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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To refuse to sleep on the Mall? 👑

290 replies

PolkaDotMankini · 27/04/2023 19:01

10yo DD desperately wants to sleep overnight on the Mall so she can see the king going past in his golden carriage. I rashly said last year (when I refused to take her to QEII's funeral) that I'd consider it.

But I don't want to. It's raining and cold. It means sleeping on the ground. It will be packed, the loos will be grim and we'll lose our place when we use them. We'll be surrounded by royalist nutters screaming "We love you, King Charles!" and knuckling their foreheads. We'd get a much better view on TV in the comfort of our own home.

I couldn't care less about the monarchy, other than that the parades are cool and I don't see how they could possibly do a worse job than an elected politician.

DD is very disappointed. AIBU to say no and tell her she can go to William's coronation when she'll likely be old enough to sort it out herself?

OP posts:
Thread gallery
9
Sainte · 29/04/2023 00:05

I just don’t understand why some are anti the Coronation festivities. This is history in the making and the little girl will always be able to say she was there.

GettingThereCharleyBear · 29/04/2023 00:47

@Sainte because it’s obscene inherited wealth and power being wielded by a second rate family in the middle of a cost of living crisis 🙄.

Everything is “history” doesn’t mean I have to drag my kids to watch it. What a ludicrous argument 🙄🤦‍♀️.

celticmamabear · 29/04/2023 00:57

Tbh I'd do it. It would be worth the lack of comfort for one night for a memory for your child that she will keep forever. Get yourself some thermals, fill some flasks, wear comfy clothes.
The next day you'd be sp glad you did and you'd be making a really precious memory with your child

MibsXX · 29/04/2023 02:00

I will say one thing, my earliest memory is as a child my gran took us to see the Queen driving through our town in the Golden Carriage.. I still have a tiny metal carriage souvenir today and remember it clearly... maybe worth a bit of lack of comfort for a very treasured lifelong memory she'll always remember seeing the Queen WITH YOU xx

MibsXX · 29/04/2023 02:01

Am in no way a Royalist BTW, it was just being a part of a very specila national event with my beloved Gran

SkyandSurf · 29/04/2023 02:17

PortiasBiscuit · 27/04/2023 19:10

My sisters went to see the queen lying in State, they had a fantastic time. It’ll be a memory.

I'm no royalist but the idea of having a 'fantastic time' walking past a corpse...

NotMeSecretFormular · 29/04/2023 03:02

Aww, stay home and make a big deal about getting dressed up. You could do hair and nails together and watch it all play out on tv. They're not little and excited for long any more at this age.

Westfacing · 29/04/2023 03:20

Take her to the nearest public screening, with a picnic etc - there'll be a good atmosphere and she'll feel part of the 'event', and it's something for her to remember!

sashh · 29/04/2023 03:32

What about organising a sleepover with her friends? Then you could take her in the morning, with a couple of friends, but if they have been awake half the night they probably won't be up for it.

raycampi · 29/04/2023 04:14

MibsXX · 29/04/2023 02:00

I will say one thing, my earliest memory is as a child my gran took us to see the Queen driving through our town in the Golden Carriage.. I still have a tiny metal carriage souvenir today and remember it clearly... maybe worth a bit of lack of comfort for a very treasured lifelong memory she'll always remember seeing the Queen WITH YOU xx

Or even the King!

raycampi · 29/04/2023 04:15

GettingThereCharleyBear · 29/04/2023 00:47

@Sainte because it’s obscene inherited wealth and power being wielded by a second rate family in the middle of a cost of living crisis 🙄.

Everything is “history” doesn’t mean I have to drag my kids to watch it. What a ludicrous argument 🙄🤦‍♀️.

👏🏼

MibsXX · 29/04/2023 04:19

it's silly oçlock, am up late/early wondering how to manage to feed us all this weekend, tired cold and hungry.. OP will have got the point! I was simply trying to feel a bit more human and helpful is all

MibsXX · 29/04/2023 04:20

Can't seem to quote lol.. this was for raycampi
raycampi · Today 04:14
MibsXX · Today 02:00

I will say one thing, my earliest memory is as a child my gran took us to see the Queen driving through our town in the Golden Carriage.. I still have a tiny metal carriage souvenir today and remember it clearly... maybe worth a bit of lack of comfort for a very treasured lifelong memory she'll always remember seeing the Queen WITH YOU xx
Or even the King!

SparklyBlackKitten · 29/04/2023 04:42

Your worries about thieves made me laugh 🤣 of course there are thieves
But the same in a shopping mall. Or any crowd for that matter.

I guess its lucky you asked your kid was her expectations were.
But I think that all things considered you should have gone. Yes yes it might rain. And it will be cold. And a loooooong wait
But it would have been an adventure between you and your daughter that would have last a lifetime. An experience of a lifetime

But I guess a teaparty is fun too.... but not something special to remember to remember forever

wentworthinmate · 29/04/2023 06:59

Thieves on the Mall ??? Nuts. Just go, it will be a wonderful once in a lifetime experience.

Smileyoriley · 29/04/2023 07:11

Good heavens no, you're the parent here. I don't blame you one bit and wouldn't have dreamt of taking my children either (thank the Lord they were never vaguely interested!)
There must be something more interesting and fun you can do together over the weekend surely?

Mopbucketmoo · 29/04/2023 07:25

You have to take her!!! Think how much she will love it

GingerNutMe · 29/04/2023 09:01

Stop at home and get Dad or grandparents to take her?!

awaynboilyurheid · 29/04/2023 09:28

brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr · 27/04/2023 22:15

Sleeping on the street in the rain for a spoiled, sausage-fingered billionaire to ride past you in a golden carriage.

Normal country…..

Oh this gave me a laugh out loud this morning!
Glad you realised and spoke to her, bless her thinking she would see him being crowned ! The tea party is a great compromise.

Ginburee · 29/04/2023 11:27

There will be thieves all over the place.
Shake your head and wake upthe hey ar everywhere. -

Ginburee · 29/04/2023 11:30

Thanks to strikes, inset days etc mum didn't spell check.
Wake up, they are everywhere.

CAJIE · 29/04/2023 11:31

U might need to wean her off that.Tell her about marie antoinette and the french revolution.With any luck Charles will be the last
When i walk past the food banks and the homeless I sometimes wonder about the British

mustgetoffmn · 29/04/2023 12:50

Hugasauras · 27/04/2023 19:19

Sorry I do know what you mean but I'm giggling at the thought of people literally going to walk past a dead body and 'having a fantastic time' 😂

Show quote history

The queue was the whole experience.

saffy2 · 29/04/2023 14:31

I’d take her. That’s a memory of a lifetime. And it’s one night. I think YABU.

brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr · 29/04/2023 14:58

This circus is only “history” because we imbue it with synthetic reverence. And create utterly batshit rituals (hiding behind embroidery so a man in a cloak can put “chism” on Camilla’s breasts using an ancient spoon).

The SpaceX rocket launch a couple of weeks back was - as a step on our journey to interplanetary existence - historically far more significant than this rigmarole of billionaire slave money shallow gene pool gigadunces cosplaying medieval shit and riding around in golden carriages.