to finally share this secret!

[hereforever]

Name changed as potentially identifying, but been here forever.

Many years ago (deliberately being vague but 10+ years ago) my dh came home from work and said he has a massive secret to tell me, that I couldn't tell another soul.....that his company was designing and building the Queen's Hearse. The business is just a small family-run firm based in the North, and whilst they had been making Jaguar hearses for years this was totally unexpected.
The whole team worked really hard on it and it was built with the utmost secrecy and respect, kept hidden until now - very few people even knew it existed (it's been hard sometimes not sharing with family).

I'm having mixed emotions since we saw it on tv last night - as I want to shout from the rooftops how proud I am of DH and the team but so far this is the only place I've shared as I don't want to look crass in what is a very sad time for our country.

So AIBU to finally share this secret and whilst it is very sad, also be very honoured to be part of our Queen's final journey.

Bloody waste of our money. I personally would be ashamed.
Old ladies the queen's age will die of cold & hunger this winter & our money spunked on a new hearse🤮

Lovely vehicle, nice design. But I couldn’t help a wee chuckle at the remark that it should be bullet proof. The queen’s mortal remains are already dead - what possible harm could a bullet do!

To protect the driver/escorts from terrorists maybe?

@goodbyestranger

Grisly? It was a closed coffin.🙄🙄🙄

it was what the Queen wanted, for everyone to be able to see her coffin etc. in death as in life, she believed being seen was part of her duty.

I had the same thought. I also thought that the figurehead in the front would probably be illegal. Then remembered that it will not be driven fast enough on normal roads for it o hit anyone.

Given OP posted in AIBU, not the Royal Family section, why are people surprised that some people are a bit non-pluses by this?

This shouting down of any voices that disagree with them is so aggressive.

can you name the charity which would be glad to receive a hearse with special viewing windows? ( one careful owner) ?

Any charity would presumably be thrilled to receive it: it would sell for an actual fortune at auction.

I don't think the rf are possessed of a sense of shame sadly.

This design wasn't the design of a self-effacing or modest monarch, that's for sure.

I expect this and also imagine if someone wanted to create or cause a scene / do something nasty. I think all royal vehicles are bulletproof as standard.

Very nice

You never really consider stuff like this (or at least I don’t). It’s a piece of history. Thank you for sharing your secret OP. I imagine it will be on display at one of the palaces at some point like many of the vehicles and carriages.

Such an honour to have that request bestowed on your husband's company. They and you have every right to be proud. It must have been really emotional after so many years to watch the footage yesterday.

Well I for one think the illuminated hearse was brilliant, the highlight of an otherwise increasingly tedious week. Far too many commentators who love the sound of their own voices, and we're only halfway through.

Surely its obvious it will join the royal fleet and be used in future funerals.

"Expect to read your post in the Daily Mail tomorrow."

Headline: Woman proud of husband's part in Queen's hearse design

Wow, that'll shift papers!! What a cracking read that will be 😆

TooMuchToDoTooLittleInclination my personal view only, but the fact that the hearse was little up like a dodgems attraction at a funfair seemed to me to be deeply grisly. I think it's a very bad taste hearse, tbh. That isn't altered by the slightly weird fact that the Queen appears to have spent months of her life across several years masterminding the grand trappings of her demise, money no object of course.

Good to see this post today as we were commenting on how good it all looked last night. Well done to your husband's firm.

It definitely looks very posh. Nice your husband got to see it used before retiring too.

Yes, it’s in very poor taste. Especially as HM has not even been buried yet. Very peculiar.

@PipinwasAuntieMabelsdog I’m with @InSpaceNooneCanHearYouScream if that helps.

@hereforever I think it’s wonderful to be proud of your husband and a proper piece of history.

I think you mean one careful lady owner😁

@WavePlant That's nice. Why tell me? I don't know you.

That's fantastic for your DH. No wonder you're so proud. I watched it as it drove in front of me and thought how nice a hearse it was. The lights were a lovely touch. I like how she added them and wanted larger windows so everyone could see easily if they wanted too. Very nice thought.

That’s one to tell the grandchildren, OP. It looks great. The Queen always wore bright clothes so the people could easily see her, presumably she wanted the hearse to be designed so people would have the best view.

DH loved it - wondered if it would be available for normal funerals!

Lovely thing for your DH and his colleagues to be involved in.