To think it's a shame we can't pay our respects

[KeepYaHeadUp]

When we initially heard about the funeral plans DH and I said it might be "nice" to take our DC to London (we're just outside) to walk past the Queen in Westminster Hall. They've been very interested in the whole event and are old enough now that they'll remember it and be able to talk about it, etc. so when they independently asked to go we looked into it.

It quickly became apparent it wasn't going to be feasible due to the huge queues etc, so that was knocked on the head. I feel it's a shame but there's no way I'd have them queuing in the rain.

On the news this morning there are a number of people who's caught flights from all over the world to come and be part of it. One pair - a mother and adult son from New York flew over as soon as they heard the Queen had died and are queuing now.

I know it's unreasonable really, but I felt a pang of something - jealousy, irritation, not sure - at these people with money and time to fly for hours to come and pay their respects to our monarch adding to numbers which effectively deny other groups the opportunity. I know there are allowances made for people with disabilities who are unable to queue for up to 30 hours, but what about children/families for whom it's impossible?

They’ve just changed the guard again and that stops the file past for a few minutes.

You should have just got one of them fast track passes, skip the long queues. #makingmemories

The guard changes are amazing. Impressive.

Well you've obviously looked into it in more depth than I did. I just finished work, ate dinner and walked the twenty minutes it took me to get to the end from my flat. It wasn't complicated at all, fortunately for me, and a nice walk down the South Bank on a pleasant evening has really been no hardship at all

Good to know, thanks @SocksAndTheCity - hope you're not waiting too many more hours.

Do you need a tv licence to steam that link? If it’s a global stream it seems unlikely and the tv licences only applies specifically to i player doesn’t it?

When you view iplayer shows it asks if you have a tv licence, nothing here.

So you absolutely could go but just aren't going to. People are coming from thousands of miles away to stand in the rain and that irks you? Very odd.

I joined the queue at 2.30pm, near Blackfriars Bridge. We started moving at 4.30pm, very fast at first as they were taking people over Lambeth Bridge. We got in at 8pm, lucky enough to be standing at the top of the stairs as the guard changed.

There was a family with a toddler and baby in front of us, baby spent most of the time sleeping and the police enjoyed entertaining the toddler!

I joined the queue at the same time as 4 other people on their own. The time flew by as we talked, we went to a bar on the south bank afterwards to raise a glass to the Queen.

This reminds me of that time during covid where the lady on the beach was interviewed, who had travelled a decent way to come to the beach, and complained that it was much too busy and why

The world does not revolve around children

It has been worth battling through multiple pages of this thread just to read this statement on Mumsnet.

But there again I would have a walk past on the other side as well. That way it would be 15 hours of queuing instead of 30 hours.

Luckily someone thought of that before you.

This is the final straw! OP now you’ve admitted this, you realise you’re not even allowed to watch the funeral on TV?

3 hours would be excessive, but would an hour here and there be permissable I wonder?

Surely they aren't suggesting people don't eat? And I imagine there will eventually be queues for portaloos? Or nearby restaurant toilet facilities. Some will object, some will be happy as long as you buy something. So necessitating time away anyway.

Of course they don’t expect people not to eat (although personally I like to be prepared and would take something with me). Now the queue is moving, it will be more difficult to find your (approximate) place again if you go off for hours.

Restaurants and other buildings along the queuing route such as the theatres have extended opening hours so people can buy food and use the toilets, to take the pressure off the portaloos. I wouldn’t expect any of them to be quibbling as to whether people are buying things or not, given the special circumstances.

Imho I think is out of order for Americans to be coming over considering their “founding fathers” who they adore were so eager to get rid of the royal family. I very much respect the queen but don’t care much to be queuing up to see her in a box. That being said I think it should be prioritised for the people of the Uk and realms she was Queen of and maybe other commonwealth nations. Instead it’s becoming some sorts of tourist attraction for all sorts is of people.

I think is out of order for Americans to be coming over considering their “founding fathers” who they adore were so eager to get rid of the royal family

The US colonists didn’t rebel to get rid of the royal family, it was to get rid of Parliament and their punitive tax acts called the Intolerable Acts. In 1775, the Continental Congress expressed its desire to remain loyal to the British crown in the Olive Branch Petition, delivered to the monarch George III on September 1, 1775. John Dickinson was the primary author of the petition, though several “founding fathers” Benjamin Franklin, John Jay, John Rutledge, and Thomas Johnson also served on the drafting committee. Unfortunately, George III had already declared them all traitors the week prior and refused to even read the petition. Parliament (Lord North) then dispatched the military to attack the colonists leaving them no choice but to fight for total independence.

www.parliament.uk/about/living-heritage/evolutionofparliament/legislativescrutiny/parliament-and-empire/parliament-and-the-american-colonies-before-1765/parliament-and-the-war-in-the-american-colonies-1767-83/

I’ve seen loads of parents taking children, just go. Just not a peak times. Early in the morning would be good. Don’t moan about something you have control over.

Linking this thread here for anyone with disabilities (hidden or otherwise) or a family member or friend with disabilities:

www.mumsnet.com/talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/4633314-will-i-be-allowed-to-join-the-accessible-queuing-system?page=3

It would seem far more doable. A lovely mumsnetter who lives nearby has taken it upon herself to go and personally ask questions put to her by other mumsnetters to those in charge of the disabled access.

I might (just) be able to go on Friday.

You sound very entitled!

I was in the city yesterday, I saw the people queuing. There were old people, young, people with children and a separate queue for the disabled.

The Queen also reigned over a number of commonwealth countries, so they are subjects just as much as Brits. The number from non commonwealth countries will be tiny.

You have made a choice to prioritise comfort over going. That is fine, its what most people are doing. Don't try to blame that choice on someone else.

@SocksAndTheCity how long did it take you to get through the queue?

the queue tracker says its curently 3.2 miles long

yesterday on twitter someone posted they waited 5 hours which i thought wasnt too bad considering but it seems to be getting a bit longer now

In the end, it was just after 3am when I got all the way through, but AFAIK the main delay was when the poor man guarding had fainted and everything stopped for a while (there may have been something else too, but there wasn't really news travelling down the queue). So I'd say about seven hours total - I got home (City) about 4am.

I'm glad I went when I did as the queue looks huge now; I had a walk over to the Waitrose at St Katharine Docks earlier and the end was well past Tower Bridge even then, but I would still go

... so a queueing system then??! Exactly as there was! 🤯🤯🤯

Once you have your numbered wristband you have a space in the que so you can dip in & out to go get food, use toilets, take the kids for a walk etc.
I wish I’d bitten the bullet & gone to Edinburgh but as I don’t have a disabled badge & I couldn’t find any information about who could access the easy que system we decided not to go & I feel sad.
I haven’t really enjoyed my time in London the two times I went before I became disabled I found it noisy & the streets claustrophobic & these days my tolerance for noise & crowds & my anxiety around going to unfamiliar places are way, way worse. I just imagine it will be a stressful trip that would leave me very ill.
The 8+ hrs of driving alone, to get there & back, would be a big ask of my body without adding the standing & waiting so I’ve left some flowers & a note at a remembrance area near us & I’ve popped some word in a condolence book at our local library.
My daughter wanted a picture with the display so I obliged & it will go with our memories of the Queen file.

MIL wants to go. She’s 90. No way am I taking her and she actually agrees. Our compromise is we we’re driving to see a family friend who lives on the route from London to Windsor on Monday afternoon and we hope to see the Royal Hearse come past.