London camping out overnight for royal event. Tips and advice please

[fortifiedwithtea]

King’s Coronation. I am 56 , live in Essex and have never gone to the Capital for any significant event.

I am asking mumsnetters who have gone up to wave at a Royal Wedding or Jubilee what is your advice?

I am aware I would see more on the tv but high lights will be on repeat for days. Is the effort of being in the crowd worth it? How do you survive sleeping on the pavement?

Thinking of driving up, park at DH office and take backpacks. Pop up tent, sleeping bags. There will be 3 of us, the others are DH and one adult daughter. Then staying a second night in a hotel and return home on Sunday.

Thoughts?

Book the hotel now!!

Toilets?

As in your mad, book a hotel for the whole weekend or book a hotel for your second night demand is insane?

I imagine portaloos will be stationed everywhere but hoping someone can tell me if this is true

Following for tips! My 10yo DD wants to camp out overnight. I'm willing to do it as a one-off. The atmosphere will be incredible.

I am asking mumsnetters who have gone up to wave at a Royal Wedding or Jubilee what is your advice?

Don't do it is mine. You'll be camping out with thousands of other and will get a much worse view of the whole thing than staying in and watching it on TV. I get the idea that you want the atmosphere and the 'I was there,' (and I freely admit camping is my idea of hell).

Disclaimer - last royal event I attended In person was Silver Jubilee in 1977. I watch them with drinks and snacks to hand in the comfort of my own home.

I camped out on The Mall for William and Kate's wedding.

It was so much fun.

We got there about 8pm and got a space at the front quite far down from the palace.

Lots of people and a good police presence for us to feel safe.

My friend brought an old folding sun lounger to sleep on that she threw away after. DH and I made sleeping mats out of newspaper wrapped in bin bags. We had sleeping bags that go over your head and lots of layers. No tent.

Pack light. Clean pants only really. Bring some food and drink if you want. There are portaloos all along the Mall.

I had a small handbag that I slept wearing.

We had little folding deck chairs as well to sit on while not sleeping.

In the morning the police make you take down any tents pretty much at dawn.

There's coffee vans that park up around the area to get some breakfast.

It was so much fun and an amazing experience. I felt very safe doing it.

On the day we saw all the cars going to and from the abbey. We saw the carriages coming back. They played the service over loud speakers so we heard that as well. Now a days we'd be able to watch the live stream of the service too.

I'd do it again, but I've got young kids now so many be another time.

Oh and I also went to The Mall for the Golden Jubilee. Didn't camp that time and didn't arrive particularly early either. Was only a few row back from the barrier. Got to see quite a bit then too.

Insulting someone's appearance because of a medical condition they have.

Classy.

I am always baffled at this. But I suppose it is the celebrity culture albeit with a crown and fur collars and a golden coach or something. Ask yourself what the RF did and does for YOU that you do not pay for yourself anyway.

I agree that the institution is not fit for purpose anymore. The dignity, reverence and "mystery" they once had is now replaced with salacious gossip and unseemly shenanigans. Charles himself is no angel.

Anyway, I'm not the one to ask since I will run a mile from anything like this, but I hope you enjoy your day out and others of a similar mindset will no doubt help you out more on this.

I visited the flowers on death of the queen a good few days before the funeral and people were already camping down Pall mall .most were situated near the portaloo (..not sure if they are permanent or there for the occasion.) On the right as you look at the palace .
So you might need to get there earlier than you think if you want a good spot.

I camped out for Diana's funeral in 1997. Never again. But if you want to do it...take your own food and water because city centre supermarkets are expensive! Yoga or camping mat. Golf umbrella. Toasty sleeping bag. Don't bring expensive tech, it'll get nicked. A dumb phone is ideal. Keep your cards and money hidden away. Camping chair.

@Twizbe thank you for your response 🙏

We were on the banks of the Thames for the Diamond Jubilee Flotilla.

It rained and rained.
It was cold, I was wet through as you couldn't put an umbrella up. We had cardboard periscopes which perished. We had packed food but as soon it was out of the bag it was soggy.
The atmosphere was miserable. The crush of people was scary. We saw nothing. On leaving the road was flooded above shoe level. The tube station was closed. There were NO toilets available. My family hated me for suggesting it would be good.

I would rather put my nipples in my hair straighteners on top temperature than do anything like that again. 😬

Yes, weather is another thing. It rained in 1953 and that was June. Just because it's May doesn't mean it's warm.

Have been looking at camping chairs. They are 1.8kg each. Could I get away with a camping stool? Smaller so less weight to carry but I am large, would it take my weight. Dd would be ok, she’s small.

Do people bring food to share? Cupcakes? Sausage rolls? Anything like that we need to bring.

I imagine a party atmosphere in the crowd.

can hide my phone and cards in a bumbag

Maybe go there first for a reccy. You'll find lots and lots of people already camping on the streets of London, some not far from the 775 room palace that Chuck just inherited.

What a wonderful Kingdom to celebrate.

A part of me would love to go for the atmosphere but I don't have the dedication to the RF or the time to take off work for travel etc.
I have slept outside a shop before for a book release before so my advice for that would be to pack light, only take things you're prepared to throw away/lose, have snacks and hot drinks, make friends with those around you

@Kayemm I remember the weather was miserable that day. You have described a hellish day. Weather makes such a difference and being May, the Coronation could be an absolute downpour.

Sobering thought to consider, thank you

We took old camping chairs that we were well prepared to throw away. Camping stool fine. You have to pack away sleeping stuff so early in the morning that it's good to have something to sit on in the early morning. We did have to fold those up as well though fairly early.

Now there are so many more shops and restaurants near Victoria station that you could easily go for an early dinner before heading to the Mall. People will camp out for days, but we were fine arriving when we did and being further down the route.

The atmosphere was great down there. It was April and the weather was fine.

Have to laugh at some of the responses on here though.

Really don’t get all the negative or sarky responses. I’d rather pull my own teeth out than sit through a football match or go clubbing in Ibiza but plenty of people like those things. It’s amazing but humans have different interests! So why piss on someone else’s chips just because you don’t see the point?

I walked past The Queue in Sept and if it wasn’t for some stuff I had going on I would have joined - seemed like an amazing atmosphere. And this will be slightly easier as you won’t have to keep shuffling along.

Some chips need pissing on.

Inherited power is offensive.

Inherited power is offensive

OP was asking about the pros and cons of camping to see the coronation, not a critique of monarchy as an institution per se.

Cool beans, we can both read.

This whole charade belongs in the dustbin of history.