:43

I mean TBF the coffin with a flag draped over it, that everyone queues for hours to file past could be completely empty and nobody would be any the wiser.

I've been thinking the exact same thing.
It occurred to me that maybe for security reasons they could easily have HM elsewhere and just the coffin on show for the public.

VioletTopaz · 11/09/2022 00:46

@Seemslikeaniceday
that’s very interesting.
what was the queue like? did you take chairs? (My friend has a leg problem so might not be able to stand for a lengthy period)

EmmaH2022 · 11/09/2022 00:49

Seemslikeaniceday · 11/09/2022 00:36

I queued for the Queen Mother. I live about an hour away and got to Westminster Station about 11pm on a Saturday night. The queue started at Westminster Bridge, the London Eye/County Hall side, went down and over Lambeth Bridge and back up Millbank. I got home about 7 am.

As a pp said as the week progressed the queues increased significantly.

You slowly walked past the coffin and had time to briefly pause.

Thanks for this info
it’s probably about right to multiply that time by 1.5 or 2 for the late Queen.

SouperNoodle · 11/09/2022 00:53

@SianNotAMan how utterly horrible to wish her struggles in life because of one flippant comment on a public forum! This says more about you than it does about her.

SianNotAMan · 11/09/2022 00:57

SouperNoodle · 11/09/2022 00:53

@SianNotAMan how utterly horrible to wish her struggles in life because of one flippant comment on a public forum! This says more about you than it does about her.

You probably don’t see the hypocrisy there do you, in damning a person’s personality based on you not liking a post of theirs?

Off you trot, eh?

SouperNoodle · 11/09/2022 00:57

😂😂😂

Seemslikeaniceday · 11/09/2022 01:19

VioletTopaz · 11/09/2022 00:46

@Seemslikeaniceday
that’s very interesting.
what was the queue like? did you take chairs? (My friend has a leg problem so might not be able to stand for a lengthy period)

I was fit enough to stand and walk. The queue was friendly and moved quite slowly. Near the end they had tents with books of remembrance to sign. what I can’t remember is whether there were any toilets.

Do not bank on their being any seats. If your friend struggles to stand/walk I would strongly recommend taking a walker with a built in seat.m

CaptainBarbosa · 11/09/2022 01:26

If I lived closer I'd go, but it's 3ish hours away to the outskirts of London. Never mind the centre.

But I expect the ques will take 10+ hours as hundreds of thousands people line up to pay their respects. I can't forsee their being a "quiet" time.

I'd take snacks some drinks, and some form of walking stick that turns into a chair. No idea where you would use a restroom though 😳

Christmascaroll · 11/09/2022 01:37

It was over 24hrs waiting for The Queen Mother apparently and expected to be longer than that.
Former Black Rod was interviewed on BBC and he said that when he was in the Operation London Bridge planning meetings they predict way more than that. We're going on Wednesday by train and will just wait.

Just pack a chair and plenty of snacks. It's supposed to be a constantly moving though

CaptainBarbosa · 11/09/2022 01:41

Oh gosh, this may be a silly question but if it's like a 2 day wait time, what happens if say you join the back of the line at day 3. Will they just turn you away, or will you que only to find out half way along after a day that you won't make it in time before the laying in state period ends?

Christmascaroll · 11/09/2022 02:24

CaptainBarbosa · 11/09/2022 01:41

Oh gosh, this may be a silly question but if it's like a 2 day wait time, what happens if say you join the back of the line at day 3. Will they just turn you away, or will you que only to find out half way along after a day that you won't make it in time before the laying in state period ends?

This is one of the other things that the former black rod said about. Somebody will just stop the queue and nobody will be able to join the queue after that

TiddyTidTwo · 11/09/2022 02:54

I would like to go but it's 3 hours away and I'm not good in crowds.

I hope it works out for you OP x

pompomdaisy · 11/09/2022 03:58

Gosh please don't take babies / young kids to do this as another poster suggested they might!