The Lineup To See The Queen Is Over 14 Hours Long & It Looks Like A Slo-Mo Nightmare
There's an hours-long wait just to get in line!
The lineup to see Queen Elizabeth II's coffin. Right: The end of the line and the queen's coffin.
Waiting in line for a new movie, sneaker drop or grand opening is one thing, but waiting to mourn in front of the Queen Elizabeth II's coffin takes some next-level dedication and endurance.
The official queue to see the queen lying in state at the Palace of Westminster was paused on Friday morning, after maxing out at roughly 8 kilometres (5 miles) long and a 14-hour wait, according to the U.K. government's livestream.
Now, people are basically lining up to get into the official lineup, and it's all just so they can get a moment in front of her closed casket.
\u201cHER MAJESTY THE QUEEN'S LYING-IN-STATE QUEUE UPDATE, 09:50 AM, 16 Sept\n\nSouthwark Park has reached capacity. Entry will be paused for at least 6 hours. We are sorry for any inconvenience.\n\nPlease do not attempt to join the queue until it re-opens.\n\nCheck back for further updates\u201d— Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (@Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport) 1663318321
There's a certain manic thrill to lining up for hours to join a big event — such as camping out with a tent or a foldable chair — but the queen's lineup sounds like a special kind of nightmare, because you can never get comfortable in one spot. Instead, you have to keep shuffling forward.
"You will need to stand for many hours, possibly overnight, with very little opportunity to sit down as the queue will be continuously moving," the U.K. government says on its official website.
That's right: you're spending a full day on your feet in line, and you can't really sit down and chill at any point.
The lineup is moving 24 hours a day as people are shuffled in to get a glimpse of the casket — after going through an airport-like security check, of course.
According to the government's guidance, everyone in line gets a wristband so they can jump out to grab food or use the bathroom.
That means there's some relief at least. But with a 14-plus-hour wait to see the queen, it does beg the question: is it worth it?
The livestream shows that most people approach the altar, bow, maybe cross themselves or blow a kiss, then move on.
HM The Queen: Lying-in-State - BBC
The queen's coffin will be on display until Monday at 6:30 a.m. local time. The palace will be closed at that point, and the coffin will be moved for the funeral which begins later that morning.