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Original poster

HM Queens funeral Monday, why? 2nd question MP's taking guest to lying in state

27 replies

Raul57 · 16/09/2022 09:44

I've only heard the question asked once on tv and there was no response of type

Why is the funeral being held on Monday as this will mean many missing hospitals appoints etc and canclled appts then moved to October for some according to the phone-ins on the radio

IMO is it becuse so-called world leaders most of them keep the weekend totally free to enjoy themselves and the uk gov feared most would not turn up?

Not for a moment am I blaming the royal family for the timetable.

It would have been better, and easier on NHS waiting lists if it was the Sunday and not Monday. With winter around the corner and Covid, makes me wonder.

2nd question: Been watching Jermy Vine show - MP's "some have already paid their respects to HM but gone the 2nd time with "guests" and they do not have to join the main quese - IMO an abuse of power? Even on their first visit when they dont have to join the 14 hour wait some were taking family/guests. - Abuse of power/privilege and if so very unfair on the joe public

NB: Not for a moment I blame the royal family for this.

OP posts:
Hungrycaterpillarsmummy · 16/09/2022 09:47

A) I think it's because they know people like a public holiday actually. It's beck e expected - wedding or death = day off work.

B) yes abuse if power imo

Pootles34 · 16/09/2022 09:49

I noticed on the live feed there are 4 queues, it looks like one is for disabled members of the public, 2 are everyone else, and one is mainly made of very smart people in black suits. I wonder if the final one is MPs, guest and other vips?

OnceAgainWithFeeling · 16/09/2022 09:49

Protocol states funeral on Day 10. (Date of death is day 0 but this was moved to Friday because of the announcement being late on Thursday).

However the Protocol also says it will be a weekday and a bank holiday.

OLB was planned around all of this Protocol years ago. (I’m part of OLB.)

LadyKenya · 16/09/2022 09:50

Why should they have to wait for hours like the common people? They know that nothing will be done about it, so they will do as they like.

cantkeepawayforever · 16/09/2022 09:57

a) Church of England funerals are almost never held on a Sunday. Despite the decreasing influence of the C of E in British society, it is very unlikely that the Queen - as the titular head of the church and as someone steeped in that faith - would have authorised a plan for a Sunday funeral. The new King inherits the role of head of the Church, and it would be an enormous statement to immediately plan something so contrary to church tradition.

cantkeepawayforever · 16/09/2022 10:01

(Thinking about it, from the point of a religious ceremony that will be attended by those from many faith traditions, Monday has the advantage of being the holy day of none - Friday would be difficult for Muslims, Saturday for observant Jews and Sunday for traditional Christians. Probably important not to create avoidable offence at this point.)

NotDavidTennant · 16/09/2022 10:03

The reason that it's not on the Sunday is that the funeral is a religious ceremony and so wouldn't normally be performed on the sabbath.

Pinkywoo · 16/09/2022 10:09

OnceAgainWithFeeling · 16/09/2022 09:49

Protocol states funeral on Day 10. (Date of death is day 0 but this was moved to Friday because of the announcement being late on Thursday).

However the Protocol also says it will be a weekday and a bank holiday.

OLB was planned around all of this Protocol years ago. (I’m part of OLB.)

OLB?

Online banking? One long bench? Old lion barking? Orange llama bouncing?

sorry had no sleep!

piegone · 16/09/2022 10:12

IMO is it becuse so-called world leaders most of them keep the weekend totally free to enjoy themselves and the uk gov feared most would not turn up?

You surely don't really think this, do you?

cantkeepawayforever · 16/09/2022 10:13

OLB - Operation London Bridge.

Code name for plans for death of the Queen.

LemonLymanDotCom · 16/09/2022 10:32

It’s not an abuse of power or privilege, it’s an EXAMPLE of power or privilege. Did you ever see the Queen queuing to get in anywhere with the common folks? Nope, cos again privilege in action

Honestly what a nonsense it is complaining about privilege when talking about matters to do with monarchy! 🙄 They are all privilege, simply by matter of birth. At least MPs are elected!

tigger1001 · 16/09/2022 10:38

Was always supposed to be day 10 which is why even shortly after she had died speculation was it would be 19th.

I don't get why it took so long to then announce the date when it was pretty much a given it would be 19th.

But it is very much the royal timetable and the queen's decision as her funeral has been planned for years

tigger1001 · 16/09/2022 10:40

And of course mp's etc were never going to join the main queue!

Apart from they should be spending time doing other stuff - planning for the budget next week springs to mind, it would be a security headache.

Southwest12 · 16/09/2022 12:23

When the Queen Mother was lying in state I had a Parly pass and we didn't have to queue, we just went in via the staff entrance. I think they are being a bit stricter on it this time and only people who work on the parliamentary estate can go in, rather than anyone with a pass.

ExpectMore · 16/09/2022 12:25

@Raul57

IMO is it becuse so-called world leaders most of them keep the weekend totally free to enjoy themselves and the uk gov feared most would not turn up?

You really are a bit naive / daft aren't you?

Think about it for a millisecond, if the event is on Monday morning, when do you think most internationally based leaders will be travelling... I suspect the weekend?

Also, do you really think international leaders clock-watch and don't work the weekend? They tend to work all hours (days / evenings / weekends).... you live in a little bubble if you think they clock off

ExpectMore · 16/09/2022 12:29

@Raul57

Even on their first visit when they dont have to join the 14 hour wait some were taking family/guests. - Abuse of power/privilege and if so very unfair on the joe public

Again, think about it for just a moment.... would you rather your mp be getting on with business and constituency matters or standing in a queue for 14 hours? I know what I'd prefer

Unexpecteddrivinginstructor · 16/09/2022 12:40

ExpectMore · 16/09/2022 12:29

@Raul57

Even on their first visit when they dont have to join the 14 hour wait some were taking family/guests. - Abuse of power/privilege and if so very unfair on the joe public

Again, think about it for just a moment.... would you rather your mp be getting on with business and constituency matters or standing in a queue for 14 hours? I know what I'd prefer

Also no one really cares or would notice if I went or not. It would be purely my choice. MPs there is more of an expectation and a 'paying respect' obligation to attend. Perhaps more so in some political parties. Once you accept that they have an obligation to attend I would rather my MP went more quickly and then came back to do constituency work. Celbs could queue with everyone else.

ExpectMore · 16/09/2022 13:05

@Unexpecteddrivinginstructor

Couldn't agree more, well said

LIZS · 16/09/2022 13:07

MPs had 4 passes for guests. So may take family or their constituency staff I guess.

Original poster
Raul57 · 16/09/2022 17:30

LIZS · 16/09/2022 13:07

MPs had 4 passes for guests. So may take family or their constituency staff I guess.

Thank you. 4 passes the person that made that decison needs their head testing as it should have been one guest and one visit.
There are tens of thousands of people who have important jobs, jobs and family etc but they have to wait 14 hours plus.

A family member of ours a hospital consultant can't go as he works in the NHS and on 24/7 call in A&E this week and his wife is a registrar at the hospital - could they get one pass, not at all

I have family who are police officers they are on duty and can't go.

its a case of them and the plebs.

re the Monday funeral, thanks to those that have answered the question but a saturday or sunday should have been the way forward. We've all heard the hundreds of complaints of people waiting for long-standing hspt appts and or emergency appts and all cancelled for next Monday. I'm she the queen would not have wanted this and blame the fool of the new joker of our PM for this

OP posts:
tigger1001 · 16/09/2022 21:28

You can blame the new pm all you want, but this was all planned by the monarchy. It's been planned a long time. Every eventuality would be planned for.

The queen would have been actively involved with the planning.

OnceAgainWithFeeling · 17/09/2022 00:55

re the Monday funeral, thanks to those that have answered the question but a saturday or sunday should have been the way forward. We've all heard the hundreds of complaints of people waiting for long-standing hspt appts and or emergency appts and all cancelled for next Monday. I'm she the queen would not have wanted this and blame the fool of the new joker of our PM for this

Its been planned not to be a weekend for over 5 years. WTF do you think Liz Truss had to do with it?!

By all means get a job where you’re directly involved in the planning for Charles’ funeral if you know so much better…….

Original poster
Raul57 · 17/09/2022 09:40

tigger1001 · 16/09/2022 21:28

You can blame the new pm all you want, but this was all planned by the monarchy. It's been planned a long time. Every eventuality would be planned for.

The queen would have been actively involved with the planning.

I disagree - I blame the lame PM. I do blame the MP

Of all people, Mr Beckham joined the long line queue and now reported in the press he was offered a guest pass by an MP which Mr Becham refused, credit to the chap.

The poster that said "WTF" as I'm not rude or nasty all I say is that your language is uncalled for and unnecessary and inappropriate. By all mean counter my post/s but do behave like that with me.

OP posts:
LatteToday · 17/09/2022 09:57

The decision about MPs and guests was made by Black Rod as she controls Westminster Hall for the lying in state. It wasn’t made by the PM.

MPs don’t have to go through security to get into parliament, and some of them have offices just metres away from W Hall. Lots of them are still working there even though parliament isn’t sitting- Government ministers certainly will be. They are entering Westminster Hall from a different entrance from The Queue, and join people at the top of the steps.

Some of the people who work in parliament (pass holders) are allowed to go in the same way as MPs, others aren’t. (So people who work for MPs have to join The Queue, but people who eg write transcripts of parliamentary proceedings can go in with MPs)

DH is an MP. He gave his 4 ‘guest tickets’ for the quick way in to 2 veterans and 2 community volunteers from the constituency. all of whom would have struggled with The Queue due to various mobility issues.

Personally I think everyone with a parliamentary pass (so don’t need security checks as they’ve already had so much background checking) should have had a different entrance from The Queue, but no guests allowed at all.

Ontopofthesunset · 17/09/2022 10:07

Of course it's not abuse of power. As MPs they're probably expected to go to 'pay their respects' and why should they queue for 14 hours or whatever? They've got a lot of work to do. So do other people of course, but no one has to queue. It's great PR for David Beckham that he decided to do it, but to be fair he is not a man with pressing day to day work commitments anymore.

The whole thing is ridiculous anyway - there could have been a timed slot system like there is for the accessible queue, but of course the entire point is that there should be a queue of 'mourning subjects'. With no queue there's no theatre and no visible symbol of how 'loved' the Queen was. We need to keep up the fiction.