To refuse to sleep on the Mall? 👑

[PolkaDotMankini]

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?

Wear yellow and help her make a notmyking placard and join Republic on route. She will be welcome with open arms and learn a valuable lesson about peoples solidarity and the right to protest and understand more fully how entitlement and privilege is exercised in the UK. This ain't no Disney gig and besides King Charles would have killed Bambi and hunted Fantastic Mr Fox.

Biggest ones are in the Abbey lording their thievery over the plebs.

I have to say I think you're missing out.

When DD was turning 8, the queen held a reception for the Irish premier and his wife at Windsor castle, attended by Charles and Camilla. They went along the high street to the castle and DD heard about it on the radio

She begged to go, said as it was her birthday, she was proper transfixed by William and Catherine's wedding as well. So I grudgingly said yes.

I'm Scottish Irish. We aren't fans of Royalty. I was dreading it.

However, once there, we had a great time. We stood next to an elderly, American couple, who were delighted to be standing next to a very talkative, very excited DD. They have her a flag to wave, let her sit on their spare foldaway chair when she got a bit tired (they came prepared, they'd clearly done this before), they even gave her sweets. When it was done, DD gave them a hug and the lady asked to take a photo of DD with them to show their grandchildren, so DD was asked and said yes.

It was quite chilly, and standing around for two hours was a chore, but actually, seeing how happy DD was. They still talk about it now, even though they're the least monarchist teen you'd ever meet.

If you can go, go. Yes it will be a long old day and night, but if your kid enjoys it half as much as mine did then that's parenting done right and a great memory.

😂😂😂

I went to one jubilee to see flyover of WW2 planes. Was amazing. Picnic in St James park. Wouldn’t fancy scrum on Mall for a tiny view of coach going past. But if weather is good, get there early and plead to adults to allow kid in front. It will be an experience!

If my daughter really wanted to do it, I probably would.

Not through kowtowing to her, but thinking - it's an historical event. It's something that will stay with her an entire lifetime.

Luckily she couldn't give a shit.

My Nan did this with my mum at Diana’s wedding.

She did this at Kate and Will’s wedding. She wanted me to go, but I’m not a royalist and I was pregnant.

She would probably love to do it for the coronation but she’s a bit too old now

I was thinking that too.

Whoop whoop!

Eh?

No.

Ah, thing is, if I could wrap your Nan up (I lost mine 5 years ago). Then I'd put her in a wheelchair and take her. I'd treat her like my own - excuse me? Nan comes first here!
Bellowing through to front row.

Love to your Nan ♥️

@malapast 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

Stuff like this, I think as a parent it's not about you. You basically told her you'd take her and now you can't be arsed. Very poor parenting, and I speak as someone who thinks monarchies are basically disgusting. But she's ten, she wants to go, you said you'd take her, so I think you should take her.

You could always explain the history of the monarchy, the wars, the murders, the brutality, the corruption and heads on pikes stuff. A more realistic picture. She might not want to go then.

My dear departed mum did this for the 1953 Coronation came down on the train from Preston with some girlfriends, she was 24 and camped out just outside Westminster Abbey. She remembered it very fondly, but they had been through the war and rationing. The crowds were huge, and the procession was 5 1/2 miles. So no pressure then Charles. That was undoubtedly the highpoint of monarchy that is never returning. It's just a dysfunctional family with a huge amount of unearned wealth who want to reign over us. God save us all !

Not a chance and I’m glad she’s changed her mind !!
a few years ago we went to a holiday camp and queued for ages to get a table in one of the entertainment venues he’s to see an X factor winner sing…… my DD & ex husband went off and left me holding a table with a view, I sat there for hours!!
They came back and joined me for the much anticipated singer……. During the first song “Can we go now?!?” 🤣
I reckon your DD would’ve got bored waiting, whined about how cold she was, that some tall bloke was stood in front of her blocking her view etc… then as you say the carriage will be in view for few seconds and then that’s it’s,
I wouldn’t have agreed to think about it… it would be a firm ‘no way’ from me

It's ok to change your mind but you should be careful what you say. She obviously thought you meant it.

Personally, if I'd given my dd the idea we were going to do this, then I probably would. It's something she'll remember forever, regardless of how wet, cold, uncomfortable it might be. Doubt there'll be much sleeping anyway, with everyone talking around you. Wrap up very warm and take tons of snacks/ drinks / power packs to charge phone / ipad etc. You might even enjoy yourself! (I'm not a staunch royalist btw)

She won't have to swear the allegiance now as well . All good !

I told the DC about swearing allegiance today. DD asked why anyone would say something so stupid 😂 Clearly not a staunch royalist then...

She's looking forward to her tea party.

I think you've talked your daughter into missing out on an amazing experience, royalist or not, sorry. It would be something she would remember her whole life. I took my daughters, 12 and 10 to queue 13 hours overnight to see the Queen lying in state. (They wanted to go) Yes it was tough at times, and about half way through, in the middle of the night and bitterly cold, they weren't sure they could do it. But they did! Of course! And they are so pleased/proud they did it. And big bonus as I see it is it was a great life lesson in resilience and tenacity.
Also I think you may have put words in her mouth here...you said when you asked her what she expected, she said she would meet the King and see him crowned. Really?? At 10?? I ran this by my 10 year old and she thought it ridiculous that any 10 yr old would really think this (and she's quite young for her age). She said maybe a 6 yr old!
So if mine want to go this weekend (which I believe they do) I'm prepared to do it too.

Encouraging your children to be serfs isn't parenting done right.

Some of these comments are very very odd. My kids both recognise that having a hereditary head of state in the 21st century is a pile of old shite. And spending £100 million on it when kids are going hungry is offensive wank.

Thats parenting done right 🙄

...I see it is it was a great life lesson in resilience and tenacity.

I'd struggle to see any act of serfdom towards any set of pompous, over-privileged toffs being a good lesson for my children - it's almost a "know your place" lesson.

The royal family never have, and never will, endure a moment of hardship in their lives and I don't children suffering to pay their respects to them teaches them good things.

People's romanticism towards the royals sometimes clouds judgement.

DFOD

Did you miss when I pointed out that I'm not a Royalist, especially since I'm Scottish Irish?
It made my kid happy. They requested to go. I obliged despite my own feelings. Same as when I wanted to watch a band from my era yet took my DD to see some shite pop band at a festival instead.

It shouldn’t make your kid happy though. My kids know better. That’s parenting done right.

I wouldn't. She won't forget that you DIDN'T take her, until one day, way in the future when her own child wants to do something uncomfortable, impractical and unnecessary. I've had many an "Aha" moment about things I thought as a child, were unspeakably cruel -like not getting a pony when we lived in a flat!

It's £250 million pounds to lord it over us. Maybe we can clap for them.

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/royals/king-charles-coronation-bill-tipped-29849381