Is the UK suffering from mass hysteria?

[User135644]

The Queen's passing is sad and seismic and the funeral will be a special occasion.

However, people genuinely seem to have gone mad.

No. I don't think you understand the meaning of 'mass hysteria'.

It's pretty calm with little hysteria. Less hysterical than the shock reaction of Diana's death.

I think a lot of it is due to a repressed sense of British patriotism that only seems to be freely expressed during half-decent sporting prowess and royal occasions. We don't get an annual release such as 17th March, 4th July, 14th July, so we intermittently go for it when an excuse comes up, go full pelt and then shuffle around looking slightly embarassed until the next excuse occurs.

There's something rather charming at an outpouring of patriotic queuing. It's not madness, it's predictable, it's organised. There's wristbands, toilets and back-up queues- this hasn't occured spontaneously, it's been anticipated and plans enacted in days!

The media's obviously highly motivated to the people most enthusuastically paying there respects, but it's also fed by the official pomp and ceremony too. It's a strange combination of tradition and novelty. Most people have a mild interest. The enthused people are a curiosity in their own right.

It's not hysteria though.

Not all Brits! Many of us are actually rather bemused by some of the antics of fellow Brits.

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I agree with this, there was hysteria surrounding Diana even before she died. She couldn't move without the media covering it. I think that combined with the shocking and unexpected nature of her death, the images of William and Harry walking about with raw grief visible seemed to really grip the nation and it was a collective grief. Now it feels like collective paying of respects but not outright grief for most people. Not because the queen wasn't important but because she was very old and had a long and fulfilling life.

I feel the same way whenever a Pope or a celebrity dies.

I don't know anyone in Real Life who is any way affected by the queen's death. At all.

Mumsnet posters and the people on the news are just not anywhere in my real life experience.

Not as hysterical as Diana's death. This is far more dignified.

I can't really remember time before the Queen had died, it feels like this has been going on for ever now. What will happen on Tuesday once it's all over!? I guess it will be time to settle in and get cold and extremely hungry.

What hysteria? You want people to behave and act the same?

People have also forgotten the Queen Mothers lying in state in 2002. That was identical!

Agreed. Am not seeing mass hysteria. Almost everyone remains calm and dignified unlike a certain section of the public, who was baying for the Queen’s blood after Diana’s death. HMQ was trying to look after and protect the boys and was expected to ‘apologise’ for not looking after the people.

I think it's all bonkers. Good on those people who want to queue for 25 hours to see a coffin, let's hope the Queen is in there. Not for me.

However, when BBC is interviewing some man who says his dog is now barking Queen since she died is making me lose the will to live.

I think people have gone a bit mad yes.
today I saw a house ad on right move, and the second picture was a black & white image of the queen! Some sort of statement from the estate agency??! Who knows. I think it’s a bit bonkers. It is a big moment but can’t see what it’s got to do with a house ad on right move x

Good or bad she was The Story. Paparazzi were all the rage, she was beautiful and it was like Princess Grace but in the British RF with her marriage failing in full view of the cameras. Her death was shocking. No one believed someone like that would have her life cut short in that way.

I saw the Queen and Prince Philip up close when they officially opened a new leisure centre many years ago Much more important to see the living than paying respects to a coffin.

if she meant so much to people when she was alive they should have blooming made the effort and told her.

It’s not that different to then

Plus we are not all the same, people react differently and I’d prefer just letting people do that rather than having to see people do the same

People who care about different things than you do are not hysterical, mad or suffering from psychosis. I can't understand the fierce loyalty some show to the football team they support, but life would be dull if we all thought the same.

The media are annoying but a change of monarch is a big deal constitutionally. Who is invited to the funeral is important diplomatically. The death and funeral are important to lots of people so there's bound to be a lot of coverage.

One thing that is lovely, though, is how many people have felt comfortable talking of their own grief over the past week. Particularly those who lost parents or grandparents of an advanced age. It sometimes feels as though society doesn't give much grace to them because the death was expected. But this has opened up the conversations and that's good imo.

I'm indifferent to the bank holiday. I want to be in work (I teach all of my exam classes on a Monday) but equally I do want to watch the funeral.

Yes it’s insane. As others have pointed out, if you go on the BBC website, UK news, and about 45 out of 50 articles on the first page are about the Queen, a 96 year old who died more than a week ago.

Nothing else going on at home or abroad that might be of import to 65 million people facing a cost of living crisis/energy crisis/housing crisis etc apparently. What a joke.

I don’t think it’s hysteria in the same way as when Diana died, I doubt people will be wailing and screaming as the coffin passes and throwing flowers at the cars . I remember people sobbing in the street , all very bizarre .

I think the mass mourning is a little contagious and unnerving but I think people are generally behaving quietly and respectfully. The BBC however has lost the plot .

I'm watching the live queue. Don't know why but it's strangely riveting. They just muted it as a kid was screeching and having a tantrum. Now that I do find utterly bizarre, personally I'd put my child's comfort ahead of queuing in the cold for 20+ hours just so I could feel part of something.

I doubt many people queuing for hours gave a fuck about Queenie when she was alive. It's all a bit look at me being respectful.

Some people have gone batshit, I think the majority are not too bothered.

Yes I was trying to think of anyone I know who wants to travel to London and queue to walk past a coffin but I can't come up with any. I know people who will watch the actual funeral but they are sick of how much coverage is on TV at the moment. I'm watching alot of netflix but I'm missing the news which I can only watch for a few minutes, I find the interviewing the people in the queue a bit cringe.

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