Queens cortège 6 hour journey

[Dodie66]

I’m just wondering how they do a 6 hour journey. Do they have stops for loo breaks? Do they change drivers.?

I was just wondering the exact same thing. Surprised they are taking a very long route via Aberdeen.

I think it a shame shes flying from Edinburgh rather than going by train.

It's going to Edinburgh first

I think it's ok that there's a little levity on this thread. It's a release from the potential constitutional stresses ahead and the general upset about what's happening. If posters didn't care, they wouldn't be watching. And we all know that the Queen (and Anne) were/are known for a wicked sense of humour.

I wouldn’t be surprised if she did plan it this way, in fact she probably did TBH. She planned all the rest of her death didn’t she? Maybe apart from the date. Hanging out in Scotland a lot, she loved Scotland so makes sense she wanted Scotland to be a big part of her send off.

I think she planned it that way. It's interesting how they had a very detailed plan in place for if she died in Scotland, but apparently not for if she died in Wales or NI. I know it was far more likely in one of her major homes, but it could have happened anywhere

Nope.

You are both inventing stuff.

She lived at Balmoral for months every year. hanging out as the poster so charmingly put it. Every August - October.

So it made sense that her death there was covered in the plans.

Only the Royal line of succession was amended. The majority of hereditary peerages entail on the male line.

lordslibrary.parliament.uk/women-hereditary-peerages-and-gender-inequality-in-the-line-of-succession/

Why?

Me too. I live in the North East, so like a PP said often feel quite distanced (literally and figuratively) from big events happening in London.

It would have been nice to get a chance to pay respects as the train went down the east coast main line, and I think it would be quite fitting for the Queen to have a final ‘tour’ as it were. But at the same time I understand the safety issues of tonnes of people potentially standing alongside train tracks so it does make sense to fly (and it’s a lot quicker!).

I thought this earlier, the shots from the helicopter overhead as they left Balmoral was absolutely beautiful, how fitting when she loved that countryside so much.

I think there’s the logistics involved - they’d have to shut Kings Cross/St Pancras and the attached tube stations to the public while the train arrives and the coffin is moved to a hearse. Chaos on the transport network!

I can imagine it is a pain for local people, if main roads etc are closed

I doubt they'll close all of it all the time - sure it'll be rolling closures, with each section opened again when they've gone through?

I think it's ok that there's a little levity on this thread.

Quite. There's some poignancy, a little cheekiness, but mainly just a lot of love and respect.

Nope.
You are both inventing stuff.
She lived at Balmoral for months every year. hanging out as the poster so charmingly put it. Every August - October.
So it made sense that her death there was covered in the plans.

Yes, as I said. But she could have been in any of the home nations when she died. My point wasn't that Operation Unicorn was not a very wise plan, but that there don't appear to have been similar plans for Wales or NI.

Most of us don't have the benefit of the knowledge of our place or time of death far in advance. Obviously, when it came down to it, she was clearly not going to leave Balmoral; but the monarch's funeral plans are made decades in advance, when nobody could have known for sure that she would have had a reasonably-predictable natural death of old age in the event.

I suspect it's because of the difference between the route they're taking, and the alternative. Going by Glenshee etc is a VERY twisty, mountainous road. I'm sure the coffin is secure in the back of the hearse, but it would be an incredibly rough journey for it. Plus, there's the fact there's no where for cars to park for the inevitable masses of people who would drive to see it go by, along with the dangers of members of the public swarming the hills and mountains and getting into difficulty. The route they're taking is relatively flat, on good roads which will be easier on the coffin, but also much easier to police. It also gives a larger proportion of the country chance to say goodbye.

I remember Dad having stickers from one petrol promo which looked like bullet holes....

About time they got someone on the BBC commentary who knows the area the Queen 's cortege is travelling through!

The road isn't shut here. There were outriders in front of the cortège directing traffic into side roads so the road was clear for the main vehicles and associated security. All the passing places and parking areas along the road were cordoned off yesterday afternoon. I believe some roads in Aberdeen are shut to allow free movement through the city, but I haven't heard a single person object about it. If anything, the odd car that had to be directed into side roads here was met with an awful lot of scowling and head shaking from the people waiting.

Thanks for the thread! I had also been wondering about loo stops, but more for the drivers than PA, whom I'm sure is well practiced.

I read that there are 45 vehicles in the convoy!

You are probably right the roads are narrow they would be going into the mountains so this route is the easiest.

I think the last state funeral that involved a funeral train was Churchill's.
See here.
The problem nowadays is that you get this - and it's not just the 'trainspotters', I've seen families with young children standing on the track waiting to see the train.

I don't think Anne's in the cortége. She is accompanying HM on her journey from Edinburgh to London but I thought the commentary this morning said all family members were leaving Balmoral later.
We've had no shots of a car with Anne in, have we?

She’s in the state Bentley behind. Daily Mail has pics.

Ah they have Martin Guisler on now..

NS sang God Save the King on the telly this morning, her career is over.

Another reason to go the less twisty route - you don’t want to make a grieving Royal travel sick, especially with all those cameras about.

They have said Princess Anne and Husband are accompanying the Queen to Edinburgh then onto London. I think she is in the car behind but there is also a Lord lieutenant and the minister of the church in Ballatar.