Will you go to see The Queen lying in state?

[SupposeItDoesnt]

I plan to go next week from the midlands, to oh my respects. How many of us are planning the journey? I’m considering going late in the evening as it should be open 23 hours a day according to the news.

It is supposed to be about the person going. That is OK. That is what grief and mourning are all about. They and others may also want to pay their respects in person and in public as a demonstration of collective feeling, society and community. Others prefer to pay their respects in private. All OK.

Absolutely not. I have better things to do with my time

This place is totally batshit at the moment.

No it’s not for me, but I don’t think it’s weird for others to want to

No wouldn't consider it even if it were a short walk as it seems very ghoulish.

I am in no way a monarchist, but as a historian I think we haven't yet entirely grasped the magnitude of her importance and I did think I would take the DSs as I think it will be something to tell their own children and grandchildren about. But maybe not if it involves a 7 mile queue...

Are people not capable of "paying their respects" without the need to walk past the coffin containing the body of an old woman? She's not going to know or care. It all seems rather ghoulish to me.

No. Why on earth would anyone do this? Selfie in front of the coffin? Just no.

@OnceAgainWithFeeling any chance you could an AMA? Obviously within the limits of what’s allowed.

Maybe because it’s a traditional ‘send off’ for royalty.

My mum was very big on things being ‘done right’ - so funerals had to be ‘prefect’ to give the person a ‘proper send off’.

Remember the queen was quite elderly so will have had different ideas - I’ve seen death announcements on twitter, where my SIL only heard of the heard of her SIL when someone spotted it on twitter and called her so she missed the funeral (my mum would have been horrified).

I doubt people will be able to take selfies in front of the coffin.

Maybe this the gulf between those who think it is ghoulish and those who think this a normal thing to want to do. It wouldn't even cross my mind to do a selfie, but for those for whom documenting life through selfies is normal (and who would not see it as disrespectful), perhaps there is a conversation to be had about whether there are limits to where selfies are appropriate.

I am not sure, though, what has to do though with a personal decision about whether to pay respects (with or without selfie - though I expect photos inside will be banned) by going to see her lying in state. Even those who go through interest only are not doing anything wrong, it matters to some people to participate in a societal moments (and indeed participation is what creates society, community and tradition, which is what binds a nation together). I guess there may be some who are going in order to be disrespectful, either to the queen or to those who go for other reasons, but surely we can condemn that without condemning this particular tradition/mechanism for showing respect/participation in public life.

I doubt selfies would be allowed

I’d be surprised if so, it’s presumably for paying respects and everyone will be fairly sombre and the place heavily guarded

Selfie in front of the coffin? Just no.

The coffin will be on a catafalque, with the regalia on top and guarded by soldiers. The idea is that you simply walk past and pay your respects and I expect the use of mobiles will be very strictly monitored i.e anyone who tries it will be jumped on immediately. You can't even use mobiles inside Palace exhibitions, so it will be policed very hard at a lying in state.

Im also OLB. Respect to you and best wishes for the next 12 days. ✊

I will - I went to see the Queen Mother with my Mum which was amazing just to see the Koh-i-Noor diamond.
Dunno if James Blunt was one of the Household Cavalry officers guarding the coffin when I was there...!
Mum's in hospital at the mo - has been for months - & we were watching the news yesterday. I'll be going on behalf on my mother - sounds ridiculous but there you go. Just hope I don't have to queue for 7 miles...

Will there be portaloos?

I won't be going, but that would be a big concern if I did. You know..... when there's nowhere to go you desperately need to go!

That is my biggest memory too, the crown just sparkled.

Glad I'm not the only one who worries about stuff like this haha.

That is a lovely idea thank you. I believe the C of E church near me doesn’t do candle lighting. I am fairly sure that the nearest cathedral does though so I will pay a visit there.

That is a lovely idea (I think I may do that), but not "better" and attending the lying-in state if you want to is not pointless. The point is paying respects, participation in public life and/or mourning (whether for the Queen herself, for the end of an era or because it triggered something else in you).

Well said WitnessX

I agree wholeheartedly with this and your other 2 posts on this page.

It's very surprising to me that people think that a lying-in-state would be an open coffin or that you would be allowed to take photos near it!

I went to QMs lying in state and waited 7 hours to pay my respects. I am tempted to go, but I think the queues will be too long. And also I work full time now.

They are thinking of Lenin maybe?

Jesus Christ what is wrong with people?
Why on earth would anyone even consider doing this unless you knew her personally?

Just weird and utterly pointless.
She was a stranger and couldn't care less about you in life or death.
Leave the woman in peace and spend 7 hours doing something charitable or vaguely useful.

Excellent 😂