Has anyone been to the Lying In State and wished they hadn't bothered?

[Reallybadidea]

Just being nosey really. I'm not the most patient of people and can't imagine queuing for hours for anything. Has anyone been and found it a bit of a letdown once they got to the end (beginning?) of The Queue?

Okay well why do you hazard a guess that it's skewed towards low income rather than it being a genuine cross section?

It is free

You have more time on your hands if in receipt of unemployment benefit and if in employment - would be more of a dilemma as need to factor in work next day

and there has been fairly extensive research on the density of support for the monarchy amongst low earners

So nothing superior or inferior

We've just been. Took 12.5 hours. We joined the queue last night in order to be sure of seeing the lying in state. We're knackered and our feet and legs ache. I've done 24,000 steps today and had done over 10,000 before midnight last night.

We went because we felt it was an opportunity to pay our respects to a queen who had been a constant throughout our lives to date and a lying in state is not something that happens often. Nothing to do with being on telly, seeing celebs or being interviewed. I found it moving, though the staff trying to get you to whip through were slightly annoying given they know how long people have queued. Plenty of others there wanted to be on the front row and ignored requests to keep moving.

We're middle class and not from the SE.

I wonder how the sneering posters on here and the multiple other posts denigrating thise queueing are going to feel if the demographics show a lot are middle class remainers? 🤔

Surprised and intrigued to find out more

"Second, the queue is more reflective of Britain than you might think. All age groups are represented, not far off their proportions, the queue is 59% female.

It’s also 60% Remain (among those who voted in 2016)! Part of that is because London is of course well represented…"

twitter.com/robjohns75/status/1570757345961181187?t=AfrUb-tjHAsxJIMQQxXLxQ&s=19

Uni of Essex researchers

We did it to pay respects to the Commander in Chief (military family going back generations).

Both work full time in well paid jobs. Would have done it if it was 3 hours, we got through in 10.5 hours, we are lucky because we had the flexibility to do it and make up the work time this weekend.

The people in the queue around us were from all walks of life and all ages.

I actually think a lot of people feel grief at the passing of HMTQ but cannot articulate WHY - she wasn't their relative, etc etc. But I think it's what she represented (the passing of time, the fact that she spanned so many generations, she was a link to a wartime generation that we are losing fast; she was a constant, a strong female leader, she broke barriers and boundaries that had been long held in tradition). She was greatly respected as a leader around the world. Her passing will likely invoke change - which may be necessary and for the better as the world has changed a lot since she became Queen - but it is ok to have feelings about times of change and feel like you need to mark it in some way. Even if it is positive or necessary.

What I don't understand is why people think that the most appropriate thing to do is to go on the internet and scoff at people and be horrible to them, making nasty comments and assumptions about peoples' level of intelligence etc. How is that constructive?

We do know someone who queued for 4 hours then gave up 'to get a train home'. I wasn't impressed by that; none of it has been a surprise or a secret. It's been well publicized how long the wait is. I think if the wait had been 3 hours then more people would have gone who actually weren't there for any reason but 'to be seen' and we would have had more 'I went in 10 times' people - who were just there for the clout.

We do know someone who queued for 4 hours then gave up 'to get a train home'. I wasn't impressed by that;

somewhat hypocrite (and unpleasant) stance given your previous waffle about judgements

Yeah it’s a bit different to judging people saying they must be ‘poor and on benefits’ or ‘stupid’ than having an opinion on someone you actually know, based on what they actually said about why they went 🙄

I also judge the drunk girls in the queue who were upsetting people and who were eventually gently suggested to leave it by security. Again based on something someone’s actually done. As opposed to just labelling everyone who has gone as above people have done… but thankfully most people in the queue were respectful no matter what their reason for being there.

To add: there is literally nothing wrong with being on benefits. So using it as if it is a slur or equating it with low intelligence is just offensive (saying queueing is being unintelligent).

Did anyone say or even allude to that?

Ridiculous taking kids along. And no, it's not the camera angle. I've watched people saunter past without moving their head, lots of them.

Seriously? I'm watching bow after bow and the odd curtsy. Also saluting from service people and ex service people.

I'm favouring ( in case I ever need to 😁 ) a bow from the waist rather than the head nod bow thing. The curtsying is a difficult thing to pull off especially on taller people. The littles look sweet doing it though.

The camera angle changes a lot and sometimes it's quite tricky to get the perspective. From what I'm seeing there isn't any sauntering past without moving heads. Most people seem to stop, face the coffin and either bow, nod or whatever and then move on.

But I suppose you see what you want to.

Tbh I'm loving watching the Lying in State . its fascinating for a people watcher. - living history.

I'm on about Season 4 and contemplating the full box set.

There is also a lot of making the sign of the cross and heads bowing to meet your hand in praying 🙏 position.

Mr&Mrs Biden are in the house.

@Doingprettywellthanks
Yes, you yourself in one of your post of 14:47 yesterday:

The demographic I would hazard a guess definitely leans towards those on a low income or benefits

Not PC but I suspect the truth

Yes but no where do I link to intelligence!!!! Which was my question

So you think the very mention of low income / benefits means the poster must be saying that low intelligence?

now that is appalling

@Doingprettywellthanks

Can you explain why you wrote this?

I bet there’s a higher than average non vaccinator in that queue. I’d put a lot of money on it actually! 😂

I’m not really understanding the relevance of vaccination status to people in the queue?

@sunglassesonthetable as you might expect, there is a thread for those watching the live stream

@MrsLargeEmbodied

o god more crack.

Well I'm a top 5 university graduate very middle class IT consultant and I thought it was worth going - 70 years of public service.

@bootseason are you vaccinated though?😁😁

Yes, fully vaccinated, and didn't vote for brexit!

I'm actually really, really regretting not going.